What I learned this year on the "other side" of recruitment:
PNMs, if you're interested, show it!!!! I met a girl during the round before preference, she was very nice and polite, but generally did not seem interested in going Chi O: she didn't ask any questions, and gave pretty minimal answers to my questions. She did not seem to want to open up. But we decided to invite her to pref anyway, and I wound up preffing her. About 15 minutes into the party, she started crying hysterically. I figured she was upset at having been cut elsewhere, but then she told me she was so glad to have found a sorority like chi omega where she felt at home and would be accepted for who she was etc and if she did get a bid she was so excited that we would be sisters. I was dumbfounded but incredibly touched!! I wish she had shown her interest earlier, I would have communicated that to my sisters before pref. So PNMs, you obvs shouldn't say "omggggg I love XYZ SOOO much!" at round 1, but asking questions and showing your excitement for sisterhood goes a long way in your recruitment. If we think you want to be here, we want to know that!
Rush Crushes: I didn't understand this concept. How can you fall in love with a girl after 10 minutes of conversation? But oh boy, it happens. There was one PNM whom my chapter LOVED, and on pref night we found out she had dropped and we were all crushed. PNMs, chapters are inviting you back because they want you to be there, especially by pref round. We see something in you that we love- nobody is forcing us to invite you back (usually). We genuinely really really want you there and when you drop out of recruitment it makes us sad
Always always give chapters 2nd and 3rd chances. You might be surprised just how at home you feel when 100+ women are ecstatic to see you on our lawn for bid day!