Tinkerbellnell's PNM Experience
 

Hi, my name is Nell!

I go to a small school in New England. I'm going to rush next semester and I'm really excited about it. I think I knew from when I was a little girl that I wanted greek life to be apart of my college experience. So, I figure I'll tell you all about it here on gc.

Is it supposed to be mystery where I go to school and which glo's are at my school? Because if I say the names of the three then you could find out where I go to school. I'm not sure why it matters, but I know its a good idea. Is that so I dont offend anyone by saying that I preferred one group of women over the other one? I'm not sure.

Anyways, on the 17th of December the three sororities are having a pizza party/info night. To get to know the sisters. And then nothing happens untill I get back from Christmas break. But I will keep everyone updated!

Wish me luck!

<3 Nell

Yey!!! Good luck to you!

It's generally a good idea to keep your school and the GLOs a secret. GC has exploded in popularity over the past few years, so you just want to remain as discreet as possible. Just in case. You never know who may be reading the forums, so you can't really go wrong with code names.

Even with code names, you should be as tactful as possible about what you liked and did not like about the groups. If you're tactful and nice, even if you prefer one group over another, no one will be offended. In fact, there's been some discussion about how sororities can really benefit from constructive comments about what PNMs liked/didn't like about the rush parties. As you can see by some of the other recruitment threads, many GCers love for PNMs to reveal the GLOs behind the code names, so I definitely think it's okay to reveal which GLOs are at your school after recruitment is over.

Have a great time preparing for recruitment over break!

Yep. Even with the info given, I could very likely figure out what school the OP is rushing at.

Prelude
 

Okay so I was thinking about this today and I guess I should tell you whats happened so far, in September, before I started this board.

There are three sororites at my school and Ive decided to give them these code names: snowflake, candycane, and icicle. In the spirit of the winter holiday season.

I am freshman, and at my school freshman arent allowed to rush untill 2nd semester. My godmother was an Alpha Chi Omega so she really encouraged me to go informal rush events even though they couldnt offer me a bid. She is the one who explained to me the bonds of sisterhood she experieced in her sorority were the most important relationships for her adult life.

So I did go to the informal rush events in the Fall even though I couldnt be offered a bid. There were signs plastered all over campus that said "Your mother called, she said go candycane" ect, ect. I figured that way I wouldnt be so nervous come next semester when I had to make that decision because I would know what to expect. (Turns out informal rush and formal rush are completely different but, oh well!)

The first night, Monday was snowflake's info night. We were separated into groups and we went around to tables that were set up to represent each committee. I was one of the only freshmen that was there, but the sisters encouraged me to come back the next day. Tuesday they were making cards and writing letters to soldiers coming home from Iraq. I was originally planning on going to one of the other sororites, because I had not met any of them. But, because I have family members who have served over seas and because its something very close to my heart I decided that I would go back to snowflake. Then the next day, Wednesday they were having a purse party. I really needed a new purse and I had already made really good connections with most of the girls. So I went to snowflake again. During the purse party the recruiment chair pulled me aside and told me that she was going to make an announcement saying that everyone who was there was invited to an invite only night, but that I couldnt go because I dont have a GPA. She said that if I had one and I was a sophmore that I would definately be invited. But she didnt want to say everyone but Nell is invited, because she didnt want to be mean and that she hoped I understood. And I did understand, actually I was grateful! I thought that it was so nice that she had considered my feelings. She had been rushing around like crazy and it was really sweet that she took the time to consider me! And then I bought my purse, its adorable and I still use it today. Its a fake Kate Spade. Anyways then the president came over and pulled me aside too and said the same thing. It was really sweet. I didnt have the heart to tell her that I had just heard the same thing, because she was so sincere.

Side note, the other day I was walking to class trying to scarf down a bag of chips as quickly as possible so that I didnt starve and the president kinda walked over to me and picked the chip off my sweater that was kinda just chillen there on my chest. I have never been soo embarassed in my whole life.

So moral of the story, have breakfast before you have to go to class all day, and I havent met anyone icicles or candycanes.

I think thats it. I kinda have a slight prefrence to snowflakes. But everyone keeps on telling me not to put my eggs in one basket. If I didnt get a bid to snowflakes I would legit cry. So, thats all I wanted to say. P
lease leave me a response tell me what you think!

Definitely check out the other two groups. You might really like snowflake, but you might be surprised at what you find at the other houses.

I pm'd you, tink...:)

I'm actually surprised you were allowed to go to any informal recruitment events. It could very easily lead to "dirty rushing" I would think. But if your school allows it, definitely try to make connections with all three groups now.

Depending on the campus, sometimes sororities will have open COB events... you know like "All women are invited to come watch Grey's Anatomy at the Alpha Chi Omega House" that are REALLY informal. First semester freshmen women would be allowed to come to these events as long as they were open to everyone.

That's exactly how deferred rush is SUPPOSED to work, not this silly business of keeping the freshmen away from the sororities. As long as anyone can come and invitations are not sent to specific women, it's not "dirty rush" at all.

That's interesting, I guess it never ocurred to me that freshman would be welcomed at informal rush events ahead of formal rush. If this is the way it's supposed to happen, why was the OP the only freshman at one of the parties?

Maybe because she was the only one who had someone encouraging her (in this case, her godmother) to do so. Also I thought she said she was "one OF the only freshmen" there.

My guess is that the parties were either heavily advertised toward upperclasswomen or that some freshmen women didn't think they should go to the parties if there wasn't a chance of them getting a bid OR they simply didn't know that these gatherings are good ways to acquaint yourselves with the sororities...

If you really don't know that much about COR and your school has really informal COR events, you wouldn't really "get it" that these events are recruitment. I've heard from girls that went to a COR event and were surprised when they received bids. They had no idea the open house/barbecue/O.C. watching party was actually a recruitment event. If it's that casual, I could imagine that freshmen women wouldn't know to go to these events before formal recruitment.

We don't have houses on our campus, it isnt allowed. But many sisters room with each other, either on campus or in off campus apartments. I dont understand what dirty rushing is...would someone explain that to me?

Dirty rushing is rule-breaking on the part of the sororities. It can include promising or offering a bid to a first-semester freshman at a school where formal recruitment is deferred, or promising a PNM during formal recruitment that she will be invited back to the next round or offered a bid.

So if you went to the informal rush event in an effort to get to meet the sisters ahead of formal recruitment, that's fine - but if the sorority had offered you a bid at the time, that would be dirty rushing.

You, the PNM, will not get into any trouble if you are dirty rushed, but the sorority could be penalized.