[belated] Recruitment story!

[Miriverite]

I realized that I've never posted my story, despite being a sister for over three months! I personally regard my experience as one of the "all's well that ends well" ones, so I thought I'd share it with you all =)

From my signature, you already know what GLO I'm part of, and can very easily figure out which university I attend, so I won't attempt to mask that. I'll use code names for the chapters, of course.

The six lovely sororities on campus:
- Alpha Chi Omega
- Alpha Epsilon Phi
- Alpha Phi
- Kappa Alpha Theta
- Pi Beta Phi
- Sigma Kappa

Our chapter of AEPhi only participates in informal recruitment and has traditionally remained very small (20 or so girls). In order to pledge AEPhi, after Day 3 (day before pref) you had to essentially drop out of formal recruitment, which meant not being able to continue with the parties of the other sororities. Since I knew I was looking for a larger experience, I did not take the offer to participate in AEPhi's informal recruitment and decided to rush for the remaining five.

And here my code names for them (in no particular order):
(a selection of awesome zodiac signs!)
- Aries
- Gemini
- Leo
- Libra
- Aquarius

Recruitment schedule:
- Day 1: Welcome and Greek Unity Day
- Day 2: Philanthropy Day
- Day 3: Sisterhood Day
- Day 4: Preference
- Day 5: Bid Day!!

===================

First, a little about my background:
I came from Austin, Texas, and my only exposure to "sorority life" was through (incorrect) gossip from friends and parents. Thanks to books like Pledged and untrue rumours, I eventually came to view sororities as nothing but groups of girls who partied with frats and shirked their studies. When I came to my university, I could tell that my preconceptions were a bit wrong, but I was still hesitant on joining. When some of my friends decided to rush at frats like Kappa Sigma and Zeta Beta Tau, I hung back, swearing that I would never join a sorority.

However, throughout my freshman year I began attending sorority-hosted events, including the philanthropic events from Kappa Alpha Theta and Sigma Kappa. I met a ton of wonderful friends who later pledged to a variety of sororities and still remained every bit as amazing and compassionate, if not more. I soon decided that I wanted to be a part of this amazing community of women, and thus decided to rush my sophomore year.

Day 1: Welcome and Greek Unity Day
Rush/recruitment is traditionally started with a barbeque kickoff event, where members of all the GLO's on campus (most were either NPC or NFC) mingle with the freshmen and PNM's on the large field in front of our main buildings. I chatted with a few fraternity men, including some really nice guys from Theta Chi who invited me and my friends to their rush parties. We gladly accepted the rush event cards

Before long, all of the PNMs who planned to go through recruitment gathered in the student center's dining hall and found their rush groups. Most of the girls in mine were freshmen, although there were two other sophomores and one junior also participating. As we struck up some conversation, it was hard to keep an open mind, especially when I had already heard stereotypes and opinions of many of the sororities ("the pretty sorority", "the girly sorority", etc.) In fact, to this day I must confess that I went into recruitment foolishly hoping that I would get a bid from one specific sorority (obviously not the one I'm part of now, but we'll get into that later). I can't for the life of me know why - I barely knew anything about the sorority except a handful of friends and whatever I'd read on the Internet!

Anyways, the first day's parties were a simple meet-and-greet by all of the sororities, including AEPhi. I began by entering Leo, a bit nervous because all of the girls looked so pretty. I stood at a high table with one of the girls and chatted about arbitrary things like major, year, where I came from, etc. They provided water for us, and I must admit I was really impressed with how refined and elegant everything was. I found myself trying really hard to give a good impression, because it seemed as if talking to the PNM's was something that happened easily to these girls. We switched conversation partners a few times, and then were led out while the girls clapped and sang us away.

Next, I went into Libra's room, which was set up with round tables. The girl I spoke to was super enthusiastic about her sorority, and although I didn't originally think I would fit in there, she made me feel very comfortable. The second girl I spoke to, however, was a bit more nervous. There was a small visual presentation, which was full of happy pictures of the sisters. I started feeling myself warming up to them, but I still wasn't quite sure whether I would fit in or not.

After that, my group filed into the room for Aquarius. It was partially due to the poor quality of the room, but the sound in it was deafening. I was all of a sudden very overwhelmed and just now realized how tired I was. Thankfully, we were instructed to sit down and chat. There seemed to be a lot of energetic girls in this sorority, and I was constantly being passed off from one girl to another, each one who seemed to have something interesting to say. I really liked their symbolism and felt touched by how open-minded the girls were.

Next, I entered Aries's room. It was definitely a huge contrast from Aquarius. These girls were very sweet and nice, asking me not only about myself, but about how I felt about the recruitment process and if there was anything they could do to help us feel more comfortable. The introductory talk from the chapter president was short but adorable. Although I was really touched by their efforts, I couldn't help feeling as if it was a bit too subdued for my tastes.

My last part was that of Gemini. I once again felt very overwhelmed, and although I spoke to one sister with whom I really clicked, I found it really hard to get conversations going with the other sisters. At one point, I even saw the sister I was speaking to look around to see if there was someone she could pass me off to. It was a bit of a turn-off, but I tried to strike up conversation where I could.

We were not asked to rank at the end of day 1, and to tell the truth, I was unsure myself. Thankfully, there were still three more days to get through...

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Miriverite

I realized that I've never posted my story, despite being a sister for over three months! I personally regard my experience as one of the "all's well that ends well" ones, so I thought I'd share it with you all =)

From my signature, you already know what GLO I'm part of, and can very easily figure out which university I attend, so I won't attempt to mask that. I'll use code names for the chapters, of course.

The six lovely sororities on campus:
- Alpha Chi Omega
- Alpha Epsilon Phi
- Alpha Phi
- Kappa Alpha Theta
- Pi Beta Phi
- Sigma Kappa

Our chapter of AEPhi only participates in informal recruitment and has traditionally remained very small (20 or so girls). In order to pledge AEPhi, after Day 3 (day before pref) you had to essentially drop out of formal recruitment, which meant not being able to continue with the parties of the other sororities. Since I knew I was looking for a larger experience, I did not take the offer to participate in AEPhi's informal recruitment and decided to rush for the remaining five.

And here my code names for them (in no particular order):
(a selection of awesome zodiac signs!)
- Aries
- Gemini
- Leo
- Libra
- Aquarius

Recruitment schedule:
- Day 1: Welcome and Greek Unity Day
- Day 2: Philanthropy Day
- Day 3: Sisterhood Day
- Day 4: Preference
- Day 5: Bid Day!!

===================

First, a little about my background:
I came from Austin, Texas, and my only exposure to "sorority life" was through (incorrect) gossip from friends and parents. Thanks to books like Pledged and untrue rumours, I eventually came to view sororities as nothing but groups of girls who partied with frats and shirked their studies. When I came to my university, I could tell that my preconceptions were a bit wrong, but I was still hesitant on joining. When some of my friends decided to rush at frats like Kappa Sigma and Zeta Beta Tau, I hung back, swearing that I would never join a sorority.

However, throughout my freshman year I began attending sorority-hosted events, including the philanthropic events from Kappa Alpha Theta and Sigma Kappa. I met a ton of wonderful friends who later pledged to a variety of sororities and still remained every bit as amazing and compassionate, if not more. I soon decided that I wanted to be a part of this amazing community of women, and thus decided to rush my sophomore year.

Day 1: Welcome and Greek Unity Day
Rush/recruitment is traditionally started with a barbeque kickoff event, where members of all the GLO's on campus (most were either NPC or NFC) mingle with the freshmen and PNM's on the large field in front of our main buildings. I chatted with a few fraternity men, including some really nice guys from Theta Chi who invited me and my friends to their rush parties. We gladly accepted the rush event cards

Before long, all of the PNMs who planned to go through recruitment gathered in the student center's dining hall and found their rush groups. Most of the girls in mine were freshmen, although there were two other sophomores and one junior also participating. As we struck up some conversation, it was hard to keep an open mind, especially when I had already heard stereotypes and opinions of many of the sororities ("the pretty sorority", "the girly sorority", etc.) In fact, to this day I must confess that I went into recruitment foolishly hoping that I would get a bid from one specific sorority (obviously not the one I'm part of now, but we'll get into that later). I can't for the life of me know why - I barely knew anything about the sorority except a handful of friends and whatever I'd read on the Internet!

Anyways, the first day's parties were a simple meet-and-greet by all of the sororities, including AEPhi. I began by entering Leo, a bit nervous because all of the girls looked so pretty. I stood at a high table with one of the girls and chatted about arbitrary things like major, year, where I came from, etc. They provided water for us, and I must admit I was really impressed with how refined and elegant everything was. I found myself trying really hard to give a good impression, because it seemed as if talking to the PNM's was something that happened easily to these girls. We switched conversation partners a few times, and then were led out while the girls clapped and sang us away.

Next, I went into Libra's room, which was set up with round tables. The girl I spoke to was super enthusiastic about her sorority, and although I didn't originally think I would fit in there, she made me feel very comfortable. The second girl I spoke to, however, was a bit more nervous. There was a small visual presentation, which was full of happy pictures of the sisters. I started feeling myself warming up to them, but I still wasn't quite sure whether I would fit in or not.

After that, my group filed into the room for Aquarius. It was partially due to the poor quality of the room, but the sound in it was deafening. I was all of a sudden very overwhelmed and just now realized how tired I was. Thankfully, we were instructed to sit down and chat. There seemed to be a lot of energetic girls in this sorority, and I was constantly being passed off from one girl to another, each one who seemed to have something interesting to say. I really liked their symbolism and felt touched by how open-minded the girls were.

Next, I entered Aries's room. It was definitely a huge contrast from Aquarius. These girls were very sweet and nice, asking me not only about myself, but about how I felt about the recruitment process and if there was anything they could do to help us feel more comfortable. The introductory talk from the chapter president was short but adorable. Although I was really touched by their efforts, I couldn't help feeling as if it was a bit too subdued for my tastes.

My last part was that of Gemini. I once again felt very overwhelmed, and although I spoke to one sister with whom I really clicked, I found it really hard to get conversations going with the other sisters. At one point, I even saw the sister I was speaking to look around to see if there was someone she could pass me off to. It was a bit of a turn-off, but I tried to strike up conversation where I could.

We were not asked to rank at the end of day 1, and to tell the truth, I was unsure myself. Thankfully, there were still three more days to get through...

[Miriverite]

Day 2: Philanthropy Day
Philanthropy Day also included the house tours, so I was first shipped off to the house of Leo and given a tour by two girls that I actually knew from my living group. They answered all my questions well, and I started envisioning myself living in the house. I can't say much lest I give away which sorority it is, but I found it amazing that there was so much pride in each of the sisters' rooms, which were always decorated with Leo memorabilia and colours. For their philanthropy craft, we decorated scrapbook pages that documented their philanthropy event, which would be presented to the organization that they supported.

Next, we visited Aries. Again, they made sure we were comfortable, and the sisters were very involved in getting us to participate in the philanthropy day craft, which was decorating gifts to promote their organization. There were a few really cute songs and skits, and I ended up getting the feeling that this sorority especially prided themselves on being fun and quirky.

Next up was Gemini. I did not get passed off at all - the girl who led me in stuck with me the entire time. However, whenever we sat down next to another sister-and-PNM pair, the sister seemed more interested in conversing with the other sister than with me, which seemed a bit awkward. They recounted their own experiences with the sorority, which was great... but they also failed to include me in the discussion. I was a little miffed, because I wanted to give them another chance after my less-than-stellar encounter with them at yesterday's end. I sincerely forgot what the philanthropy craft was, sorry...

Next, I went to Aquarius's house. We were allowed to walk all over the place; the sisters catered their house tour towards the PNM's, asking what we wanted to see instead of leading us from place to place aimlessly. The philanthropy craft was stringing colourful beads as decorations for cards that would be used to raise awareness of the cause that Aquarius supported. I thought it was really cute, and easy to do so that we were still able to talk.

Lastly, we visited Libra's house. The instant I stepped inside I loved it! It seemed so homey and welcoming. I was paired with a girl slightly shorter than me who walked me around. We ran into the two sisters that I spoke with at the welcome day parties, and the four of us ended up having some really interesting conversations. Although it was the end of the day and I was tired, I enjoyed my experience a lot. The philanthropy craft was decorating cookies to donate to victims of Libra's cause.

At the end of the day, we were asked to rank our top four. Here were mine:
1. Leo
2. Libra
3. Aquarius
4. Aries
Although I could see how nice Gemini could be, I didn't feel as if I would fit in with the current sisters, so I ended up dropping it from my list.

Next up, Sisterhood Day!

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Miriverite

Day 2: Philanthropy Day
Philanthropy Day also included the house tours, so I was first shipped off to the house of Leo and given a tour by two girls that I actually knew from my living group. They answered all my questions well, and I started envisioning myself living in the house. I can't say much lest I give away which sorority it is, but I found it amazing that there was so much pride in each of the sisters' rooms, which were always decorated with Leo memorabilia and colours. For their philanthropy craft, we decorated scrapbook pages that documented their philanthropy event, which would be presented to the organization that they supported.

Next, we visited Aries. Again, they made sure we were comfortable, and the sisters were very involved in getting us to participate in the philanthropy day craft, which was decorating gifts to promote their organization. There were a few really cute songs and skits, and I ended up getting the feeling that this sorority especially prided themselves on being fun and quirky.

Next up was Gemini. I did not get passed off at all - the girl who led me in stuck with me the entire time. However, whenever we sat down next to another sister-and-PNM pair, the sister seemed more interested in conversing with the other sister than with me, which seemed a bit awkward. They recounted their own experiences with the sorority, which was great... but they also failed to include me in the discussion. I was a little miffed, because I wanted to give them another chance after my less-than-stellar encounter with them at yesterday's end. I sincerely forgot what the philanthropy craft was, sorry...

Next, I went to Aquarius's house. We were allowed to walk all over the place; the sisters catered their house tour towards the PNM's, asking what we wanted to see instead of leading us from place to place aimlessly. The philanthropy craft was stringing colourful beads as decorations for cards that would be used to raise awareness of the cause that Aquarius supported. I thought it was really cute, and easy to do so that we were still able to talk.

Lastly, we visited Libra's house. The instant I stepped inside I loved it! It seemed so homey and welcoming. I was paired with a girl slightly shorter than me who walked me around. We ran into the two sisters that I spoke with at the welcome day parties, and the four of us ended up having some really interesting conversations. Although it was the end of the day and I was tired, I enjoyed my experience a lot. The philanthropy craft was decorating cookies to donate to victims of Libra's cause.

At the end of the day, we were asked to rank our top four. Here were mine:
1. Leo
2. Libra
3. Aquarius
4. Aries
Although I could see how nice Gemini could be, I didn't feel as if I would fit in with the current sisters, so I ended up dropping it from my list.

Next up, Sisterhood Day!

Good stuff.

[dreamseeker]

Aries ftw.

[Miriverite]

Day 3: Sisterhood Day
In my opinion, the longest day of the recruitment process. By Day 3, I was already getting a bit tired - I can't imagine what it's like at universities with over 15 sororities and a weeklong recruitment!

I looked my schedule for the day and was happy to see that I was invited back by all the sororities I had ranked in my top four. My first party was with Libra, so I walked upstairs to their designated room. They had a super-cute theme that involved fireworks on Independence Day. Each of the tables was set up with summery items, and the skits mentioned the variety of majors and extracurricular activities that each of the sisters were involved in. There were some long speeches by some of the members talking about their bigs and littles. It was extremely diverse, and I found myself relaxing and speaking more freely about my opinions, getting into conversations that were deeper than the usual ("tell me about your childhood", "what's your favourite thing about this university?") I still hadn't quite made up my mind about Libra, though, and to tell the truth I had my heart set on Leo, so I walked out fairly convinced I would not be ranking it first that day.

Lo and behold, my second party was actually with Leo! Before I walked in the room, I ran to the restroom to check my hair and clothes. I didn't do this for Libra, but I knew I wanted to make a good impression on Leo. In fact, I had discovered in the past few days that a lot of my dormmates and extracurricular friends were in Leo. If I already knew a good quarter of the sorority, I foolishly reasoned, surely the rest of them would be a good fit for me, right? I talked to a gorgeous junior girl about our future careers (we were both in the same major!) The theme for the party was "picnic in the park", so there were cheery flowers and little snacks at each table. There was a slideshow presentation and several short speeches, which I found rather refreshing compared to Libra's. I left the room feeling confident that I would receive a bid from them for pref, since I had such good conversations and I knew so many of the sisters anyways.

Next up was Aquarius. They had dimmed the lights and put out little candles on each of the lace-tableclothed round tables, which I found really pretty and adorable. I chatted with an awkward girl who didn't seem to know quite what to say. I asked her a lot of questions about her sorority, but she answered in one-word replies or seemed to avoid the question. There was a slideshow presentation, and then I was hastily handed off to another girl, who happened to live in my dorm! Although I knew her as a friend, I still felt slightly awkward talking to her as a sister in Aquarius, especially when I had made up my mind to rank Aquarius as my lowest for the day.

Finally, I visited Aries and chatted with a girl that shared my same major and my love of dance! I had a huge blast at this party and it was the perfect ending to my day. The theme was "camping", but it wasn't utilized much, besides the cute little campfires on each table. The sisters who spoke to me seemed genuinely interested in my activities, and I found myself loosening up and willing to be myself. We chatted in a table about silly things, quirky things, dreams, nightmares, favourite TV shows, and everything in-between. The conversations shifted away from sororities and recruitment and ended up being just a group of new friends having a convo. I wasn't sure if this was the environment I wanted in a sorority though - I wanted to be with a group of girls that would push my limits and make me be better than I could ever be. However, I couldn't just ignore the fact that these girls were super sweet and interesting...

At the end of the day, we were required to rank our top four again. At this point in time, I could already feel that I was fitting in better at Libra and Aries, but my misconceptions led me to rank as such:
1. Leo
2. Libra
3. Aries
4. Aquarius

[Miriverite]

Day 4: Preference
I was hit by a nasty shock that morning when, after I had woken up and taken pains to make sure my hair was perfect and my outfit matched perfectly, that I had been dropped from both Leo and Aquarius. I was nearly in tears because I had sincerely thought I would fit in best at Leo, and it had been my dream sorority ever since I had decided to participate in recruitment. I had a few hours before my first pref. party, so I sat on the couches in the student center and contemplated what to do. I almost considered dropping out and then trying again for Leo next year. In fact, I was about to go to the Panhel president and say this when I stopped myself. I had to admit that I had barely given any of the other sororities a chance; even though I had tried to enjoy their recruitment parties, my mind had always been set on Leo. I considered that maybe there was actually a reason for being dropped; perhaps I wouldn't have fit in as well as I did. And after all, there were very nice girls in both of the ones by whom I had been invited back (Libra and Aries). I decided to go to the restroom, splash water on my face, and continue on with recruitment with a smile and an open mind.

My first pref. party was with Aries. The sister I sat with was the one I had met the day before who shared my major and love of dance. We ended up chatting for a good hour about all kinds of dance. We discovered that we would be one of the same classes that semester, and she graciously offered to collaborate with me on homework and study together for tests. The entire pref. party seemed very intimate; my sister went and got me a plate of food filled with chocolates, which are one of my favourite kinds of candy. When it came time for the pref. ceremony, I was amused by how comfortable the sisters seemed. No one felt stiff or awkward; each of the girls who spoke did so at her own pace, and no one laughed when one of them accidentally said the wrong line. At the end, my pref. sister gave me a hug as we exited the room. I left with a smile on my face; man, was I glad that I had decided to continue with recruitment!

After lunch, I went back for Libra's pref. party. My pref. sister was one of my former dormmates, and she walked with me to get some snacks from the table. We ended up talking about more serious issues, such as academics and careers. I confessed to her that I was torn between the two sororities that had chosen me, and she told me that she had been in my same position during her recruitment. "But I trust," she said, "That in the end, if you look deep into your heart, you'll find the place that is right for you." She mentioned that even if I chose Aries over her sorority, we would still always be sisters through Greek unity. I was very touched by her words. When it came time for the pref. ceremony, and each of the girls read out her lines, I started feeling goosebumps along my spine. For some reason, the words struck a chord within me, and I felt almost like I could reach out and touch the tingly feeling in the air. Everyone listened quietly, and as the ceremony continued (sorry, it's hard to describe without giving away too many details), I could definitely feel the sisterhood in the room. I fell in love with the symbolism, the meaning behind the symphony, and the principles that the sorority stood for. Looking back at what I had wanted in a sorority, this one provided all of it and more.

At the end of the day, my ranking was clear. Just like my pref. sister had said, I had found exactly where I belonged.

1. Libra
2. Aries

===========

Day 5: Bid Day!!
This was also the first day of school, so after classes were over, I sprinted home, changed, and sprinted back to the student center where all the PNM's huddled in their rush groups, anxious to see which sorority would eventually offer them a bid. One by one, our Rho Chi's took us outside the main room and gave us our envelopes. My hands were seriously shaking as I opened mine, even though I tried to stay as calm as possible. When I read the words and saw the crest on the invitation, I SCREAMED. I ran with her to Libra's bid room, where I was greeted by a group of chanting girls - my new sisters - singing

A-L-P-H-A, C-H-I OMEGA!
A-L-P-H-A, C-H-I OMEGA!

I was swept up into a hug and since then, have never regretted my choice. I love Alpha Chi with all my heart, and can only hope that each girl who goes through recruitment can find, just like I did, the place where she truly belongs.

Reveals (highlight to read):
As a disclaimer, I still admire all of the girls that I met during recruitment from every one of the sororities. I personally believe that the diversity of GLO's on campus means that everyone can find a place where he or she belongs. Just because I didn't fit in at one doesn't mean others didn't either, and I am very proud of our entire Panhel as a whole!
[Gemini - Alpha Phi
Leo - Kappa Alpha Theta
Aries - Pi Beta Phi
Aquarius - Sigma Kappa]

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Miriverite

Day 3: Sisterhood Day
In my opinion, the longest day of the recruitment process. By Day 3, I was already getting a bit tired - I can't imagine what it's like at universities with over 15 sororities and a weeklong recruitment!

I looked my schedule for the day and was happy to see that I was invited back by all the sororities I had ranked in my top four. My first party was with Libra, so I walked upstairs to their designated room. They had a super-cute theme that involved fireworks on Independence Day. Each of the tables was set up with summery items, and the skits mentioned the variety of majors and extracurricular activities that each of the sisters were involved in. There were some long speeches by some of the members talking about their bigs and littles. It was extremely diverse, and I found myself relaxing and speaking more freely about my opinions, getting into conversations that were deeper than the usual ("tell me about your childhood", "what's your favourite thing about this university?") I still hadn't quite made up my mind about Libra, though, and to tell the truth I had my heart set on Leo, so I walked out fairly convinced I would not be ranking it first that day.

Lo and behold, my second party was actually with Leo! Before I walked in the room, I ran to the restroom to check my hair and clothes. I didn't do this for Libra, but I knew I wanted to make a good impression on Leo. In fact, I had discovered in the past few days that a lot of my dormmates and extracurricular friends were in Leo. If I already knew a good quarter of the sorority, I foolishly reasoned, surely the rest of them would be a good fit for me, right? I talked to a gorgeous junior girl about our future careers (we were both in the same major!) The theme for the party was "picnic in the park", so there were cheery flowers and little snacks at each table. There was a slideshow presentation and several short speeches, which I found rather refreshing compared to Libra's. I left the room feeling confident that I would receive a bid from them for pref, since I had such good conversations and I knew so many of the sisters anyways.

Next up was Aquarius. They had dimmed the lights and put out little candles on each of the lace-tableclothed round tables, which I found really pretty and adorable. I chatted with an awkward girl who didn't seem to know quite what to say. I asked her a lot of questions about her sorority, but she answered in one-word replies or seemed to avoid the question. There was a slideshow presentation, and then I was hastily handed off to another girl, who happened to live in my dorm! Although I knew her as a friend, I still felt slightly awkward talking to her as a sister in Aquarius, especially when I had made up my mind to rank Aquarius as my lowest for the day.

Finally, I visited Aries and chatted with a girl that shared my same major and my love of dance! I had a huge blast at this party and it was the perfect ending to my day. The theme was "camping", but it wasn't utilized much, besides the cute little campfires on each table. The sisters who spoke to me seemed genuinely interested in my activities, and I found myself loosening up and willing to be myself. We chatted in a table about silly things, quirky things, dreams, nightmares, favourite TV shows, and everything in-between. The conversations shifted away from sororities and recruitment and ended up being just a group of new friends having a convo. I wasn't sure if this was the environment I wanted in a sorority though - I wanted to be with a group of girls that would push my limits and make me be better than I could ever be. However, I couldn't just ignore the fact that these girls were super sweet and interesting...

At the end of the day, we were required to rank our top four again. At this point in time, I could already feel that I was fitting in better at Libra and Aries, but my misconceptions led me to rank as such:
1. Leo
2. Libra
3. Aries
4. Aquarius

Originally Posted by Miriverite

Day 4: Preference
I was hit by a nasty shock that morning when, after I had woken up and taken pains to make sure my hair was perfect and my outfit matched perfectly, that I had been dropped from both Leo and Aquarius. I was nearly in tears because I had sincerely thought I would fit in best at Leo, and it had been my dream sorority ever since I had decided to participate in recruitment. I had a few hours before my first pref. party, so I sat on the couches in the student center and contemplated what to do. I almost considered dropping out and then trying again for Leo next year. In fact, I was about to go to the Panhel president and say this when I stopped myself. I had to admit that I had barely given any of the other sororities a chance; even though I had tried to enjoy their recruitment parties, my mind had always been set on Leo. I considered that maybe there was actually a reason for being dropped; perhaps I wouldn't have fit in as well as I did. And after all, there were very nice girls in both of the ones by whom I had been invited back (Libra and Aries). I decided to go to the restroom, splash water on my face, and continue on with recruitment with a smile and an open mind.

My first pref. party was with Aries. The sister I sat with was the one I had met the day before who shared my major and love of dance. We ended up chatting for a good hour about all kinds of dance. We discovered that we would be one of the same classes that semester, and she graciously offered to collaborate with me on homework and study together for tests. The entire pref. party seemed very intimate; my sister went and got me a plate of food filled with chocolates, which are one of my favourite kinds of candy. When it came time for the pref. ceremony, I was amused by how comfortable the sisters seemed. No one felt stiff or awkward; each of the girls who spoke did so at her own pace, and no one laughed when one of them accidentally said the wrong line. At the end, my pref. sister gave me a hug as we exited the room. I left with a smile on my face; man, was I glad that I had decided to continue with recruitment!

After lunch, I went back for Libra's pref. party. My pref. sister was one of my former dormmates, and she walked with me to get some snacks from the table. We ended up talking about more serious issues, such as academics and careers. I confessed to her that I was torn between the two sororities that had chosen me, and she told me that she had been in my same position during her recruitment. "But I trust," she said, "That in the end, if you look deep into your heart, you'll find the place that is right for you." She mentioned that even if I chose Aquarius over her sorority, we would still always be sisters through Greek unity. I was very touched by her words. When it came time for the pref. ceremony, and each of the girls read out her lines, I started feeling goosebumps along my spine. For some reason, the words struck a chord within me, and I felt almost like I could reach out and touch the tingly feeling in the air. Everyone listened quietly, and as the ceremony continued (sorry, it's hard to describe without giving away too many details), I could definitely feel the sisterhood in the room. I fell in love with the symbolism, the meaning behind the symphony, and the principles that the sorority stood for. Looking back at what I had wanted in a sorority, this one provided all of it and more.

At the end of the day, my ranking was clear. Just like my pref. sister had said, I had found exactly where I belonged.

1. Libra
2. Aries

===========

Day 5: Bid Day!!
This was also the first day of school, so after classes were over, I sprinted home, changed, and sprinted back to the student center where all the PNM's huddled in their rush groups, anxious to see which sorority would eventually offer them a bid. One by one, our Rho Chi's took us outside the main room and gave us our envelopes. My hands were seriously shaking as I opened mine, even though I tried to stay as calm as possible. When I read the words and saw the crest on the invitation, I SCREAMED. I ran with her to Libra's bid room, where I was greeted by a group of chanting girls - my new sisters - singing

A-L-P-H-A, C-H-I OMEGA!
A-L-P-H-A, C-H-I OMEGA!

I was swept up into a hug and since then, have never regretted my choice. I love Alpha Chi with all my heart, and can only hope that each girl who goes through recruitment can find, just like I did, the place where she truly belongs.

Reveals (highlight to read):
As a disclaimer, I still admire all of the girls that I met during recruitment from every one of the sororities. I personally believe that the diversity of GLO's on campus means that everyone can find a place where he or she belongs. Just because I didn't fit in at one doesn't mean others didn't either, and I am very proud of our entire Panhel as a whole!
[Gemini - Alpha Phi
Leo - Kappa Alpha Theta
Aries - Pi Beta Phi
Aquarius - Sigma Kappa]

Where is everybody?

[AOIIBuckeye]

Really liked this one!

[aephi alum]

Congratulations on joining Alpha Chi Omega!

I'm an alumna of MIT and a founder of the AEPhi chapter there. I can't say I'm thrilled that you didn't check out AEPhi - but I'm glad you found your home.

[Miriverite]

^ All the PNM's still attended the AEPhi welcome party on the first day of recruitment, and I'm actually still friends with several of the girls that I met that first day. For me, I didn't think that I would have enjoyed such a small group, which is why I decided to forgo informal recruitment with AEPhi. Nonetheless, I have several friends who are very happily sisters, and we definitely hang out and share the Greek community love =)

[aggieAXO]

Yea!! another AXO ending. Congrats and welcome to AXO. BTW, I also live in Austin. How are you dealing with the cold weather? I loved visiting Boston but there was no way I could live there in the winter.

[Miriverite]

My first year, I hated the cold and even skipped a few classes because I felt too lazy to walk across campus (oops!) This year, however, I came back from Christmas break with an entire new arsenal of winter coats. This, coupled with the fact that it's been unusually warm this winter, have contributed to me falling in love with the cold, haha! I love taking walks in the snow now, and when I came back to Austin for Christmas break I must admit I was a little dejected to see that the high's were consistently in the 60's!

I assume you're an A&M grad or student? I have quite a few friends there, including a sister in ADPi and one in DG; it seems like a pretty awesome place =)

[gee_ess]

Congrats on your AXO bid! Good story, too!

[aggieAXO]

Originally Posted by Miriverite

My first year, I hated the cold and even skipped a few classes because I felt too lazy to walk across campus (oops!) This year, however, I came back from Christmas break with an entire new arsenal of winter coats. This, coupled with the fact that it's been unusually warm this winter, have contributed to me falling in love with the cold, haha! I love taking walks in the snow now, and when I came back to Austin for Christmas break I must admit I was a little dejected to see that the high's were consistently in the 60's!

I assume you're an A&M grad or student? I have quite a few friends there, including a sister in ADPi and one in DG; it seems like a pretty awesome place =)

Today it will be in the mid 70s I am planning on a jog around Townlake. Yes, A&M grad-pledged in 92.