An Atypical Recruitment Story
 

I just wanted to share my recruitment story with any girls who are still going through recruitment or who might be just settling into their chapter as new members.

At the end of August, recruitment started at my university. I was excited to go through rush because my family members were always telling me how amazing greek life was and what an impact it had on their lives. As I visited each house, I fell more in love with the process and my only problem came in ranking the houses when the first day ended. I loved all the chapters with the exception of 2 that I believed I would not fit me.

The next day, I eagerly received my schedule but when I read what it said, I had to hold back tears. Only 7 of the 14 houses had not called me back. My rho gamma assured me that I was not the only one without a full schedule but everyone in my PNM group had gotten called back to the maximum 11 houses. I knew better than to take it personally but still I was confused. I thought my GPA and my sports and activities would make me desirable. I put on my happy face and gave it my all at the houses I had gotten invited back to.

The third day was no better than the second. Even more of my favorite houses had dropped me and I was left with two houses I loved and the two houses that I had been ranking last from the beginning. However, at the end of the third day, I was sure I would fit in with my first two choices and that they liked me hopefully well enough to invite me back on pref day.

When I got my schedule for pref day, it only read two chapters: one of the ones I wanted and the one I felt the least connected to out of all of the chapters on campus. I did my best at both houses on pref day and anxiously awaited the following day.

When I opened my bid card on bid day, I had received the house that I had wanted the least. I didn't want to spoil the other girls' excitement so I didn't cry, although I felt like it. I know it's incredibly bratty to be disappointed when I could have gotten no bid at all but I still felt sad when my friends all ran over the chapters that I had wanted so badly to be in. I thought about depledging and then trying rush again next year, but I figured if these girls saw something in me, then maybe we did click and I just hadn't realized it yet.

The first few weeks were a little rough. I had problems making friends with my pledge class and I felt left out when everyone got together and I wasn't being invited. I felt so lonely for the first couple of weeks that I contemplated depledging.

The happyish ending: It's gotten a lot better (: All I had to do is stick it out a while longer and the girls came around and we all started being friends. I no longer feel disappointed about what bid I received and am now proud to be a member of this GLO. Instead of coveting the letters my floormates wear, I now proudly flaunt my own around campus. I guess what I've been trying to say in so many words is this: sometimes the system is wrong. It doesn't put you with who you fit in with at first. Sometimes you don't get the fairytale bid day and you might not get your first, second, third, or fourth choice. You might get your last choice like me and it may be rough the first month. But please give it a chance and you'll be so glad you did.

I get initiated in two weeks and I can't tell you how relieved I am that I stayed with it instead of quitting! :)

Good for you for sticking it out, and congratulations to your sorority on selecting an excellent new member!

Actually, no, the system was absolutely right. You were wrong. I'm glad you stuck it out and realized that yes, the sorority members often do know better than the rushees who "fits" and who doesn't.

Sororities who rush well know how to make every girl feel like they fit, just like a very charming man can make any girl feel beautiful and desired. That doesn't mean the charming man will be a good relationship or marriage candidate though.

I can relate to your story. My experience with formal recruitment was similar to yours, as far as not being invited back to a lot of houses. By the time we got to pref I was invited to only one party (there were up to 3 chapters for pref at my school). However I was still happy with the bid I received from that one chapter. My freshman year I was not interested in greek life in the slightest, and had a change of heart over the summer, and decided to go through rush almost on a whim, just to see what would happen. So, I was happy to join a sorority at all. I enjoyed pledging and had a great experience in the sorority, but at the end of the school year, our chapter closed because our membership was too low.

The majority of my pledge class was made up of open bids rather than those of us who did formal recruitment. I am sure there were many girls who went through rush that year (and the years before, for that matter) who were invited to pref at my chapter, and blew it off, or received bids and did not pledge. I wonder what would happen if more of them had done what you did- stick it out, make the best of it, and be happy there.

Sororities who rush well know how to make every girl feel like they fit, just like a very charming man can make any girl feel beautiful and desired. That doesn't mean the charming man will be a good relationship or marriage candidate though.

This is a very accurate statement and the reason that a lot of PNM's get the feeling they made such a connection with a specific Chapter.

This this this. If girls understood this concept better, they might make better decisions. Do you really fit in with this group or are you wishing you fit in with these girls and since you had such great conversations, it must be true, right?

Congrats!

One of my friends was the same. When she got her bid, she wasn't really thrilled and almost didn't take it. After a bunch of people encouraged her to give it a go, she did. She truly fell in love with her sorority and her sisters and realized that she was in the right place from the start.

If GC's taught me one [Greek] life lesson, it's that girls who open their hearts and minds to the group that offered them a bid and give the pledge process a chance usually wind up loving their sorority and the girls.

Your recruitment story was an awesome example of an "atypical" recruitment with a great ending, mw! :)

Thank you. I'm so glad I became a SigDelt. It's the best decision I've made in my college life. All eight weeks of it! :)