A Retro Recruitment Thread with Many Bumps Along the Way

[Cutie_Hootie]

Well, I hadn't made the grades freshman year, but many (though not all) of my friends did. Most of my friends ended up pledging Ravenclaw, although I actually had at least one very close friend in each of the other chapters. I spent the Winter and Spring Terms (Hogwarts is on a 4-4-1 schedule) being envious of my friends as they became new initates, and meeting more and more people in each of the houses. I distinctly remember one of my best friends being very upset when she received a bid from Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin, she did accept the bid however (I couldn't understand why she was upset because I thought she fit much better into Hufflepuff!). There was also some drama of another girl who had received a bid to Hufflepuff. She went ahead and went to the bid night celebrations, but quickly depledged. There was some type of controversy (and unacceptable actions) with Ravenclaw over the whole situation, and they ended up spending Spring Term on social probation.

I was once again ineligible to go through the Open Bid process during Fall Term due to grades, and I worked a little harder during Fall Term in hopes of being able to go through Formal Rush in January. I was all ready to get my grades and when they came over Christmas Break I was a little more hopeful. It seemed that I had met the minimum gpa for Slytherin only. I made the decision that I would go through Formal Rush and see how things panned out. It was so important to me to join a chapter NOW that I was willing to only give myself one choice (it never dawned on me at the time that I might be cut from that one choice--what would I do then?!).

I came back to campus early and was ready to go to the Rush parties. I had my outfit on, had checked in, talked to some friends, and was anxiously waiting in the Lecture Hall (and things were running behind, so that was making everyone nervous) when all of a sudden I heard my name being called. It was the Greek Advisor. She asked me to come into an office where some of the Panhel exec were gathered. I knew something had gone terribly wrong at this point...

I was correct. Something had gone terribly wrong. My grades were high enough to go through Rush as a freshman, but not an upperclassman. It was rare at that point for people to go through Formal Rush as upperclassman, and the gpa requirements were not well-publicized. It was utterly humiliating to be told this, and to have to walk back out into this room of excited women knowing that I wouldn't be joining them. So I quickly (and in tears) walked back out of the Lecture Hall and back to my dorm, where I couldn't get in the door. At this point I was sobbing. No one was on campus except those going through Rush, so I had no options. Finally a maintenance person came by and took pity on me. I ran up to my room, changed clothes, and drove home. I was sure I was through with the whole process and would never affiliate.