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ROUND 1- VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE
Round 1 at Fairytale would be entirely virtual, with PNMs watching short videos about each chapter and submitting their rankings. Minnie was a little worried she might not get a true feel for the sisterhood in each house without actually talking to anyone, but she was excited to start the process. She read the chapter summaries and facts in the recruitment booklet to help her feel a bit more prepared. She watched the videos in between packing as we planned to leave to take her to school the following day.
Mouse Mom Musings
Although my family members and I were aware of the (sometimes accurate and sometimes inaccurate) reputations, stereotypes, and images of the chapters at Fairytale, Minnie went into recruitment a nearly blank slate. She knew a little bit about the Annas, Elsas, and Cinderellas because of the family connections but we all did our best to be neutral so she could make her own decisions and trust her instincts throughout the process. One advantage of being from out of state and knowing no one (except the one related Elsa active) was that Minnie was arriving without bias. Had she attended University of Mice, she may have had preconceived notions based on where high school friends and acquaintances had joined.
I am going to go ahead and admit here that I had very conflicted feelings about the legacy situation for Minnie though I couldn't really pinpoint why. On one hand, I thought it would be wonderful for Minnie to be my daughter and my sister and to join this special bond that so many women in our family have. On the other hand, I wanted her to go in completely open to anything and blaze her own path. When I went through recruitment, I had my top two houses at pref and absolutely loved them both. In the end, I went with my legacy house since that was the only real advantage one had over the other. I’ve never regretted it, but I was hoping Minnie wouldn’t find herself in the same dilemma.
THE HOUSES
Fairytale U has a strong Greek system and all of the sorority chapters are great. Thankfully, there are no “struggling” or “bad” sororities here even if five or six are seen as “most desirable.” These descriptions based on my own observations, as well as impressions from family members (older and younger) who attended Fairytale.
Anna: One of the original chapters at Fairytale University, the Annas (together with the Elsas) are generally viewed by PNMs as among the most desirable houses. Like their namesake, the Annas are known for being fun, outgoing, and creative. They are sometimes accused of preferring PNMs with a certain look from a specific region of the state— as in "redheaded PNMs from Arendelle have a high likelihood of pledging Anna." Meriweather and Minnie’s SIL and SIL’s sister (my DIL and her sister) are Annas from this chapter.
Ariel: The Ariels have been at Fairytale for nearly 60 years and are somewhat of an elusive bunch. They aren’t especially known for campus involvement beyond their talent in singing and show performances. They have struggled with grades in the past but have worked hard to improve. They are generally known as nice girls with a strong sisterhood and seem to recruit artsy girls who excel in music and dance.
Belle: The Belles are among the newer chapters on campus. They are very involved and social and seem dedicated to their philanthropy. The Belles’ social media accounts highlight their excitement and pride in being Belles. Though it can be hard to new to campus with chapters who’ve been around for 100 years, the Belles have made a lot of strides in making a name for their organization.
Cinderella: The Cinderellas are another strong and well-established house and have the reputation as likeable and fun. Known as one of the more diverse groups, their social media shows girls of different ethnicities, body types, majors, locations, and interests. Laidback and cooperative, they aren’t exactly cutthroat when it comes to competition but the Cinderellas sometimes find themselves among the top anyway. Minnie’s godmother and Fauna were both Cinderellas at other schools.
Elsa: Minnie’s legacy house. One of the original sororities on campus and a historically strong recruiting chapter, the Elsas are sometimes seen as a bit of a paradox— involved on campus but sticking closely to themselves. Their sisterhood is strong, and they take pride in their success in intramurals, shows, and other campus competitions. There are too many Fairytale University Elsas in Minnie’s family to count (including me, her grandmother, and great grandmother), many of whom have remained involved throughout their lives and have held offices and the regional and national levels. Minnie also has a family member who’s a current Elsa at Fairytale U.
Jasmine: The newest chapter on campus, the Jasmines are staking claim as a unique and independent group. Though still slightly smaller than the other chapters, their spirit rivals anyone. Their membership is a mix of those who are the “traditional” sorority girl and those who fall outside that image, giving them a special strength and pride. The Jasmines are involved on campus, but their relatively recent arrival means they don’t yet have a specific reputation.
Merida: The Meridas were a fairly new chapter when I was at Fairytale and they have made huge gains. Another house which values involvement, Meridas can be found in campus activities far and wide. Although there have been recent rumors about sisterhood troubles and decreasing retention rates, the Meridas are still seen mostly positively on campus and in the Greek community. As an aside, the majority of Minnie’s community service has directly involved the Merida philanthropy. It is a cause she to which she feels deeply connected.
Rapunzel: Locked away in their tower and somewhat removed from the other sorority houses, the Rapunzels are a difficult group to describe. Another chapter without a particular reputation or stereotype, they have a mix of members and don’t appear to recruit a certain type of PNM. They have a respectable GPA and average involvement in campus activities. Their social media accounts highlight their strong sisterhood and the Rapunzels seem proud of their affiliation. Minnie has a much older cousin who was a Rapunzel here.
Snow White: The Snow Whites are among the oldest sororities at Fairytale and nationally. Despite their history, they’ve never established a specific stereotype or reputation. They are passionate about their philanthropy and strong in their sisterhood. The Snow Whites are sweet and hard-working and make a strong effort to be involved in the Panhellenic community. Ask a girl from any sorority about the Snow Whites, and you’re more than likely to get a positive response.
Sleeping Beauty: Beautiful, polished, and sophisticated PNMs gravitate to the Sleeping Beauties. Aptly called the “Doll House,” (not their real nickname), Sleeping Beauty’s members (and their house) are known to be gorgeous and trendy. They are usually a strong-recruiting chapter but tend to be dormant during the school year. Campus involvement and academics are seemingly less of a priority. Nevertheless, the Sleeping Beauties seem to have fun and despite a lower-than-average retention rate, the active sisters seem happy there.
Tiana: The Tianas are a driven, high-achieving group with lots of goals. The expression “The best never rest” may have been penned by a Fairytale Tiana. The Tianas’ stellar GPA, scores of trophies, and Type A mentality make them appealing to many PNMs. They have a reputation for selecting a specific kind of girl in their quest to be the best, and knowledgeable PNMs will know beforehand if they fit the mold. Fun act: All of my relatives who have gone through recruitment at Fairytale have been cut by the Tianas on the first night except an aunt who became a Tiana nearly 100 years ago.
After watching all the videos with her recruitment group, Minnie submitted her rankings then shared her thoughts with me.
As might be expected, the chapters on Minnie’s “Really Interested” list were among the strongest recruiting chapters at Fairytale, the houses that one might expect to produce the more impressive videos. She divided them as follows (shown in alphabetical order):
REALLY INTERESTED
Anna: Love their philanthropy (related to her career plans); girls seem nice but not too pushy or hyper
Cinderella: Happy, friendly girls; personal connection to the philanthropy
Elsa: Sisterhood and campus involvement were highlighted; excited to see our relative (who’s on exec) in the video
Tiana: Slanted video angle made it hard to watch but they did a good job showing how involved and smart they are
WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
Ariel
Jasmine
Merida: Strong personal connection to philanthropy
Rapunzel
Snow White
Minnie’s strongest reactions came from the houses she felt were not for her.
NOT FOR ME
Belle: Although she thought the Belles seemed like nice people, Minnie thought the Belle video seemed “too braggy.” She said their video focused mostly on how wonderful they all were and the competitions they had won instead of their activities and sisterhood. She said felt like she would not be a good fit for the boisterous and proud Belles.
Sleeping Beauty: Minnie said that the Sleeping Beauties had a very “professional” video and that the girls seemed friendly, but the thing that stood out to her most was how perfect their hair, makeup, and clothing were. She thought that these Beauties would be too high maintenance for her. “If what I remember from their video is their makeup, clothing, and cars, I don’t think I am a Sleeping Beauty.”
Round 1 was over so quickly, it almost seemed like it a trial run. Minnie ranked the houses as follows (shown in alphabetical order):
1. Anna
1. Ariel
1. Cinderella
1. Elsa
1. Jasmine
1. Merida
1. Rapunzel
1. Snow White
1. Tiana
2. Belle
2. Sleeping Beauty
Minnie would have to wait a couple of days to find out which houses would invite her back, but she didn’t have time worry about that. She finished packing and we headed out early the next morning.
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