Enna05's Recruitment at USC
 

Hey there!

Like chloe173, I'm going through rush this year at the University of Southern California. My circumstances are a bit similar, yet different. I'm also from Texas, but I'll be a sophomore this next year. I skipped my senior year of high school to come to USC early, so age-wise, I'm a freshman. I decided that I needed to wait a year before I got involved in Greek Life because I was worried that I would just collapse under too much stress. (I'm also in the honors program at 'SC and a member of the marching band) I'm glad I waited because I feel like I'm approaching this decision from a much more mature and well-informed viewpoint. Most importantly, I have a much better grasp on time management. I know how to maintain a good gpa while staying involved, and I feel like I can really contribute to the Greek community. While I've heard all of the stereotypes of the sororities, I'm keeping an open mind about the whole process. To be honest, I'm just really excited about meeting the girls.

As a refresher, here are the sororities at USC:

Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Phi
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Gamma
Gamma Phi Beta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Pi Beta Phi

I went to the Greek Life meeting on Sunday and met a few really nice girls. The presentation was short, but sweet. They just went over a few of the times and assured us that 85% of PNM got bids. That statistic made me feel a lot better my chances of getting a bid.

Rush starts tomorrow at 5. I'm skipping two band practices to go through recruitment, but thankfully we already ran the complete drill a couple of times already. I don't think I'll miss too much, plus I marched the same show last year. Now, I'm just worried about making sure I look decent!

I'll be sure to update, and fight on!

Best of luck! I'm sure you will find a home there....you are young and it seems like you have a lot to offer all of the sisters there. :)

yea!!!! Another recruitment thread and from a fellow Texan :) I dodn't know Chloe was from Texas also-I must have skipped over that part. Good luck and can't wait to hear your story.

karen

I am antipating every detail. :)

Oh Yeah! I'm so glad you're going through recruitment Enna and that you're sharing your experience with us! I can't wait to hear all about it, it sounds like you're ready to get involved with a sorority.

Good Luck!!!!
Christin

Best of luck to you! It sounds like you made a really mature decision with waiting to join. I'm sure you'll do very well with recruitment. Keep us all updated!

Enna,
I'm so glad that you've decided to go through recruitment!
First, let me say that I am very impressed with the thought you have put into this decision. I'm sure any sorority would really benefit from having a member as organized and thoughtful as you are.
I'm sure you've read the other rush threads here on GC, they are a fabulous example of women keeping their minds and hearts open and as a result, being led to the right home for them.
I would also recommend reading some of the rush threads from last year as well, there is a lot of good advice contained in these.

I can't wait to hear every detail of your recruitment at USC! I love these rush threads to death!!!!
Good luck, keep an open mind, and we'll be here waiting for each and every post,
violets
:)

Best wishes!
 

That's super, Enna05! I'm glad you put alot of thought into your decision. You sound very mature.

Now, I'm a big fan of "that other school" ;) , but I'll definitely be rooting for you as you go through recruitment.

Best,
bearal

See ya in a few hours!
 

Good Luck Jen!!!!
I can't believe we start today!
See ya there!

Woohoo! More rush stories! They should have rush story rehab at Betty Ford. :D

Lots of luck, have fun, and keep us posted! :)

Best of luck, Enna, and enjoy the experience.

one of my sisters
 

One of my AXO sisters transferred to USC last year!!
woo hoo
let me know if u meet those axo's!
love
ashley

Good luck! I'm excited to read all about your experience :)

Day 1 Thoughts
 

I just finished with the first half of the Unity Round, and I'm so excited! We met at McCarthy Park, where the members of the Panhellenic Executive Board were introduced and gave a speech. The Rho Chis performed a few skits about the rules of rush, and then we broke up into our Rho Chi groups. I have two really sweet Rho Chis, although I didn't meet one until a bit later in the evening because she had class. We decorated our name tags, and then headed to the Row!

We went to three parties today; here are a few of my impressions.

House #1: I came in with totally different expectations. This is one of the more prestigious houses at 'SC, but I have to admit, I was really surprised at how much I liked it here. I saw a girl from my classes last year, and the three people that talked to me were all really sweet. The room was REALLY crowded and small, so the noise volume was out of hand. However, the conversation flowed all the time, and each girl that talked to me seemed genuinely interested in listening to my questions and to my concerns. I asked about the philanthropy, and I got the feeling that service was not the main focus of the house. I'm very interested in the philanthropic aspect, so I'm not exactly sure how to react to this information. However, overall, I was pleasantly surprised, and to be honest, I was very impressed with the girls here.

House #2: The first thing that struck me about this house were the beautiful dresses. Every girl wore something different, but similar in color tones. I liked that feeling of individuality. The first girl that rushed me also joined as a sophomore, so that put me at ease. I had a great conversation with all three girls, ranging from USC housing to professors to football games. We also talked about food... evidently the house mother is a great cook! Scholarship seems to be very important to these girls, something that I have in common with them. Again, everyone was very sweet, although the water had more ice in it than water! I was a bit confused by that incident. However, I had a good feeling when I left.

House #3: This was my favorite when I started rush, and again, I was impressed. I had an excellent time... the first girl who rushed me was a bit brash and loud. She actually reminds me a lot of my best friend from home, and I loved that. None of the girls who rushed me *looked* like sorority girls, which I really appreciated. The room was just the perfect size for the girls, so it wasn't half as loud as the other two houses. Two of the girls were on the crew team, so we talked about sports the vast majority of the time. I talked about the joys of being on Silks and supporting the teams, and they talked about how much they liked the band and the Trojan school spirit. I had trouble hearing the last girl, but she was just really sweet. She answered a lot of my questions about the philanthropy and then told me about a few of their exchanges last year, which sounded like a lot of fun! Again, I liked the house a lot.

I have to visit six more houses tomorrow. At the rate I'm going, I won't be able to narrow down my list. I feel like I'd be honored to be in any of these organizations!

Thanks for the support, guys!

Sounds like you are having a good time :). Looking forward to hearing the rest of the descriptions of the houses tomorrow.

Karen

i want to rush again!

Sounds like you had a great night and I'm glad you're keeping an open mind. Can't wait to hear more!

good job
 

just keep up the open mind, the good attitude, and being sincerely you and you should be hugely successful.
lol
:D

I agree with DRau, I want to rush again too!

Enna, it sounds like things are off to a great start for you. Have a great time today and thanks for keeping us posted. Can't wait to hear about today's parties!

Christin

Reading these stories make me want to rush again too! But i don't know if i could still deal with the "what ifs" again! But i wonder what it would be like if i had had something like GC or knew what i knew now....guess we'll never know.

Day 2 Observations
 

Today was a really long day. We visited the rest of the houses, six in total for our Rho Chi group. We met near the row at two, but half of our group thought the meeting time was 2:30, so they were really late. When we finished calling roll and got to the first house, the girls were already coming out to greet us! Whoops.

My impressions of today:

House #4: Every girl I talked to was immaculate. Conversation flowed well with everyone, and the cheers were really cute. However, when I mentioned that I was a sophomore, they said, "You're not alone, a lot of sophomores go through recruitment." However, they never said that they offered bids to upperclassmen, which makes me a bit unsure about my own chances of receiving a bid. As a whole, I liked the house, but I'm not sure if I'm the best fit for them.

House #5: I'm in love! I absolutely adored EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT TALKED TO ME! The first was my best friend at 'SC, so naturally that was great, especially since I haven't been able to talk to her since the "silence" period started. The house was just beautiful... I had a big comfy armchair that I just melted in. And it wasn't as loud as houses 1 and 4, so I carried on a better conversation with the girls. I just have really really good feelings about this house... everyone is just really special.

House #6: Again, I'm just amazed at how much I loved these girls. I felt like I totally bonded with each girl I talked to. We just gabbed about Sex and the City and grades and classes and coffee. Then the entire group sang a song for us, which was just the cutest thing I've ever seen. The girls were so enthusiastic and sweet. I'm just in awe of the bonds of their sisterhood. And I loved how diverse that house was!

We had a long break, where I went to Del Taco and gabbed with a couple of the other girls from our group.

House #7: I wasn't expecting very much from this house, to tell you the truth. But I was, quite frankly, shocked by how well I got along with the girls. I really liked the girl who was rushing me. We gabbed about Anna Nicole Smith and her show, the Osbournes, Jerry Springer, as well as a bunch of other completely random things. I met a LOT of girls, and the sisters seemed so excited to see each other. I loved that closeness.

House #8: This was one of my favorites coming in, but to be honest, I wasn't completely won over by the girls that rushed me. Both were sweet, but the first one, I felt like I was making more of an effort towards the conversation. The second girl was just really really cute, so I liked meeting her. However, one of my good friends from 'SC is a member of this sorority, and she just raves about the girls... could it just be the two I talked to? I don't know, but while I had a lovely time, I'm not entirely convinced that I'd love it here.

House #9: When I was coming in, this was my all-time dream sorority. And while I still just love, love, love it, I'm not sure if I could get in. I had great conversations with all of the people that talked to me, especially one fellow sophomore. I'm just not sure if they loved me as much as I loved them. They also sang a REALLY cute remix of a song, which I greatly enjoyed. It was my last house, so while I was glad that the day's over, I'm also sad.

Anyhoo, I've got to run to my meeting. Writing this down has really helped me clear up some of my thoughts about what I'm going to choose tonight. We have to narrow it down to six.

Bye and thanks! :)

Sounds like it was an exhausting day for you and now there are some tough choices -- you have a good head and I'm sure you'll choose what's right & best for you. I'm a little partial;) especially since my actual collegiate chapter is one of the 9 houses you've visited! Thanks for keeping us all in the loop and DO tell us what happens next! I (and many other GCers, I'm sure) are waiting on pins and needles to hear from you again!!

i think that it's so great that you're writing all of this down, it will be a great memory maker for you. plus it really does help you narrow the groups down when you've got your thoughts right in front of you. best of luck with the rest of recruitment!!! just bummed that AGD isn't there!

marissa

Sounds like you had another great evening! Just FYI, I don't know how it is there, but chapters here aren't allowed to say anything about giving bids to you guys during the recruitment process, so that could explain what happened at House #4. Still keep an open mind and keep smiling. Can't wait to hear more!

Invites for Round 2
 

Hey everyone!

I went to pick up my invites for the second round. I was severely cut, which I wasn't particularly shocked about. With so many girls rushing, it's certainly understandable. However, I got invited back to my three favorite houses! So, I'm really excited about my parties this afternoon.

I'm going to see House #5, House #3, and House #6, in that order. I was disappointed that I wasn't invited back to House #2 and House #7, but c'est la vie, it's all good. I just felt so comfortable in the ones I *was* invited back to. That in itself is the most important thing.

I'll update you after my parties this afternoon!

Wow! You have such a great attitude and I'm sure you'll do very well! Update us when you can:)

Enna, you have the best attitude a rushee can have. You realize that what's important is that the houses you really clicked with invited you back. I can't wait to hear how this round goes. The actives will pick up on your positive attitude.

Glad you're having fun and keeping a positive attitude! Good luck!

Day 3 thoughts:
 

To be honest, I had a few second thoughts about the whole recruitment process, but I decided to stick with it, especially after I talked to my parents and my rho chi. It was tough to be so severely cut, especially when all of these other people went to visit six houses. I thought I did everything right, by getting good recommendations to seven of the nine houses, by having fun conversations, by truly enjoying myself during the first round... but rush is such an arbitrary process. It's still just a bit demoralizing. Sometimes it's hard to separate my self-worth from my acceptance level, but I think that's a hard process for anyone. And at the very least, I'm getting great fodder for my "Great American Novel," due in stores in 2015. ;)

My impressions:

House #5: I liked the house, again, but not quite as much as yesterday. The girl who gave me the tour didn't click with me as well as the girls from yesterday. I'm thinking this will be my "stretch" house, so I don't feel assured of being invited back. I'm a bit sad about that, though, because I REALLY do like the house in general.

House #3: I liked this house even more than I did the other day. The only problem was that the other PNM that toured with me was REALLY loud. I'm not such a gregarious person... I do better with one on one conversations because I hate fighting the loud one for attention. Hopefully they notice me and will want to invite me back, because I still just really really really love this house.

House #6: The girl that gave me the tour was just really sweet. Again, I feel like I clicked with all of the girls. Although, when she asked me how rush went, I teared up a bit. Maybe I'm not as strong as I think I am... however, it's understandable, due to the stress. But again, I'd be completely honored if I were invited back.

Right now, it's all in the hands of the houses. I'm just hoping for an invite, and if I don't have one... well, then, I guess I saved four thousand dollars. I'm hopeful, though, and I AM thankful that my three favorite liked me enough to invite me back for the second round.

That's all!

Enna05, I am so impressed by how well you're doing...you're being very mature! It's understandable to be upset about being cut, but you do love the houses you went to. Getting cut can be an arbitrary thing, but I'm sure the stress and exhaustion have to be taking their toll. Just keep at it because I think that you'd make a wonderful sister at any chapter! And when you do write the great American novel, you'll have to let all of us know;)

Round 3 Invites
 

Alright, I just got back from my meeting with my rho chi (who, btw, reminds me of an angel...she's sweet, pretty, and delicate) I was invited back to 2 sororities, which is what I was expecting. And thankfully, they were my favorite two!

So, today, I'll be visiting House #3 and House #6. #5 dropped me, which saddens me, but doesn't shock. I just didn't click with the girl who took me around the house. She was nice and all... but we didn't have a thing in common, except for the fact that we both rushed as sophomores. So, while I wish I could've been in the same sorority as my best friend, I'm not heartbroken about it.

On a side note, this morning has been rather interesting... I got food poisoning last night! I didn't get very much sleep, to say the least.

And Chloe173 is really sweet. We didn't really get to talk for very long, probably compounded by the fact that we were both just really tired from the whole recruitment process.

Thanks guys!

Enna! Keep going strong you have two great houses who want you you back. Just smile and have a great time!

Keep up your positive and upbeat attitude! The important thing is that your two favorite houses invited you back...so enjoy your time there today! I'll be awaiting your next post!

Congrats on your invites and on keeping up the great attitude! Hope you're feeling better from the food poisoning...yucky! Can't wait to hear more about your adventures:D

Enna:
You are doing so incredibly well. You are really, truly thoughtful about this whole experience, I know you will make a great sister wherever you end up!
Being cut early is the theme of the rush threads on this board, go back and read some of them. But in the end it has absolutely no bearing on finding the right fit for you. You were invited back to places you loved and that is all that matters.
Good luck, keep posting we are all behind you!
violets

I think at least one person gets food poisoning every single rush. If you're still able to go to the houses today, you are one tough cookie!

I rushed as a junior, and I know some houses cut me just because of that. I just didn't let it bother me. It's hard not to, though, when you're exhausted and sick. This is the hardest week you'll ever have connected to being in a sorority. If it makes you feel better, the actives are dog-tired, too. After you go back to your dorm, they have to stay up for hours to vote! Life does get back to normal after this, I promise, and it's all worth it. The most important thing is that your two favorite houses invited you back -- and in the end, you only need one!

We're all pulling for you! Go, Enna!

Round 3 Thoughts
 

So, I just came back from all of my parties, and I'm really confused on where I want to go. Both were SO amazing. We watched the videos today, and they all highlighted the fun, great things that the sorority does throughout the year.

House #3: The door chants were really nice at this house. I was really impressed by the songs - there are some good singers here! Everyone was really enthusiastic, and I know that several of the girls were excited to have me back. So many of the girls remembered my name without glancing at my nametag, and the girl that led me to the table to see the video was just a doll. We had a funny incident when I was getting a drink. They had these miniature Coke bottles lined up, with a couple of bottle openers lying in front of them. My rusher couldn't figure out how to open it, though! Neither could another girl... finally, after many minutes of struggling with the opener, another girl managed to pry the cap off of the bottle. Then we sat down to watch the video, and it was a blast! It was a parody of MTV and TRL, intercut with snippets from movies. The music was great, the girls were singing along and dancing, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Then after the video, I talked to my rusher a bit more... I mentioned a friend of mine that graduated last year and how she convinced me to rush... turns out that Justine was my rusher's big sis! That was a fun surprise. Overall, I really enjoyed my time here.

House #6: The door chants were so loud and spirited! Instead of just flooding from the door, the girls ran in from around the entire building. No one was expecting that, so it was a fun surprise. The girl who rushed me at the first round was my rusher again, so I was really excited. I absolutely ADORED her before, and she was so kind and ingratiating again! I got a "VIP" seat in the very front, and Abbey got me this beautiful berry plate. They were perfectly ripe! Then we watched the video, and I absolutely loved it. Two of the girls last year got pinned, so they showed snippets from that ceremony, and I just nearly started crying. Then, after the video was over, the girls started singing "Lean on Me." I'm such a stickler for sappiness... I was tearing up so much. Then a few girls from the marching band and my classes came over to say hi. I met so many people, and I felt like such a special person at this house. I really feel at home here.

Hopefully, I'll be able to go to prefs for both of them tomorrow. Maybe that will make my choice a little bit easier... I just go back and forth in my mind. I have a mandatory meeting tonight at 7:45, but I'm meeting with my rho chi at 7:10.

I had such a magical time today... Either way, I would feel completely at home at these houses. I just can't say enough good things about them.

Good luck!!!
 

Oh, I hate reading these rush threads of sophomores when they get cut for no reason other htan that they are sophomores. Stick it out! You are a good person, everyone gets cut!
ll,
Michelle

Enna05,

I am so thrilled for you and Chloe... I wish you the best of luck and look forward to logging on late tonight/early tomorrow morning to see your prefs!!! (*** fingers crossed that you tell us the names of house 3 and 6 going into prefs***)

Good luck!!!!

A&As