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LIVE Ice Cream Recruitment Story!
Our 16 Chapters!
Vanilla Chocolate Strawberry Mint Butterscotch Cookies and Cream Cotton Candy Coffee Cookie Dough Rocky Road Rainbow Neapolitan Sherbet Cake Batter Black Cherry Dreamscicle Today was the first day of rush! I go to a very large Southern school, so we had to split the first two rounds over four days. Today was super casual. We wore our recruitment t shirts and shorts. The first round you meet all of the houses. After this round you pick your 4 bottom houses to “drop”. The second round is skit day. This round you visit up to 12 houses and then “drop” five. The third round you watch a video and get a house tour from up to 7 houses. After this you will rank your top 3. Round 4 is preference round for up to 3 chapters. Then you will rank your remaining. Vanilla: I was so nervous to go into this house first because it’s top tier. I had no idea what to expect. All of the PNM lined up in numerical order in front of the house. When it was time, each of us was greeted by a rusher with a cup of water and a guiding hand on the back. We were lead by our rusher into a room. The PNM sat on a couch or chair and the rusher was on her knees (this was the same in all of the houses I visited today) All of the girls in this sorority looked absolutely perfect! It was really intimidating. As soon as I started talking to my rusher I immediately started to relax. She and I went back and forth talking about the sorority and my hometown. My rusher also introduced me to her little, which I thought was really sweet. Although everyone looked like Barbies, I could potentially see myself with these girls. I am looking for a more involved sorority anyway. Chocolate: This house was also known as a top tier. The rusher would not stop talking and seemed disinterested in me. She did tell me about all of the resources the sorority had in regards to my major, PR. The house seemed great, but I wasn’t sure if I could see myself here. Strawberry: This house was much more relaxed. The interior was decorated in bright colors. My rusher seemed really nervous, but sweet. We chatted about how we both went to London this summer. She was also in my college. Still, this was the only conversation where there were awkward pauses and water sips. I was excited because I finished my water cup for the first time! The rusher and I had a lot in common, but I wished that the sorority were more involved. I may drop them tomorrow. Mint: I absolutely loved this house! I would rank it right above Vanilla. I had a rec for this house. My rusher was pretty, but not intimidating. She asked all about me and I was relieved to have a more natural conversation compared to Chocolate and Strawberry. We talked all about my high school life and my family. She gave me some great advice about knowing where you fit and keeping an open mind. I really like it when the rusher sells Greek life as a whole and not just her specific sorority. I also loved their philanthropy. She introduced me to two of her friends that were sitting around us. I left this house completely beaming. Butterscotch: I thought Mint was my favorite, until I went in here. My rusher was a junior and had clearly done this before. She was perky and adorable. We had so much in common! Her little went to my high school. After ten minutes or so she got up and I started saying my goodbye and thank you speech, but we were only going into another room so that the Recruitment chairs could welcome us. The room fit all of the PNM and their rusher so it was very difficult to hear. This did not stop us though, we chatted all the way to the door! Cookies and Cream: This house was also considered top tier. The girls were pretty, but in a different way than Vanilla. It seemed to have a lot more diversity. Still, like in Chocolate, the rusher dominated the conversation. I will say that it was very difficult to hear in this house. It seemed a lot smaller and I had to sit on the floor. My rusher and I didn’t have very much in common. She seemed a lot less involved than I wanted to be. She said she barely went to any football games! Also, I saw other rushers introducing their PNM to different girls (I assume part of leadership in the house), but I wasn’t introduced. Maybe my rusher just forgot, but still I take that as a bad sign. The other girls in my rho gamma group said they great conversations with their rusher in this house, so I was hesitant to drop them just yet. Cotton Candy: By the time I got to the final house I was completely exhausted. I really wasn’t interested in this sorority because their house wasn’t completely built yet. My rusher was nice and we had a natural conversation about sororities. This house didn’t seem that involved in Greek life as a whole and said that they pretty much keep to themselves. I see that as a negative thing. In the middle of the conversation my rusher introduced me to her friend then got up and left. I was left with her friend, who had a very distracting lazy eye. I didn’t really like not talking to one girl the entire time. Some of the PNM in my rho gamma group talked to three girls! This house was okay, but may get dropped depending on how tomorrow goes. More to come tomorrow! |
Where does the "drop" terminology come from (hopefully not your recruitment counselor)? PNMs do not have the power to remove chapters from their schedules. Instead, you're putting the chapters in order of preference so panhellenic knows where to send you on the off chance you're invited back to more chapters than there are slots in the next round :) just a quick note for any future PNMs who may read this! No one wants to be that girl embarrassing herself complaining that she keeps having to go back to a chapter she claims she dropped/cut/etc.
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Yay! Good luck & follow your heart! Involvement in going to football games is very important to me too haha!
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good luck to you! have fun and enjoy the process <3
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FreshmanPNM2013 - good luck and I hope you find your home. |
Sorry! The terminology has been difficult to get a grasp on. What I meant by dropping was ranking the bottom four, but not any others.
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I probably should have said this in the original post! I was only able to get 3 recs: Cookies and Cream, Butterscotch, and Coffee
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Good luck!
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Yes, good luck and can't wait to read more.
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Just remember that Cotton Candy and the other group without a house are at a disadvantage through no fault of their own thanks to the university and the contractor the UNIVERSITY chose. One year to wait for a new, beautiful house is not the end of the world.
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Day 2!
Day 2
Today we did the rest of the houses that we didn’t do the first day. Also, there is going to be a one-day posting delay because I was unable to post about day 2 last night. Coffee: I really liked this house. I was able to have a conversation that wasn’t just about the sorority and my background. We chatted about reality tv (my guilty pleasure), our families, and oddly enough the teen pregnancy epidemic. These girls were as beautiful as they were real. They said they were very comfortable around the house not getting dressed up, which made me feel good. My rusher also commented that I look like a sorority girl (I was wearing a monogram necklace, gold watch, and pearl earrings) and I almost teared up! I had a great back and forth with these girls and could definitely see myself here! Cookie Dough: At this house, I don’t remember our conversations to be honest. It was a usual conversation about the university and my summer trips. The conversation went really well and we talked all the way to the door. I left here really excited. The house seemed pretty chill, but their sisterhood was still prominent. Rocky Road: I was not a fan of this house. The girls seemed too relaxed and I didn’t get the impression that they were very involved in this house. I had to do most of the question asking. The girls were sweet, but nothing about this house stood out to me. Rainbow: When I stepped into the house, I saw my rusher and knew she looked familiar. It turned out she went to my small private school! It was so nice being able to reminisce about my hometown and high school. We didn’t talk much about the sorority, but then my rusher switched with another girl. This girl seemed very enthusiastic about her chapter. It was contagious! Overall, I really liked this house. Neapolitan: I had heard great things about this house and they did not disappoint! I had two great rushers that seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say! We had great conversations. The girls were beautiful and all seemed to have a personality. It was so easy to talk to these girls. I would love to go back here because I felt right at home. Sherbet: I was not feeling this house. A senior, who rushed as a junior, rushed me. She came from the nearby community college and didn’t seem to know a lot about my university yet. She gave some good advice about rushing and to keep an open mind. I didn’t feel a connection. Batter: I absolutely loved this house! My rusher was beautiful and I was ecstatic to be rushed by this girl the entire time. We had a long conversation about my life living in England and she seemed genuinely awed by my whole experience. She wanted to hear all about it and I was happy to tell! I felt a connection here because we were both really into each other. Black Cherry: I don’t remember much about this house either, but the conversation flowed naturally. We talked about the usual sorority things, my family, and the university. The girls at this house were beautiful, but not intimidating at all. Overall, this chapter was great. Dreamsicile: As the last house of the day, I was losing wind. I’ll be honest, I was not excited to go inside at all. My rusher turned out to be a total sweetheart. We shared the same first name and talked about that a lot. The girl was great, but I couldn’t picture myself here. They didn’t seem involved enough for my taste. [/COLOR] |
Day 2 PART 2:
Tonight we ranked our bottom 4. #1 is the house I would mind going back to the least and #4 is the worst house in my opinion.
1. Rocky Road 2. Strawberry 3. Dreamsicle 4. Cotton Candy |
DAY 3
This is skit round, where we were able to get a max of 12 houses. I got 8, meaning the other 8 dropped me. The only ones that I was really sad about were Neapolitan and Black Cherry. It hurt because both chapters seemed genuinely interested in me and now I realize that they were being completely fake. I feel like a poor judge of character.
Out of the 8 I got back, I can really see myself at 5! This round is split into two days, so today I only went to three houses. The one’s I got today are: Coffee Cookie Dough Butterscotch Tomorrow I go to: Cotton Candy Strawberry Cake Batter Rainbow Dreamsicle Coffee: I LOVED this chapter! I liked that they did their skit first, so it gave us something to talk about after. I even teared up a little when they all started singing! I was completely blown away by their skit! It was hilarious and really well done. They highlighted all of their favorite activities and events, which was great information. Just like last time the conversation flowed so easily. I felt right at home. I don’t remember what we talked about, but I know it was a good conversation. Cookie Dough: I loved this chapter the previous day, but honestly after seeing how amazing Coffee was I was let down. Their skit was not as funny, but you could still see the sisterhood. My second rusher was a little awkward so the conversation didn’t flow as much as some of the others. She was a sophomore and seemed more focused on getting me to the right place than learning about me. This was only the second party of the day so I understood she was still getting into the swing of things. Butterscotch: After having a rusher that could practically be my soul mate on day 1, I knew another rusher wouldn’t compare. Still, this girl did her best. We talked about my experience living abroad and all about her philanthropy. The rusher and I didn’t have that much in common, but she seemed really sweet. My second rusher was a lot more laid back and seemed more normal. This girl was hilarious and we talked about their skit and country music. This was also the first rusher I had who was also in the skit, so I felt like I had a good one. The skit was funny, but didn’t give any information until the last minute or so. Also the skit ended awkwardly with everyone free dancing (which consisted of mostly sways and claps). My second rusher was amazing, so I still had a good feeling about this house. Still, this house is considered top so I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. |
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ETA: I see that you had recs to only 3 houses :( That could have had a significantly negative impact on where you received invitations. Remember that recs & grades are often the first cuts to make because they are the easiest. I bet that you are a perfectly good judge of character and they were not being fake at all. They simply cannot invite everyone that they like back to the next round. |
Just because a group releases a girl, it does not make them "fake". During recruitment, the goal is (or at least should be) to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome. The girls you spoke with probably were genuinely interested in getting to know you, but their group also only had a limited number of invitations they could issue. I know it's hard, but try not to take it personally. Best wishes for tomorrow and the rest of recruitment.
ETA: Didn't mean to say pretty much the same thing as the post above. I just took a long time trying to find a diplomatic way of saying what I was thinking. |
Like thetalady said, there is a cavernous gap between invited and cut. The way the list works is they have their OH MY GOD YES! We want her! The Yes, we want her. The we'd like to invite her if there's room. The she's probably not a perfect fit but we don't hate her. And finally, HELL NO. We're NOT taking her. You're assuming only level 1 and level 5. You very well could have been a 3 or even a low 4. That doesn't make them fake or make you a bad judge of character. What it does mean is they have a very difficult job making cuts. Try try try not to take it personally.
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DubaiSis, I think that your explanation is right on.
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As someone who had to work very hard at being a good rusher (and often falling short), I would remind you that often, the sisters just as tired/hungry/nervous as the PNMs.
I was not a great rusher - I'm really outgoing, I can talk to a brick wall, but something about the construct of rush gave me horrendous social anxiety. I'm also someone with virtually no filter, so having to watch every word out of my mouth made me self-conscious. Thankfully, with the exception of Prefs, no round went by without our rushees meeting several sisters - so if I didn't click, hopefully someone else would. Now, if you needed someone to get up at 6AM and set up chairs, blow up several hundred balloons, cover the chapter room in glitter, sweep the front walk, etc. - I was your girl. I was great at manual labor. And once rush was over, I turned back into my normal charming self... I tell you this in defense of all weak rushers, who are in reality, nice people just like you. |
Eagerly awaiting an update! :)
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DAY 4
Cotton Candy- The skit at this house was really funny and cute. It was a great way to start my day. I really wasn’t excited to come back to this house, but the rusher here completely changed my mind! She said that them not having a house has made them a lot stronger and that their sisterhood is more proactive as a result. This made me feel so much better. The girls in this house are beautiful and so down to earth. I could definitely find my place here! Strawberry- Once again, I didn’t like this house the first round, but today I loved it! The skit was funny, but not very memorable to be completely honest. This time the conversation flowed easily and I had a great time with my rusher. Cake Batter- I LOVE THIS HOUSE! I have had the best conversation here by far. My rusher was basically me. We were the same denomination in church. She profusely complimented me on my necklace and my geniality. She said that I was so outgoing and would make a great rho gamma. The skit at this house was cute and “Mean Girls” themed, which happens to be my favorite movie. I think this was my favorite skit because it was so different from the others. The storyline was a fairytale and not the usual PNM story. I had the best time here! Rainbow- This was my second to last house of the day and I was dragging. The chapter was a complete let down after my amazing time at Cake Batter. My rusher didn’t seem interested in me at all. Their skit was okay, but nothing memorable: the usual dance and cheer and making fun of the rho gammas. I would be surprised if I got asked back here because the conversation was such a struggle. I basically had to do it all myself and I was losing my voice. I didn’t have a good time. Dreamsicle- The skit was super uncomfortable, so nobody laughed. That’s what made it memorable though! I had another awkward conversation here. I just can’t see myself fitting in with these girls. It’s kind of a melting pot here because this chapter doesn’t cut. |
Don't think that any chapter doesn't cut (as you stated about Dreamsicle). All chapters will make cuts. Some have to cut more than others due to RFM, but all chapters make cuts.
Ask the women who get dropped from recruitment if that chapter doesn't cut. |
My daughter's friend received no calls back yesterday and she had 6 the day before. The girl and her mom are very upset.
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DAY 5!
This morning was pretty rough. I only got back 4 houses. Cotton Candy Dreamsicle Cookie Dough Strawberry I was only really upset about losing [COLOR="rgb(139, 0, 0)"]Coffee [/COLOR]and Cake Batter, but I know it’s all part of the process. If you asked me yesterday where I thought I would have ended up Coffee was definitely it. I’m trying my best to stay positive though! My rho gam told me to pay special attention to Cotton Candy because she saw me in this chapter from the beginning. Today we watch philanthropy videos and take a house tour. Strawberry: I really loved their philanthropy because it involves children (that’s all I can say without giving too much away). I am a huge kid person! What I really love about this chapter is how hands on they are with their philanthropy. It is definitely something I would love to be a part of. I think that this is my favorite house because every wall is painted a bright color. Dreamsicle: Their video was okay. I wasn’t super passionate about their philanthropy so it didn’t exactly stick out to me. The house seemed to be a lot smaller than the others, but still nice. My conversation had a lot of awkward pauses and the rusher kept asking if I had any questions. I had none! I didn’t really know what to ask because my rusher did a great job of explaining things. After the tour, I feel like I neither took a step forward or backward for this chapter. Cotton Candy: I absolutely loved my rusher here! She and I laughed about how parents assumed the parties during rush week involved drinking and how chaotic this process would be if everyone were drunk! We chatted about the new house and watched a video of what their house would look like. The members of the sorority could even make special requests to personalize the house! Their philanthropy was not something I had ever been involved with, but the girls seemed to have fun with their project! My rusher and I had a real conversation about life and barely mentioned sorority life at all. This is what I’m looking for at this stage in the game. I could definitely see myself here. Cookie Dough: I had to take complete control of my time in this chapter. Neither girl that rushed me seemed the least bit interested in me! I knew from the moment I sat down that this chapter would not be my home. The house tour and video were nice, but nothing “clicked”. Tonight I chose to let go Dreamsicle and pref the others. |
DAY 6
Today I was SO excited to FINALLY get the max number of houses back and the houses on this list made me feel so good! The pref parties I would be attending included: Cotton Candy Dreamsicle Strawberry Cotton Candy: I was so pleased to be called out by name (instead of the usual cattle call) by the spectactular woman who rushed me yesterday! All of the rusher said something along the lines of “I am so honored to welcome back [insert name here] to attend [insert sorority name here]’s preference party. I teared up when I was called. It just hit me: they wanted me just as bad as I did them! The entire mood of the party was serene. The conversations finally allowed us to express how bad we wanted each other! It was such a relief. After a conversation, the PNMs gathered to watch the ritual. This was by far my favorite round of recruitment because I really felt a part of the sisterhood. My rusher gave me a bracelet to wear during the ceremony to emphasize the fact. Different girls shared how this chapter had changed their lives. One girl even was elected the first female ever to be elected on SGA as a result of their sisterhood. I was crying. Then three girls sang a song about being never alone. I cried more. I wanted to be a part of this sisterhood so badly!! I didn’t want to leave! Dreamsicle: This house was a major letdown after the impacting experience I felt at the last chapter. This party was really awkward because the PNMs were in heels, but the rushers were barefoot… We were given a flower to hold during the ceremony. Looking around during it, I didn’t see emotion on anyone’s face. I didn’t feel the sisterhood! My conversation after again felt forced and I really wasn’t having it. Of course I was grateful to be invited back, but something still didn’t feel right. Strawberry: I was very happy to invited back here after a good conversation last time. I was rushed today by the same girl who gave me a house tour. We laughed a lot and talked about how sisterhood was all about the random things like impromptu trips to Wal-Mart! The ritual was very emotional. One girl talked about her cancer and how she never forgot about it until she was in Strawberry. There was singing too of course. I really liked that the ritual was presented “in the round” and we felt surrounded and supported by the ring of sisters all around us. I cried during this ceremony, but I couldn’t get cotton candy out of my head! After a tough decision I decided to accept bids from: 1. Cotton Candy 2. Strawberry |
Hope everything works out for you.
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So funny how a week can change you opinion entirely!
P.S. I've always been a sucker for Cotton Candy! |
Sending best wished to you for a happy outcome!
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Good luck! I am rooting for Strawberry(:
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BID DAY!!!
I received a bid from my top choice COTTON CANDY!!! Which is....... ALPHA PHI!!! Thank you all so much for all of your encouragement and support! I couldn't be happier! |
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Congratulations to you and Alpha Phi!
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Congratulations, and thanks for sharing your story!
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Congratulations!
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Woohoo!
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Congratulations!
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Congratulations to you and Alpha Phi! Thanks for sharing your story.
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Well done! Have a great time in Alpha Phi!
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