A Very Potter Recruitment Story
 

Hello! My name is generallygreek; my mom is on this forum, and she's been nagging me to get this up, so I'm starting it now. :) She's been getting prime updates and can probably fill in the blanks where I'm a little lacking.

My campus has winter recruitment, and thus we also have an extensive informal recruitment process, so I wanted to post about that as an introduction, as well as to give a little background to the story. :)

There are six sororities on my campus. I came into this with pretty much zero preconceptions about them. For the purposes of this story, I'll be calling them:

Gryffindor
Hufflepuff
Ravenclaw
Slytherin
Beauxbatons
Durmstrang

I'll reveal the name of the one I join once rush is over, but the other five will stay anonymous.

Informal recruitment technically started about a month into classes and lasted all the way through fall term, so I'll be covering from just before classes started to just before winter break, when a period of no contact began before formal recruitment.

Let's start with Gryffindor. I had stayed on campus for a couple days during the summer, and my host had been a Gryffindor, so I did have some preconceived notions of them. They seemed like fun, active girls who liked to be out and about, something that attracted me. I thought Gryffindor could be somewhere I could fit, or at least somewhere I'd have fun during rush. Unfortunately, the two Gryffindors I knew really well weren't interested in recruitment, so I didn't have anyone to really advocate for me in their chapter. I still really liked the girls, though, and hoped for the best in formal recruitment!

Pretty soon into the term, the Ravenclaws had their hooks in me. Both my Big AND my RA were Ravenclaws, and both of them were really nice, helpful, and supportive. My Big and I clicked right away and spent a lot of time together, especially early on in the term before we got really busy. Many of them were in my clubs--the Ravenclaws seemed to be everywhere, involved with everything, and I never met one I didn't like! I still felt like I should keep my options open, though, so I tried not to get too attached early in the process.

The Hufflepuffs were the other place I could really see myself fitting. I didn't meet too many of them before I got on campus, but they were real sweethearts. One my friend's Bigs was really nice, in particular, and a Hufflepuff in one my classes and I made friends. I heard that they have the highest GPA of the sororities, which I found impressive, and they held quite a few fundraisers that I tried to get involved in. By the time formal recruitment rolled around, Hufflepuff was my strong second choice, and I knew I'd be happy with them if I joined.

I came on campus thinking that Slytherin was the top sorority on campus, and they might well be (though I tried from the beginning to ignore the idea of ranking), but that fact in itself was a bit off-putting to me. I've never really enjoyed attention, and get stressed when trying to keep up appearances, so I wasn't sure if I'd fit in Slytherin. I told myself to keep an open mind and give them a chance, so I waited to form an opinion of them until I'd actually talked to some of them. A couple sat next to me in one of my classes, but I never really worked up the courage to start a conversation. Other than those two, I didn't meet any anywhere else, so I decided pretty early on to wait until formal recruitment to see how Slytherin worked out.

Beauxbatons was rather elusive. Everyone kept telling me these girls were really nice, but I couldn't seem to manage to meet one! My roommate's Big was in Beauxbatons, but she wasn't on campus until a month into the term, and was very busy playing catch-up after that. I was really disappointed; I wanted to meet these girls, especially since I'd heard they were really into their philanthropy, and I'm big on volunteer work. Oh well! Meeting them would also end up waiting until formal recruitment started.

Durmstrang. These girls were strangely scarce during fall term. My rec writer had really gotten me interested in them, but I'd never talked to them and didn't know a single one, and neither did my friends. Maybe they just didn't wear their shirts? Their unfortunate lack of presence in my spheres on campus made me decide to wait until formal recruitment started to make a judgment. It felt wrong to write them off when I hadn't even met enough to form an opinion.

I'll post on the first night soon. I've got some free time in the afternoon tomorrow, so that's probably when it'll go up. Hope you've enjoyed reading so far! :)

You keep referencing your "big". Is this a program on campus to help Freshman get acclimated? Does every girl get a different big? I can't wait to hear this story. I personally am rooting for Gryffindor, but you already know how this story ends :) haha

Hi kateee! Yes, my campus has a big-little program where all incoming freshman get matched up with a sophomore their same gender to help them get acclimated to college life. It's a great program, especially since we have delayed recruitment. :)

Can't wait to hear the rest of this! :)

Ditto! :)

I love this idea! Can't wait to hear the rest of your story :)

This sounds intriguing! Can't wait.

Are you a legacy to any of the chapters at your school?

I'm rooting for Hufflepuff! :)

chi-o cat, no, I'm not, but much of my family is Greek. I won't say what chapters the ladies of my family are in, since I don't want to give anything away about where I go to school, but my aunt, cousin, and mom are Greek, and my uncle is a PiKA. :)

Ooh yes, I love live/semi-live recruitment stories!

You sound like you're doing all the right things. :) Good luck and I hope it goes well! Can't wait to hear more.

Hmm Ravenclaw or Beauxbatons!

I'm really indecisive so I claim Gryffinclaw!

Go Ravenclaw!

Every time I see this pop up at the top of the list I get all excited hoping it's an update. But then it's not and I'm disappointed. And now I'm contributing to the phenomenon.

TL;DR--generallygreek, COME BACK!

I can confirm that generallygreek is having a lot of fun with her new sorority sisters and is having not so much fun with her academic work load. :) Three weeks until break...the update might have to wait until then.

Mama is correct on that account, haha! :) I had a rather frustrating episode where I was more than half done with the post and then Firefox decided to refresh, so I more or less rage-quit for a couple of days.

I'm at work right now, but this weekend promises to be quieter than usual, so I'm going to promise to get an update in, hopefully tonight!

You just used the phrase "rage-quit" and named your story "A Very Potter Recruitment Story." I think we are gonna get along and I hope you continue to post on this website even once your story is over. :D

LOL-I can't tell you how many times I have posted some "brilliant" advice only to have taken longer than the GC program allows and when I attempt to post it, i have to log in again and my info. is gone.......so I feel your pain!(i have since learned to copy before I try to post, just in case I took too long).

Can't wait to read the rest of your story.

So happy there's another second generation GreekChatter on here!

Can't wait to hear how the story ends!

Generallygreek and the Six Sororities
 

It was night one, and boy was I excited! I'd gotten myself really worked up over winter break (and also had my nervous "what if I don't get a bid" breakdown) doing my rush shopping, planning my outfits, and packing my emergency rush week survival kit. I was pushing at the starting gate and was more than ready to just get through the week and find my sisters.

My suite got ready about an hour beforehand, so when our Rho Gams picked us up we were ready to go. I got my schedule, which read as follows:

Beauxbatons
Slytherin
Hufflepuff
Gryffindor
Durmstrang
Ravenclaw

I was a little nervous to see that both my first parties were with girls I didn't know very well, but I put my chin up and headed out with my group.

When we arrived at the house, I thought I was completely prepared. I knew exactly how the game was going to go and was ready to put my best foot forward.

But I was completely unprepared for the SINGING! As we waited nervously and our Rho Gams gave us the "one minute!" signal, the houses suddenly erupted with cheers. I was startled--no one had told me about this!

I got really excited because the Beauxbatons girls were really into their song, stomping their feet and banging on the doors from the inside. I had the chills and know I was grinning madly when the doors burst open and the girls escorted us in.

The girl I talked to was really nice: polite, pretty, and with no end of things to talk about. I was a little awkward at first, but got into the swing of things quickly. However, it became clear about a third of the way through our conversation that something was wrong. After a bit, I realized that the girl's bump was late. I felt bad for her, but she did a good job keeping the conversation going and finally escorted me out of the house at the end, bump nowhere to be found. I felt like I had had a decent time, but was disappointed I didn't get to meet more sisters.

After leaving Beauxbatons we pulled on our coats (I'd forgone a coat; poor decision on my part) and hurried to the Slytherin house.

Slytherin was more comfortable. I was feeling more confident, now that I'd been to a house, and I feel like I opened up more to the Slytherin girls, who were all really nice! The girl I talked to was hilarious and had me holding back laughter the whole party. I left this house feeling optimistic.

Beauxbatons and Slytherin were the houses I'd been most nervous for, so I'd relaxed a lot at this point. At Hufflepuff, I got picked up by a girl I knew at the door and saw a lot of the girls I knew from classes and activities (I got a lot of hugs! :)). Just like I thought I would, I had a great time and loved all the sisters. It was definitely still in my top picks.

I was anticipating Gryffindor, but I was disappointed when I got paired with a sister who obviously wasn't interested in what I was saying. We didn't share many mutual interests, and she was trying to be nice about it, but we had a hard time keeping up the conversation. Things got better after the bump, but I never quite recovered from the initial awkwardness. I was a little put out, and sad to discover that I hadn't really enjoyed myself by the time I left.

Next was Durmstrang. I thought I didn't know any Durmstrang girls, but imagine my surprise when a girl I knew really well picked me up at the door! I was so excited to see her! I had a lot of fun talking to her and meeting the sisters she introduced me to, and I was feeling great about Durmstrang once I left. It hadn't even been on my radar before, but now I really liked the girls.

Ravenclaw was the last party of the night, and I was happy to be rounding the night off with them! I got picked up by a girl I hadn't met, and only talked to a couple of girls I knew, but I really connected with the last two girls I talked to. One of them even told me, "This is the best conversation I've had all night!" and told me she hoped to see me tomorrow when she walked me out.

We chatted about the parties as we headed back for ranking; all my friends had had just as good a time as I had and were excited for the next night. I was still riding that adrenaline rush from Ravenclaw, but I calmed down as I waited in line. I ranked:

1. Ravenclaw
2. Hufflepuff
3. Durmstrang
4. Slytherin
5. Beauxbatons
6. Gryffindor

I had a great time at all the houses, but ranked Gryffindor last because I felt like, for the night, I'd enjoyed myself least there.

I felt like I'd been through a whirlwind by the end! Rush is fun, but it certainly is exhausting. Little did I know that night one would be the least stressful night of the week... ;)

Hooray, you're back!!! I hope that you will finish the story today.

Trust me, mama's making sure she does. Dinner at her favorite Chinese restaurant has been offered as the bribe, I mean reward. ;)

Huzzah! You're back! I hope you are enjoying your new member period, and I can't wait to hear the rest of your story. :D

Yay! Can't wait to read the rest!

Generallygreek and the Roommate Troubles
 

We got our list of parties before dinner the following day. I wasn't too nervous, since I'd had a good time at multiple houses and felt like I should be in good shape. Sure enough, when I got my list of parties it was:

Gryffindor
Hufflepuff
Ravenclaw

I was disappointed that Durmstrang had cut me, but not surprised. I hadn't made friends with enough of the girls during informal recruitment to really have an in. Slytherin and Beauxbatons' cuts were entirely expected, as well, since they usually go into formal recruitment with a more specific list of girls they've gotten to know really well who they want (one of my friends did however get invited back to Beauxbatons, even though she didn't know any of the girls! Can't judge a book by its cover).

The funny thing was, all my roommates had gotten the same parties! In fact, there were only two girls on the hall who'd gotten Durmstrang, in addition. A hallmate of mine got cut from five out of six of the sororities, but she just smiled and took it in stride ("It only takes one," she said). One of my roommates was crushed...she'd really wanted Durmstrang, and had felt like she had a great time there the previous night. It took her up until half an hour before we left to pull herself together, but she firmly said through the whole ordeal that she didn't want to drop. I was proud of her for keeping an optimistic attitude about it. :)

Tonight was skit night! I was excited to see what sort of show the girls would put on.

The first party of the night was Gryffindor. I was happy to be invited back despite my low ranking of them the night before, since I did really like the Gryffindors. I had a much more personable girl this time, and she and I really clicked. She actually waved off a bump to keep talking to me, and partnered up with the other. Their skit was 90s themed--really funny with a lot of great Disney references. :) I had a great time, and was hoping to come back the next night, though I wasn't holding my breath.

Hufflepuff was, as always, really warm and welcoming. :) I really enjoyed talking to the girls, and once again felt like I clicked with them. Their skit wasn't great, but it was cute and I felt it represented them well. Their skit was the only one where I had to sit on the floor, which was difficult in a dress, but I left feeling good!

I got picked up at Ravenclaw by the girl who'd shown me out the day before, so we pretty much picked up where we'd left off in the conversation, which was nice. Ravenclaw's skit was HILARIOUS! It was all parodies of popular songs through the ages, and they had some really good dancers. I felt at home throughout the whole thing, and a couple of times I caught myself thinking, "these girls could be my sisters!"

When it was time to rank, I knew exactly how I was going to order them:

1. Ravenclaw
2. Hufflepuff
3. Gryffindor

I had my fingers crossed that I'd get invited back to all three, but I wasn't holding my breath. I had vowed before recruitment even started to not get my hopes up too much.

EDIT: By the way, I thought everyone might be interested to know that I had recs to all the sororities. It didn't seem to make a lot of difference, as you'll see as we go on.

Yay! You're back! Good job mom ;) Thoroughly enjoying your story!

Thanks! ;)

Generallygreek and the Unexpected Cuts
 

We got our lists of parties at the same time we had for night two. I was a little nervous to see where I'd been invited back to. I looked at my slip:

Ravenclaw

I was surprised. I'd been hoping to go back to more than one house that night, or even for pref, but I got over it fairly quickly. The thing that really shocked me was how many girls on my hall only got invited back to Ravenclaw! There were at least five girls I knew who'd been cut from two or three sororities. Happily, however, everyone was going back somewhere they liked. :)

Ravenclaw was, of course, wonderful. The vice-president of one of my favorite activities picked me up at the door, and I was happy to see her. She has the best sense of humor, so she had me in stitches the whole night before passing me along to an upperclassman I hadn't met before. I learned a lot about Ravenclaw's philanthropy that night, and I got to hear a lot of good stories about sisterhood and what it was like to be a Ravenclaw.

I headed back and confidently signed off on my one-sorority ticket:

1. Ravenclaw

I knew I wanted Ravenclaw, and if they'd have me, I was ready to be a sister! I just hoped I didn't get cut--a lot of us who only had Ravenclaw were worried, but we made a sort of pact of solidarity at ranking. I tried to reassure everyone that they'd be fine, but I was nervous too. Some of the cuts so far had really thrown me for a loop...

eeeeep!

Only seeing one sorority on your sheet, even if it's one you really love, can be so hard!

It was hard! I'd really hoped to go back to Hufflepuff, even though I loved Ravenclaw a lot. I just remembered my friend's outlook when she got cut, though: "It only takes one." :)

Generallygreek and the Bouquet of Wonders
 

Tonight was pref. I was both excited and nervous--I knew it was my last chance to make a good impression on the Ravenclaw girls.

But something unexpected happened. Early in the day, my roommates and I were studying in our room when one of our close friends burst in, in tears. It took us a while to get it out of her, but she'd been dropped. She was one of the girls that only had Ravenclaw left the previous day. And later one of my roommates got the call: she was dropped too, and three more girls on my hall had also been "released from the process."

We were all devastated. More than 15 girls got cut that day. It turned out that Ravenclaw had huge numbers of girls that they just couldn't keep, since Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had made too many cuts after night two. A Ravenclaw girl we knew hadn't gotten back until four in the morning because of how long it took for them to make their decisions.

It was with a heavy heart that I went to Ravenclaw. My excitement was dampened by what had happened to my friends. Above all, I couldn't help thinking "why do I deserve to be here and they don't?" I know my gloomy mood must have come through, and I admitted to the girl I was paired with, who I knew well, that I was sad for my friends. She comforted me and told me she had a friend who'd been dropped when she rushed, and that things always worked out in the end.

After a while, we all got escorted into the parlor. We had each been given a flower when we were escorted in, and now my friend the vice president explained: each flower represented a quality that Ravenclaw loved in us. Mine was empathy. This cheered me a lot, and I left feeling much better.

I was terrified that I'd jeopardized my chances by being in a poor mood. I went back and signed my willingness to accept a bid, my binding contract, for:

1. Ravenclaw

I was ready to go. Regardless of what happened the next day, I was ready and willing to accept the outcome.

More!

I'm so eager to hear the final outcome to your story! :)

This is a great story! Generallygreek, I love how you are staying true to the Harry Potter theme, and I am keeping my fingers crossed for Ravenclaw!

Where is the exciting conclusion? (Foot tapping...)

No Chinese for you! ;)

Generallygreek and the Mysterious Envelope
 

I was pretty high-strung all morning during classes, waiting to see if I would get a call. I knew I probably wouldn't, but I was really unsettled by how many girls had been cut the night before.

Happily, I didn't get a call during my classes in the morning, and I returned that night to get my bid. Our Rho Gams came in with the envelopes, and I opened mine to a burst of silver star glitter and the exciting announcement that I was now a...

Congratulations! Enjoy your membership in Pi Phi! :)