Absolutely Gorgeous!-- Live Recruitment Thread
 

Hello all you WONDERFUL people on GreekChat! You have no idea how much I appreciate all of your help and advice! This site has truely been a godsend for people like me who are INCREDIBLY nervous about rush.

Anyways, I have been truely INSPIRED by all of your recruitment stories, and have decided to start my own thread. I am determined to make this thread TOTALLY annonymous until after BidDay.

Background info (Fall 2007-- incoming freshman):
Being an alumnae, my mother insisted that I go through rush at my new school. She worked hard to get everything I needed for registration and reccommendations. (I go to a competitive school and recs are pretty important). Even though she was so incredibly into it, I was not. I really had little interest in going through recruitment, even though you could say I fit the sorority girl "mold" (not the partying necessarily, but the cute girl, really into sisterhood like friendships, experienced with different types of volunteer work, and involved in a lot of different things). Part of the reason I did not want to rush is because everything was so new. College was a whole different world than what I was used to- thousands of organizations and clubs and on top of that you have to handle the college work! The other part (and I know this is terrible) is that my boyfriend did not want me to go through rush. While I was up at my new school, he was still back in our hometown thinking that if I joined a sorority I would not have time for him! (Don't worry I dumped him already, and am SOOOO happy). The point is that recruitment was before school began, and before I had the time to discover what college life was like without having a huge commitment to a sorority. (I am not one to do things halfway, so I knew if I ever joined it would be a BIG commitment)

Saturday: I had to move in a week before school starts for recruitment. I was very excited about my new place, and that I had gotten a GREAT pot luck roommate (who I am actually living with this year :)).

Sunday Evening: We had convocation, where we got little folders with info and met our RhoChis/RhoGammas/GammaChis. It was more like an informative meeting than a meet and greet, so I still felt extremely iffy about actually going through with rush.

Monday: This was our first official day, and I met up with some friends to go to Rush. I knew some girls who were going through recruitment, but none were in my RhiChi/RhoGamma/GammaChi group, but I didnt really mind because I was very open to making new friends. Monday was a LONG, hot day filled with twelve houses of very excited, very loud girls. I went through the day with a positive attitude, and it seemed like a lot of the houses liked me (I think there were probably 3 I didnt quite click with). After returning home that night, I was exhausted and overwhelmed with everything, and I did not want to go back for day 2. This was partly because I do not like doing things halfheartedly, and partly because I would have felt guilty to take the place of a girl who desperately wanted a house when I really didnt care.

Tuesday: I decided not to attend day 2.

As the year progressed, I became more acquainted with college life and what it had to offer. Classes were much harder than I expected, but I managed. The organizations I joined were great, but I still felt like I was missing somthing. I had met a few great friends, some in a sorority and some not. My friends were always talking about fun things they got to do with their sisters, and I missed being a part of a close knit group of girls like I was in high school.

I decided I would give recruitment a second try. I feel like I know more of what sorority life is like, and a little more about each organization. I excitedly put together a resume and got another round of reccommendation letters, but this time all on my own. I think that getting to put together my rush packets myself really helped me become more and more excited about it! I really and truely cannot wait to (hopefully) become a member of a sisterhood. Anyhow, I am going into a competitive rush at my university in a little less than a week. Although I feel like I am going to be the most excited rushee (there will probably be 800+ so its hard to actually verify that claim), I am at a disadvantage being a sophomore. I have a few friends pulling for me in different houses, but I am going in with a completely open mind!

I am hoping that posting my story live will help relieve some of the stress of the week and eventually help another girl going through a similar situation. So that I remain annonymous, I have decided to call the different chapters by different "absolutely gorgeous" tropical vacation places:

1. Honolulu
2. Maui
3. Malibu
4. Caymans
5. Bahamas
6. Miami
7. Tahiti
8. Fiji
9. St. Tropez
10. Jamaica
11. Cancun
12. Cabo

If those are the real dates that your rush is happening, I would change them. :)

I don't think she said she was in the SEC, or else I just missed it. But, my thread has the dates for most schools (not just SEC), and with 12 chapters, that narrows it down as well. I would also remove your GPA info so actives can't figure out who you are. Good luck!!!

In irishpipe's thread, there are 4 or 5 with those dates, one of which has 12 chapters and would be, I think, considered a competative school.

Thanks for the input! I took them out. Please keep that mistake to yourselves.

Yes, there's only one school it could be with the info given. It's not in the SEC. That's all I'll say. Don't want to scare her away!

does it look more annonymous now? (ive never had any reason to be annonymous with anything so i'm kinda bad at it) ;)

I would take out your GPA as someone previously suggested. My guess is there would be very few sophomores with that GPA and it would be an instant identifier should someone figure out your school.

Good luck to you!

I'd appreciate it tremendously if you could spell my city correctly, please -- Honolulu. :)

Since I am not familiar with most campuses I wouldn't have a clue. Just want to say Good Luck!!! Have fun. Oh, and I love tropical islands (though I'm not rooting for one in particular....just came back from Maui with my husband and daughters)

Thank you all for the edititng suggestions and helping me stay annonymous. Please, please, please dont say anything more about my school if you know which it is. I am sure a lot of potential greeks as well as actives love this site and are addicted like I am!

Just a side note, my spelling skills are TERRIBLE! I am one of those horrible kids that have relied on spell check to get through life, so please don't judge me on my spelling skills. :rolleyes:

OTW- I am SORRY! HonOlulu is one of my FAVORITE places in the world! Ive been there several times and would love to go back... NOW. :cool:

Not a problem, 2008. It's a very common mistake. Hopefully we'll get to have you back here soon!

yay im going to be rushing as a sophmore, i cant wait to hear this!

Good luck and have fun! I can't wait to read your thread.

Don't worry, I would never out you. I was only trying to point out if I could figure it out in about 2 seconds, you aren't being cryptic enough, and you could get hurt.

Lots of luck to you 2008!! Im so excited for you! Have fun!

Good luck to you!! I'm looking forward to reading this thread (spelling mistakes and all :))

Good luck!!

I hope you have an absolutely magnificent recruitment! Keep us updated, of course! :D

So I am very concerned with this whole annonymous thing. Clearly, I am not very good at it considering some of you figured me out within hours of my original post. (Thank you to all of your suggestions for helping me remain discreet). Finding the right house is super important to me, and I dont want to wind up shooting myself in the foot just because someone figures out where I go to school and which "absolutely gorgeous" places are which house. I am not sure exactly how many schools have the same number of houses and the same rush dates, so in the interest of being discreet, should I not keep this LIVE and wait a few days?

and i REALLY appreciate all of your support! i am actually moving into my new townhouse this weekend WITHOUT my roomie (shes on vacation), so its nice to read all of your kind words.

I would tell you not to worry and to post away, because, selfishly, I love hearing what's happening in "real time"; but, it might be in your best interest to give minimal info until after bid day just to be on the safe side.

That being said - GOOD LUCK!!!! We all wish you well!!!

I would delay your story until recruitment is over. Why take a chance?

Hold off on the LIVE story, take excellent, honest notes and continue the thread after Bid Day. It will be tough but we can wait a few extra days for the news. Good luck with recruitment!

As much as I'd like to hear your story live, it really might be best for you to wait. You seem like a very sweet girl who's unlikely to make negative comments but you never know. People can get miffed about the simplest thing.

I am really not one to do the whole negative comment thing, but I can be very opinionated when I feel strongly about something without even realizing it. I guess I will hold off on the details about my visits to each of the chapters, but I promise to let you know how it goes!

Then best of luck, and we'll all hope for the best for you! Hope to hear the story soon!

Best of Luck!

rush is so close and i am getting so anxious! i havent decided if i am exicted for rush or excited for it to be over with! (probably leaning more towards the over with part). I was bitten by the shopping bug this summer and have bought more clothes than anyone will ever need, so i have plenty of outfits to choose from for rush. if you can believe it, i am a girl who hates shoes! my feet are flat as pancakes and finding a shoe that looks decent on my foot and is comfortable is a toughy. for me, its usually flipflops, tennis shoes (i am much into athletics), or BCBG heels that fit my foot perfectly. that kinda leaves me in a tough spot the middle days since most girls will probably be in cute flats. oh well. if an organization judges me for my feet, then trust me i dont want to be a part of them anyways! i have taken the time to look up all of the chapters websites and know a little about them. i am very interested in some of their philanthropies, should i tell them? if so how do i without sounding stalkerish?

Chapters on may campuses have a "philanthropy day" during recruitment where they will spotlight their philanthropies for you so that you won't have to deal with any stalkerish tendencies. ;) If not begin by asking what their philanthropies are (as if you don't already know) and then have them explain in more detail.

So excited for you. Have a great time. Good luck!:)

yes, I can see that you might want to wait to really discuss philanthropy until that round of rush, BUT i know the heaviest cuts at my school are after the first round when you are going to be cut on a technicality (sophomore, bad GPA, no activities, no legacy, no recs). i am DEFINATELY not saying i fall into all of those categories. i am involved in SOOOO many things, am a legacy, have SEVERAL recs for every chapter, but we already know i am a sophomore and my GPA isnt bad, but not stellar. i really feel like those first impressions that first round is going to be very very important. do ya'll have any suggestions on how to make sure i make a great first impressions? and i am not talking the superficial things like be sweet and smile and look your best, i am more referencing conversation topics....

Make sure you ask plenty of questions--it will show you're interested in the chapter! You can ask about the philanthropy, activities, fees, new member program, any kind of study programs, as well as why the girl/s rushing you joined that chapter. Those are just a few basic suggestions, I'm sure there are threads on here that have other topics.

And I know it sounds trite, but be yourself! Good luck, and hopefully you'll find where you're supposed to be!

The General Advice thread has a good list of questions and conversation topics.