Advice for recruitment...
 

This past fall I went through formal recruitment in a Florida school that I was told is not exactly big in Greek life, and you did not need recommendations to receive a bid. The first 2 days of recruitment was split up into going and meeting all 12 sororities at my school. I felt I had made good connections in most of the sororities, but on the third day I received my schedule and had been dropped by 8 of the 12 sororities. I continued on but did not feel I had made a real connection with any of the 4 sororities I had left, and so I dropped out of recruitment.

Would it be a good idea to try rushing again in the spring? And if this does not work out, should I try again in the fall, but with recs? Any advice is helpful!

Well,any Florida school with 12 NPC groups = recs needed whether they said so or not. That being said, what's your HS GPA? Activities? Etc? Can you get recs? Do sophomores get bids at your school? Go talk with the Greek Adviser.

Who told you the school wasn't big on Greek life?

Spend the next few months meeting lots of people, keeping up your grades and shutting out the noise about sororities that you hear from other people. No matter if you do spring or fall recruitment, it is really up to you to make it be a better experience than your first recruitment. "Not having a connection" is pretty much the norm for the first two days of recruitment - I mean, really, it is a series of 20 or 30 minute parties.

Spend time now making real-girl connections and I bet youll have a much better recruitment no matter when you go through again.

Are there sisters in any of your classes? Get to know them. I know one of my close friends/sisters went through fall rush at UGA and dropped and transferred the next semester (the school also wasn't a good fit for her) and swore off sorority life--UGA rush is brutal unless you have a zillion connections. She wound up becoming friendly with some sisters in her classes and they invited her out and she ended up joining and having a great experience.

There is only 1 school that meets this description, and while there have been posters from this school who have said recs are not 100% essential, it is a competitive recruitment and I would think not having recs would result in heavy cuts.

So what you're saying is that you didn't find a "connection" at the FOUR houses who actually gave you a chance and wanted to get to know you better?

That's one of your problems. You disregarded 1/3 of the houses on your campus.

If you are going to rush again, you need an attitude adjustment.

Seconded. Some girls walk into a house and find that deep, profound connection they've always longed for at the beginning of the first party, but it doesn't usually happen that way. Even if that doesn't occur at every house-or if it does and then that house cuts you-you have to pick yourself up and give the houses that did invite you back another look.

Especially if those houses are the ones doing informal in the spring, you'll have to reset your expectations from "I LOOOVE these girls and I have to be their sister!!1!" to "I can see myself spending every day with these girls and being comfortable around them".

Any school that has 12 NPC chapters is big on Greek life. Beyond not being prepared for the process itself (recs) you were not prepared for the competition and inevitable cuts which can hurt a lot. Give it a shot at your first possible opportunity. But think in terms of making friends, not some magical mystical connection. Or in other words unless you really can't stand them (which is a world apart from lacking connection) accept a bid and then begin the work of making friends and building connections.

That magic connection may never appear in your college years. Yes, you will find close friends in your chapter, not necessarily immediately, but realize that this is a Lifelong sisterhood. I've found my true, close sisters, as I've moved through life. The women I work with as a volunteer, the women who welcomed me as I moved from pkacesetting to place. My husband spent 25 years in the military... My daughters who are now my sisters. It takes work to make those connections and I cherish each moment I have spent and continue to spend, cultivating those friends and sisters

Yes.

And in addition, once you're in the Greek Community, you may find wonderful Panhellenic friends from several sororities. You may not have the bond of wearing the same pin or catsuit during initiation, but you will have many, many shared experiences.

THIS! HC, I hope I can meet you in person one day. My last quarter in school (my school is now on a semester system), I was a Rho Chi. I met a Phi Mu who was a RC for her sorority. We met and there was no looking back. We were instant BFFs. That was in 1995. We'd show up at frat parties together & the guys would be like, "Why are you here together?" Then later if one of us couldn't make it and we'd be with others, it would be, "Where's J?" or "Where's T?" For privacy's sake, not writing out our real names. Jolene is a childhood nickname of mine. Basically, it became a case of where there's T, there is J. :D

If my sister hadn't been my maid of honor, it would have been her. We are still thick as thieves to this day. I'm one of the only peeps from college she's still in touch with. Yes, I made many close friends from my sorority and later my alumnae group, but I also made close Panhellenic friends, her in particular. She's the type I'd lay down my life for and was bummed I didn't meet her sooner. :D You may find a Panhell sis who will become precious to you.