A Book Worm's Recruitment Story!

[BookWorm2018]

I finished my recruitment journey about a week and a half ago and wrote down everything that happened as it was happening. I’ve read enough stories to know that you shouldn’t post your experience until you’ve completed recruitment, so I am going to now be telling you all about how I found my home! Like I said, I wrote each of my posts in real time, so you’ll be reading exactly what I was feeling each day. I hope you all enjoy!

Hello GreekChat users, and Happy New Year! I am a freshman at a Southern school that opts to defer formal recruitment until January in order to encourage us PNM’s to adjust to our new lives and to keep our grades up during the fall semester. I’ve known that I wanted to join a sorority for as long as I can remember. My mother raised my sister and I on detailed stories concerning the sweetness of sisterhood and collegiate shenanigans, so my burning desire to find my own home has been eating me alive this past semester! I have had the best time living on campus so far this year, but I honestly feel like a piece has been missing: my sisters (that sounds so incredibly cliche, but it’s the truth!) I was totally the girl who registered for recruitment on the very first day that it opened, and I don’t feel the LEAST bit guilty about it! I have already made so many friends in a lot of the chapters on campus, and I am so excited to find out where I’ll best fit in! I must admit, the preparation process has been a bit grueling, but I am proud to say that I was able to successfully secure a personal recommendation for each of the houses. I’ve always been told that I’m a little spunky and very outgoing, so I hope to find a group of women that highlights these qualities in me! I am definitely happy to be going through this with some of my absolute closest friends, but I have made a promise to myself that I will not base my decisions on the opinions or experiences of anyone except myself. Just like everyone always says, keeping an open mind is the name of the game!

We have eight sororities that participate in formal recruitment. I’m a bit of a bookworm, so I’ve decided to name my school’s chapters after my childhood favorite fictional female characters!
Nancy Drew (Nancy Drew novels)
Matilda Wormwood (Matilda)
Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables)
Jo March (Little Women)
Laura Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie)
Ramona Quimby (Ramona Quimby novels)
Hermione Granger (Harry Potter novels)
Fern Arable (Charlotte’s Web)

I wanted to also quickly mention that I am a legacy to Anne Shirley through my mom and to Nancy Drew through my sister, although she goes to another school. Neither of them have put any amount of pressure on me to join their chapter, and I am so thankful for that. Our recruitment is 5 days long, beginning with Orientation, followed by Open House, Philanthropy Day, and Preference, and ending with Bid Day! I am definitely antsy for the week to start. I’ll update you all tomorrow after Orientation!

[DiWantstoTravel]

Can't wait to read your story! I love the books and characters you've chosen!

[honeychile]

Waiting with baited breath!

[BookWorm2018]

Orientation!

I moved back into my dorm for most of today before attending the big Orientation session in the evening. We were given some last minute details and tips for the week, but I was honestly a little distracted by how many girls were at this meeting! I was starting to get a feel for how stressful this week was truly going to be. We were sorted into our Gamma Chi groups as well, and I can already tell how AMAZING mine is! I actually knew one of the girls in my group already, so I chatted with her about our expectations for the week. I have all of my outfits hung neatly in my closet and my brain prepped for the week to come. A couple of us girls decided to watch a movie before settling in for the night, but we talked about recruitment for most of the film! It’s so interesting to hear about how different individuals have come to perceive the chapters on campus. I’ve come to realize that no two girls seem to have the exact same opinion or preference when it comes to the houses, and I think that’s probably a good thing! I am ecstatic for the week to begin, and I can’t stop texting my mom and sister about how nervous and excited I am. I am now trying to force myself into a tireless sleep. Open House can’t come soon enough!

[GirlinSpace]

So excited to see how it turned out for you! Great theme

[FSUZeta]

Love your book theme!

[TLLK]

Hoping to hear more about your recruitment and I too love that you are a bookworm.

[aephi alum]

For once, I think I've figured out the school! I will keep mum, though, unless BookWorm chooses to share. (Of course, I could be dead wrong.)

I'm familiar with all the books except Matilda, and I can't say I remember a Fern Arable, but I was a little girl the last time I read Charlotte's Web.

Looking forward to reading your story and finding out where you found your home!

[BookWorm2018]

Thank you all so much for your kind words! I’m glad that most of you like my theme, it just felt right!

Open House!

This morning was definitely an earlier start than I’m used to, but nothing a good cup of coffee can’t fix! We were all herded like adorably dressed sheep to the Panhellenic building to meet with all of the sororities officially for the very first time. I had to push my nervousness to the back of my mind quite a few times in the minutes leading up these introductions, but I think the day went relatively well!

Jo March: My first recruitment party! I loved the way this room was decorated and all of the actives had such cute matching t-shirts on. The first girl I talked to was so easygoing, and I was suddenly very grateful that she was the first person I got to talk to in my recruitment experience. We chatted about all of the basics before I was introduced to another girl. I didn’t get quite the same vibe from the second active, but I could tell she was sweet. I wasn’t sure how this house would stack up to the others by the end of the day.
Ramona Quimby: I got a very laid back yet put together feeling from this house, and that definitely interested me. This house’s room wasn’t as decorated as the last though, which was a little disappointing because I think one of the fun things about recruitment is getting to express your chapter’s personality and values in a unique way! I met three girls in this house, but none of them really stood out in my mind by the end of the day. If I go back to this house tomorrow I hope to learn a bit more about who they are on campus!
Nancy Drew: I was excited to meet with the women of this chapter since my sister speaks so highly of them. I once again LOVED the look of this house’s room. I really appreciated the fact that it was obvious this sorority didn’t have a “type” that they looked for. Every girl was different in terms of looks, sizes, hair and makeup preferences. The first two girls I spoke with were incredible. My conversations with each of them quickly moved past what our majors were and into our favorite fast food restaurants and what TV shows we both enjoyed. I could tell that the third girl I spoke with was incredibly uncomfortable. I’m not sure if she was worried about something outside of recruitment or just shy, but I could barely get this active to say two words to me. She was constantly darting her eyes around the room and could never bring herself to make eye contact with me. Not the best way to end my visit with this house, but I would definitely say I could see myself as a sister here.
Anne Shirley: I made quite a few friends in this house last semester, and I know that they’re well regarded on campus. Another beautiful room with so many beautiful girls! I was paired with one girl that I already knew, and we talked about how our holidays had been. I later spoke with another girl that ended up being involved in an on-campus group that I was hoping to join within the next few months, so it was really nice to get some information from someone who was actively involved in the organization. I had an average conversation with the last girl I spoke with, but I had had such a wonderful time with the other two actives that I didn’t really let it phase me.
Fern Arable: This chapter had kind of flown under the radar for me during my first semester at school, but I absolutely loved every girl that I met in this house today! I felt like I connected with all three of the actives I met with on such a personal level, and I genuinely felt like I was surrounded by people who were similar to me! They seem like such a fun loving group, and I’m so surprised that I didn’t notice them earlier!
Hermione Granger: This house was another question mark for me, as I hadn’t met many of them before recruitment had started. The first active I spoke to was very tired. She couldn’t stop yawning the entire time we talked! I honestly felt bad because I know these sororities put so much time and effort into preparing for recruitment, but it was a little strange to witness first hand. The second and third actives I spoke with were very friendly, but we never moved past the basic conversational points like I had hoped we could. The girls seemed to genuinely care for each other, but I left feeling a little confused as to whether or not this could be the right house for me.
Laura Ingalls: This is another house that I had made a lot of new friends in during the fall semester. This group was so incredibly energetic, and I LOVED that about them! I actually met with four girls in this house, and each radiated such a positive attitude that I think it rubbed off on me. This house made me want to join them, to be apart of their wonderfully inclusive sisterhood. I have everything crossed in the hopes that I’ll be visiting this house again tomorrow!
Matilda Wormwood: I absolutely loved the way the sisters of this house interacted with each other. They all called each other by adorably personal nicknames and goofed around a lot, something I appreciated in the midst of how serious recruitment seems. I talked with a girl that shared the same major as me, but our commonalities seemed to end there. I had an extremely boring conversation with a second active about the types of FISH we liked to eat (I can’t make this up… it was the strangest conversation I’ve had in a long time), so I’m a little on the fence about this house.

I was definitely a little scared to rank the sororities so soon after meeting them, but we were instructed to list our top five and bottom three. I’m keeping mine all ranked to show you how I felt about each of the houses today. I ranked mine as:
Laura Ingalls
Anne Shirley
Fern Arable
Nancy Drew
Jo March
Ramona Quimby
Hermione Granger
Matilda Wormwood

I am thoroughly exhausted from the days events, and I feel so unsure as to what exactly will happen tomorrow. I have already heard so many girls thoughts on how each of their parties went, but it’s all just computing as a jumbled mess in my brain. I’m definitely ready for tomorrow so that I can hopefully sort out my thoughts on each house a little better. I just keep telling myself: one day closer to Bid Day!

[PhilTau]

Originally Posted by BookWorm2018

Matilda Wormwood: I absolutely loved the way the sisters of this house interacted with each other. They all called each other by adorably personal nicknames and goofed around a lot, something I appreciated in the midst of how serious recruitment seems. * * * I had an extremely boring conversation with a second active about the types of FISH we liked to eat (I can’t make this up… it was the strangest conversation I’ve had in a long time), so I’m a little on the fence about this house.

I know this university, my wife did her undergrad there. But I won't ruin the story by naming it.

If the fish conversation was initiated by a sorority member, it sounds like it could have been some kind of prank or a smart a** who was bored at the end of a long day.

[FSUZeta]

Or a weird girl who thought she was coming up with something different to talk about.

[BookWorm2018]

Philanthropy Day!

I woke up even more excited today than I had the day before, even though I knew I was probably going to be cut by some of the houses that I had enjoyed visiting. I anxiously waited for my schedule, eventually finding out that I had been invited back to:
Nancy Drew
Laura Ingalls
Fern Arable
Anne Shirley
Ramona Quimby
A FULL SCHEDULE! I could hardly contain my shock. I had honestly prepared myself for the worst, not the best, so now that it was staring me in the face I wasn’t sure how to react. I was a tiny bit disappointed that I wasn’t going to get to visit the Jo March sisters again, but I quickly became even more ecstatic to learn about each house’s charity!

Nancy Drew: I spoke with a new girl today about how their philanthropy had affected my family, and it turns out that someone close to her had also dealt with what this chapter’s philanthropy is dedicated to! It was really nice to speak with someone about something we both understood and had experienced, and I know that it would be easy for me to do passionate work for this chapter’s cause. The second girl that I talked to wasn’t quite as enthusiastic and honestly didn’t seem to have much to say about her sorority’s philanthropy at all. It was a bit strange.
Laura Ingalls: I’ve always admired the work that this chapter does, and it was so amazing to finally be able to see all of the hard work they’ve already put in this year. I could tell that the first girl I spoke with wasn’t totally knowledgeable when it came to the specifics of their work as a chapter, so that was a little off-putting. The second girl I spoke with had a really wonderful personal connection to the organization, and hearing her story almost brought tears to my eyes. I would LOVE to work with this chapter’s cause.
Fern Arable: It was SO amazing to see how much this chapter does for their philanthropy. They boasted an incredibly high fundraising number, and I can only imagine all of the good that was able to be done with the money they donated. I could truly tell how passionate the women of this chapter were towards their cause, and both of the actives I spoke with were so genuine. I don’t have any personal experience with this philanthropy, but it is something I would definitely be proud to be a part of.
Anne Shirley: I went in curious about this chapter’s philanthropic work, as it isn’t quite as well known as some of the other chapters. After watching the video and hearing the testimonials of a few of the sisters in this chapter, I can tell that what they do really does make a difference. My conversations were just okay here today though. I wasn’t feeling that spark that I had had with a couple of the other chapters.
Ramona Quimby: This chapter’s philanthropy was another questionable one for me, but once again I felt I fully understood after the presentation. This chapter is a lot more involved than I ever even realized, and I truly admire the amount of time they put forth to help those in their community. I spoke with one girl who was incredibly sweet and had the same kind of cat as me, so it was fun to talk about how much we both missed our kitties. My opinion of this chapter has greatly improved after this round.

I didn’t feel as nervous to rank today, although I’m sure I should’ve been. I had honestly had such a wonderful time at each house that I knew I would be truly happy with whoever asked me back. Still, I ranked the houses as:
Fern Arable
Laura Ingalls
Ramona Quimby
Nancy Drew
Anne Shirley

It felt guilty placing both of my legacy chapters so far down the list. However, I know in my heart that I am making the right choice. We can only attend up to two preference parties tomorrow. That makes me a little nervous, but I know that whatever happens will be meant to be. With all of the nerves I have bouncing around in my system I hope I can get some sleep tonight!

[kitekat]

I think I know which school this is can’t wait to read the rest of this story!

[FSUZeta]

Sounds good.

[ChioLu]

I think I know which school it is too. Looking forward to hear the ending!