GreekChat.com Forums - BETSYKATE'S SOUTHERN RECRUITMENT!

YAY--So off to the first house for Open House, a 25-minute meet-and-greet--TULIP!

Tulip - This house was COMPLETELY overwhelming! It definitely didn't help that it was my first house, but the rapid-fire questions about subjects that made me a little uncomfortable ("So, what does your dad do?" "Where do you vacation in the summer?") left me feeling totally out of the loop. I wasn't pleased with my experience here and when I left I found myself wondering if I'd gotten myself into something awful.

Daisy - I liked Daisy a LOT better than Tulip. The girls at this house were so sweet and smiley and seemed genuinely interested in listening to me. However, my conversation with one sister revolved entirely around Disney! However much I tried to change the subject, Disney just kept coming up. I left with an overall good impression, but I felt worried that Daisy was a little too wholesome for my taste. Either way, I felt better about rushing once I left Daisy.

Iris - The girls at Iris wore A LOT of make-up, that's the main thing I remember, haha. They were peppy and I really enjoyed my conversation with the girls I met, though! I left feeling good about Iris and thought that I definitely wouldn't mind going back for the second round, but Iris didn't jump immediately to the top of my list.

Azalea - This house was the first house where I felt totally comfortable. All of my conversations felt natural and easy, like I was talking to people I'd known for a long time! I laughed more at this house than I had at any of the others. The girls seemed so genuine and down-to-earth, and they were cute, too! When I left, I knew that Azalea was a place where I could find good friends, but I had so many houses to go that I was hesitant to get attached.

Gardenia - These girls were GORGEOUS. Most of the girls at this house looked like models. I was really impressed at first, but the second girl I talked to really weirded me out. She made the strangest comment, something like, "Wouldn't it be weird if it turned out this was a reality show, like on MTV?" I was like, what? It came out of nowhere and she had the weirdest, most vacant look in her eyes when she said it. Even though I didn't feel great at Gardenia, I knew I would go back if I could because they were so pretty.

Marigold - The girls at Marigold were a lot like the girls at Azalea. They seemed real, laid-back, and genuine, but they weren't as pretty as the Azaleas. The girl I spoke with told me about their philanthropy, and I was impressed with how committed they seemed to it! I liked all the girls I met and I felt like Marigold really had its priorities straight.

Sunflower - This house was a bit odd. The girls were nice, but they all seemed a little...off. I remember feeling totally out of place and kind of wishing I could leave. Yikes! I hoped I wouldn't have to go back to Sunflower.

Lily - I knew that Lily was one of the most "popular" houses on campus going in, but this was definitely the WORST house I visited! They were SO RUDE! The girl I was talking to barely looked at me and asked me even more uncomfortable questions like they had done at Tulip. I felt like I was being judged only on my clothes and my money! I was so uncomfortable and unhappy, the whole time I was PRAYING I could leave. I wasn't the only one who felt this way. My rush group was saying such awful things about Lily when we left that our Rho Chi had to snap at us to be quiet in case we offended girls who liked them. I felt torn about Lily because I knew they were popular but they were downright mean, so I didn't know if I should rank them high or low.

Freesia - The girls at Freesia were the total package. They were cute, they were sweet, they were funny, and I liked everything about them. I had the most wonderful conversation with one girl about our boyfriends--she seemed so genuinely interested in listening to me. When I left, I was beginning to fall hard for Freesia. They passed Azalea to jump right to the top of my favorites.

Rose - The only word I can think of for this house was "boring". I had the most mind-numbing conversations here. The girls were sweet enough, and they had a lot of blondes (I'm blonde, haha--we like to stick together!) but I didn't make any meaningful connections here. This house overall did not make a strong impression on me. I felt pretty much indifferent.

Daffodil - I liked this house a lot! The girls were bubbly and fun and friendly! They smiled a lot and asked me all sorts of fun and unique questions. Their house was cute and they seemed like girls who really knew how to have a good time. They had a weird living situation, though, that turned me off a little bit--but nonetheless, Daffodil joined Freesia and Azalea at the top of my list.

Pansy - Pansy has a reputation for being party animals, and I could tell the reputation was true. These girls looked like they went out every night of the week. Even though I was initially a little freaked, I had a wonderful conversation here with a sweet girl who I liked a lot! The girls here were cute, but I got a feeling that they were a little insecure about their status on campus. I knew they had gotten in trouble for dirty rushing. Nevertheless, I left with a good impression of Pansy.

Orchid - The girls in Orchid were sweet, but I knew immediately that I didn't fit in. These girls seemed a little nerdy. Unlike the girls who Pansy who seemed like they avoided the library at all costs, these girls looked like they lived there. They were sweethearts, but I didn't think that their sisterhood offered me what I wanted out of my Greek experience.

Peony - I did not like my conversations at Peony. The girls didn't ask about me at all--all they talked about was how much they LOVEDDDD Peony! The problem was that it felt totally forced and rehearsed! The whole time I was just being lectured on the wonders of Peony. All I could think was, thanks, but I'll decide for myself--and I decided that I didn't like them too much.

Carnation - I had an AMAZING conversation here about Food Network! It was so refreshing! I felt totally and completely comfortable with the girl I was talking to--I found myself secretly wishing she was my big sister. Then, their President gave a wonderful and moving speech. These girls seemed like they really had it together. I left feeling great about Carnation.

So, at the end of my first two days (visiting all these houses took two days--phew!), my favorites were Freesia, Azalea, Daffodil, Carnation, Daisy, and Gardenia. I could barely sleep waiting to get my list the next day to see where I'd gotten invited back!