Did everyone LOVE formal recruitment?

[ChiOKateO]

at my school, we're always telling girls "go through formal-you're love it! it's the best!" and i mean, when i went through it wasn't bad or anything. this is from someone who had like a dream rush (invites everywhere and #1 house on my list), but uh, it really wasn't all that and a bag of chips. i probably wouldn't have as many friends in other houses if it wasnt for rush, but i really don't see it as the life changing experience my friends seem to see, other than GETTING IN my house. not really something i would go through on that side again purposely. what do you think?

*note: not trying to scare any PNMs or anything. and i'm not saying it seems totally fake or anything, just ... rush is.... a rush. i dunno. i just kinda like fraternity rush (more open) around here. shrugs*

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Hated it. I found it to be very superficial.

[sugar and spice]

I can see both sides. On one hand, I did find it somewhat superficial and silly. On the other hand, I had a lot of fun and I'm definitely glad that I went through. I certainly didn't have the time of my life or anything, but my Rho Chis were fabulous and I loved the whole rush atmosphere.

[honeychile]

I LOVED it!! My chapter (at the time) was the absolutely the worst at COB, so we pulled out all the stops for Formal Recruitment.

I love the challenge, the excitement, the adrenaline rush, meeting so many new people, and the theme parties! Most of all, I loved the wonderful feeling of taking quota & knowing that, unless a space opens up, you're DONE with it for the year!

I think a lot of it is because I'm good at names & can quickly make a connection with PNMs, too, though. Also, my chapter is now absolutely awesome at COB, so it's probably a whole new ballgame now.


ETA: Yes, FR is superficial - if you allow it to be. I prefer to think of it as "campy".

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by SmartBlondeGPhB
Hated it. I found it to be very superficial.

Agreed. I don't like small talk and I found the songs/skits to be unbearably cheesy. How well you can perform a skit or sing about why your sorority is the best EVAR (or what you're wearing while you do it) has nothing to do with whether I want to be your friend.

[lyrica9]

i agree that it can be superficial, but i like the fact that you have to go to all of the sororities the first day. i was so set in what i thought i wanted to be, and i hadn't given a lot of the other groups, including the one im now a member of, a second thought. i think it's definately a beneficial experience for that reason.

[Tippiechick]

I hated it... I was not treated well in several houses. There were quite a few inappropriate questions that were asked, "What kind of car do you drive and is it new? Does your mother stay at home? What kind of jewelry is that you are wearing? Is it real? How much money does your father make? Are you planning to lose those last few pounds once rush is over? Do you go out to bars? Do you drink? Do you know any boys here? Oh, you know a SigEp -- do you spend a lot of time over at the house?"

I can remember the houses that asked these questions...

One house even had a girl just sit there. She told me I was not going to be considered for that house. Then, she just stopped talking to me and we sat there until the skit started. Then, she walked away and left me to myself. Seriously.

My friend had coached me on what to wear according to her campus. But, at my school, the attire was so much more elaborate. I had to go spend $250 on clothes and shoes just to fit in.

The rho chis had their favorites in the group and tended to ignore everyone else.

I have social anxiety, so this just made everything worse. Rush sucked. That's why I quit. I rushed informally two days after rush ended and LOVED that experience.

[AXOKatie]

i guess you can divide the whole experience into sister areas and PNM areas because i know people who liked going through recruitment as a PNM but hate doing the work as a sister and vice versa...myself, i really enjoyed the whole experience overall because i like meeting and talking to new people, but i can totally understand how a lot of people don't like it because it takes up so much time and can be really tiring and frustrating...the good thing of the sister-side though is that you really bond with other members seeing as how you have to spend so much time together i definitely liked that part.

i agree, sorority recruitment should really learn from some of the positive aspects of frat rush...but i think that they should learn from our system of having every person go to every house at least once out of fairness.

[33girl]

I went through a structured informal rush when I was a rushee, which wasn't bad, plus I was a sophomore so I already knew people. And I met lots more, which was great.

But as far as formal rush on the other end - I HATED it. I could probably do it now, but at the time, small talk was just not something I was good at. I also am not a salesman and the idea of "selling" something as deep and personal as my sisterhood and what I found in it was/is just repugnant to me.

The only kind of rush I was good at is talking to people, them asking about my sorority, and saying "hey, come over."

[honeychile]

This is terribly interesting!! One of the things that most of my sorority friends brag about as they graduate & are in the Real World is their ability to talk to just about anyone, and the other skills learned during Recruitment!

[IvySpice]

TippieChick and Cluey, of course I would not ask which houses asked you those questions, but I'm curious about where and when you went through formal rush.

[KSUViolet06]

I signed up, went through 1st round, and withdrew. I didn't even bother to look at my invites. I was a freshman in college that year. The whole summer I'd heard horror stories from my neighbor (who went to another Ohio school with a huge/competitive greek system) about girls not getting the houses they want, getting cross cut, etc. I guess I was so afraid of being cut, I quit. So no I didn't enjoy formal recriutment. I opted to COB instead

[aephi alum]

I hated formal recruitment from both the PNM and sister perspectives. I sometimes joke that that was the real reason I became a rho chi my senior year.

I found FR very fake and superficial. As a PNM, I found myself wondering if I was really expected to make a decision based on how good the skits were. As a sister, I found out how frustrating it is to be in the smallest sorority on campus (small only b/c we were new), with little $ and little alum support and only a couple of sisters who could carry a tune, competing with 4 well-established sororities with tons of actives, active alums, and money.

I've always preferred informal rush. It's more laid back and relaxed, and you can really focus on getting to know the PNMs or the sisters (depending on which side you're on), rather than whether you're going to flub your lines in the skit or trip over your own feet.

Much as I hated FR, my advice to PNMs is still to go through. You will get to meet members of all the sororities on campus, as well as your fellow PNMs. If things don't work out, or if you just find it too fake, then check out informal rush. But if you just skip FR and focus on one house, you may always wonder "what if?"

[Lil' Hannah]

As a PNM I did like that I got to see every house, it made me interested in a few that I thought I wouldn't like. I didn't really mind the conversations, although I can think of a few houses where I had awkward silences during the conversation.

As a sister I really disliked it. You never know who you're going to end up talking to...you might get someone that "knows" they don't want to be in your house . I felt like the burden was on me to keep the conversation going, and sometimes it was like pulling teeth. I liked informal a lot better because those PNMs chose to be there.

[AlphaFrog]

I didn't have anyone that was rude to me, but I was rude to one of the other girls B/C I wanted to get cut from that house (I had about 5 girls in that house that I knew before and I just couldn't see them as sisters)....well, not actually rude...but I did start talking about how fake rush is...etc....

I hated COB because my only semester active, that's all we did....every week it was at least one COB...and girls don't respond to COB at WIU. If you get any girls to come out at all, generally, they're just looking for next semester at formal.