[jwright25]

I'll make an attempt. These are serious answers - I'm not being rude.

Originally Posted by jf_eighty9

1. So today is the second night of rush at our school. Last night, we vistied 9 houses and narrowed them down to 7. When I got the houses who I was supposed to visit, I got two of the ones which I was iffy about and the two which I eliminated the night before. Please also note that the two I didn't want were REALLY desperate for girls to join (one is a new one and the other I just didn't feel a "connection" with).

I can't speak for the "other" one, but the new one is not going to be "REALLY desperate" to get new members. Perhaps their conversations were a little more awkward, but cut them some freaking slack. They have NEVER recruited before. You cannot possibly expect them to be as polished in their conversation as the women in other sororities who have been doing it for years and working on it for a much longer time. I think the opportunity to join a new chapter is fantastic. You can be part of something that not many other people get a chance to be part of.

Originally Posted by jf_eighty9

I was wondering something. I want to want until tomorrow night to see if the two I liked call me back. If they don't, should I drop it and re-rush next year? (Preferance Night and Bid Night aren't for a few more days.)

There are no call backs. Not in formal recruitment. They have released you - it is time to move on. They are no longer an option for you this year, and I'd say you have a 2% chance or less of joining in future years.

Originally Posted by jf_eighty9

2. Exactly how do the sororities call back the girls?

I assume you mean issue an invitation to come to the next round? That is a matter of each individual sorority's ritual and procedures. Everyone does it differently. I can only tell you how my sorority decides. But I'm not going to.

Originally Posted by jf_eighty9

When I visited the houses, the RC would give us papers with our names and recruitment ID # on it. When we were paired up with a girl from the sorority we were visiting, we would give her paper and she would do something with it. What do they do with the paper?

Could be any number of things. Most likely it is just to hand to an advisor or recruitment officer to show that you were in attendance. Sororities need to know who actually showed up for each party, and this is the best way to tell.

Originally Posted by jf_eighty9

And how do they decide?

Again, a matter of private sorority business. But I am procrastinating the house cleaning and will throw you a bone here. It's based on MANY different things from your application and from your conversations. Sororities are looking for new members to fill certain niches and needs within their chapters. Some chapters might target athletes and choose to release all the prissy, girly girls. Some chapters might be focusing on raising their GPA and choose to release anyone will less than a 3.5. But that's the chapter's business and no one else's.

Originally Posted by jf_eighty9

3. If you listed yourself as legacy, do they actually check it? I'm a legacy in two of the sororities. Both of which I was dropped from and I found it weird because I thought I had a connection with one of them.

Yes they check it. I have two possible scenarios here: 1 - You aren't really a legacy. Nieces, cousins, steps, etc. might not necessarily be legacies. Just because you list a name and family member doesn't make you a legacy. You didn't clarify your relationship, so I have to assume this might be the situation. 2 - Many organizations are adjusting their invitation policies so that legacies are no longer guaranteed invitations to the second round. If the chapter doesn't feel you will fill the niches they are looking to fill, they'll let you go earlier so that you can explore the options left to you where you might really make a difference to a chapter.

Here's my opinion: Stick with it. There are hundreds of women across the US who would love to have as many options as you for sorority membership. Quit thinking about the chapters that are no longer on your schedule. Look for women in the chapters you do have that might have some similar interests as you - they obviously see that there might be a chance you could fit with them. And they will be releasing too. If you go in with a bad attitude and act like you are only there because you got cut from others, they will cut you VERY fast. If you show enthusiasm for being Greek, they will react to that.

And now my anecdote: I have had the opportunity to work with and observe recruitment on several campuses. One in particular has a chapter that for years would be what some call "desperate." But then one year they got 3 or 4 great new members who could have easily fit in the more popular chapters. And the next year, those 3 or 4 recruited 6 or 8 more just like them. And the year after that, those 10-12 girls turned that chapter into the most popular one on campus. If only some of these PNMs who think they are too good for some sororities would give sisterhood a chance, they could turn things around with a little hard work and determination and then THEY would be members of the "best" sorority.