A dog-eat-dog recruitment story

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I had a rollercoaster of a recruitment experience so I figured some people out there might enjoy hearing about it! I went through recruitment over a year ago as a sophomore, so forgive me if I can’t remember too many details. I’m now in a chapter that I love, and in hindsight I know that I did not approach recruitment the right way at all. While I started out with negative impressions about a lot of the chapters, now that I’ve been involved in the Panhellenic community for a year, I’ve made so many genuine friends in every single organization that it seems silly to even go back to thinking about these dumb stereotypes.

I attend a pretty well-regarded private university in the Northeast. Between the time I applied and now, it’s become more selective, and the student body tends to be pretty competitive in my experience, not just with academics but also with their careers and even extracurriculars. The competitive atmosphere lends itself to a very rank-obsessed Greek community, I think; as a whole, we’re not overly shallow looks-wise but can get a little wrapped up in notions of exclusivity and selectivity. During recruitment it wasn’t uncommon for PNMs to refer to invitations and bids as “getting into” a sorority, and to talk about a chapter’s “acceptance rate.” Greekrank trash-talking was rampant, to the point where PNMs and actives alike would be posting their thoughts on the site in between rounds. Definitely odd at a school where Greek life was only a small fraction of the student body!

At the time I rushed, there were seven sororities on campus, all national orgs. Typically quota is about 40. Out of the seven, two consistently exceed quota, three usually meet or come very close to quota, and two typically struggle to meet quota. The “tiers” typically fall along these lines as well. In my family, I’m the first person to even consider going Greek, and as such I had NO idea what recruitment would be like; I definitely got sucked into the black hole of Greekrank and regrettably allowed myself to internalize the stereotypes I saw written about each chapter. That said, here are my pre-recruitment first impressions of each, nicknamed after some of my favorite dog breeds:
Boxer — A single-letter chapter at our school. Stereotyped to be rich and shallow, but very pretty/athletic. At first glance, they have a very distinct “look,” and that "look" is very skinny, very white, and very rich (Blair Waldorf to the extreme). Meets/exceeds quota.
Bulldog — My school is the Alpha chapter. Rumors swirl of hazing and hard drug use, although unsubstantiated and likely way exaggerated. Stereotyped as “hot party girls,” and many are aspiring social media influencers. Lots of quirky personalities but always in a very cool, interesting way. Meets/exceeds quota.
Corgi — Don’t seem very involved on campus, although very put-together and easy to talk to. Girl-next-door vibes, but known to have excellent relationships with the fraternities. Meets quota.
Greyhound — Stereotyped to be rich and a little materialistic, but has a strong, tight-knit sisterhood. Seen by some as social climbers. Quite diverse, middling in terms of campus involvement. Usually meets quota.
Great Dane — Very involved with Panhel events/Greek Week, but not big partiers. My acquaintance from high school is in this chapter at my school, and she told me she’d keep an eye out for me. From the start of recruitment, I was the most eager to join this chapter. Usually meets quota or comes close.
Labrador — Very diverse and passionate about social justice, although not known to be partiers. They do more than just fundraisers, they also are very involved in hosting events about empowerment, feminism, etc. Struggles to meet quota.
Newfoundland — Newest chapter on campus, the founders hadn’t yet graduated when I rushed. Seem diverse but not cohesive, though passionate about philanthropy. Lots of international students. Struggles to meet quota.