PinkBabygirl10's Informal Sorority Recruitment Thread

[Denise_DPhiE]

Originally Posted by PinkBabygirl10

Hello GCers,


LIPSTICK = My top choice. I absolutely love them! I went to their Pref. Night in the fall, but I was obviously not extended a bid. I really liked all the girls I talked to. Conversation came very easy, they're very fun girls to hang out with, and they're a lot like my friends from home. I would love to get extended a bid from them this time around. However, I understand that I may not. And that's okay. I am looking forward to seeing the other groups, and I know my feelings and rankings may change.

EYELINER = This group was not one of my favorites in the fall. There wasn't anything that really stood out about them to me. I felt a little uncomfortable at their parties. But on the last night (before preference), I really liked the girl who rushed me. She introduced me to a lot of girls, and she was really friendly. Again, this group has a bunch of different types of girls. I was surprisingly invited to their Pref. Night, and I went. However, since I was so in love with LIPSTICK (especially after going to their Pref. Night), I didn't list EYELINER on my preference card. I suicided LIPSTICK. (At the time, I didn't know the disadvantages of suiciding. My Rho Chi never told me it was a bad thing to do until after I did it.) After a semester of observing EYELINER and seeing the types of girls in it and what they do, I like them more than I did in the fall. I regret not listing them on my preference card, and I always am thinking "what if." And I think I would fit in fine there. I am just nervous to go to their parties this spring because they might wonder why. I am just going to go, and let them make their decision if they don't want me to return. I can just hope for the best!

Maybe I am reading too much into this but if you went to pref for both and they are both doing informal, they probably don't feel you are a good fit for their chapter. If both are doing informal, they had empty spots up to total that they could have given you a snap bid or COB'd you right after formal to get you. I may be wrong but if I am right, I would certainly give all groups incl the small one a try (skip the hazing group).

Good luck, keep an open mind and don't let the groups know how you feel about the other chapter!

[AChiOhSnap]

Originally Posted by Denise_DPhiE

Maybe I am reading too much into this but if you went to pref for both and they are both doing informal, they probably don't feel you are a good fit for their chapter. If both are doing informal, they had empty spots up to total that they could have given you a snap bid or COB'd you right after formal to get you.

This isn't necessarily true. The chapters may have been at total right after FR but lost women since then to early graduation/transfers/women leaving the sorority, etc. Also, some chapters I've seen have preferred to wait to plan a really nice event before extending bids. Even if this chapter is several women away from being at total after FR, they'll wait to plan a nice informal event and extend open bids after the COB events. This is usually done so the chapter can have a cohesive new member class instead of having a staggered new member class that started a few weeks after the new member class selected via FR.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AChiOhSnap

This isn't necessarily true. The chapters may have been at total right after FR but lost women since then to early graduation/transfers/women leaving the sorority, etc. Also, some chapters I've seen have preferred to wait to plan a really nice event before extending bids. Even if this chapter is several women away from being at total after FR, they'll wait to plan a nice informal event and extend open bids after the COB events. This is usually done so the chapter can have a cohesive new member class instead of having a staggered new member class that started a few weeks after the new member class selected via FR.

Also, suiciding may have prevented her from receiving a snap bid.

[adpiucf]

Good luck, Pink! As others said, avoid any chapters with a known reputation for hazing! (And should you join a chapter that tries to haze, get the heck out of there and report it to the university and the sorority HQ-- they should not be doing that if they are NPC chapters -- and hazing is 100% against your university honor code. Most states have also enacted laws against it!)

Like the others, at least give the smallest group a try. They may just be new to rushing and are finding themselves-- could be a good opportunity to establish a new organization on campus! But in the end it is your choice-- try at least one party though because you may have discovered the best-kept secret on campus and love these girls. And then again, you migt not. But if you have the room in your schedule, I'd investigate every available option if you are committed to pursing Greek Life (minus the group who has been known for losing 1/2 its new member class...)

Whatever you decide, maximize your opportunities and go into this experience with an open mind. Keep us posted and I hope you get what you want. I think its great that you have developed relationships outside of recruitment with sorority women and you are coming into this process with a good sense of who's who and what's what in each chapter. Best of luck!

[Mercergirl2010]

PinkBabyGirl,

I agree with the post above me...just follow your heart. It shouldn't matter how popular or big the sorority is; as long as you feel comfortable in a house and you could see those girls as your sisters, then that is the house you should go with. When I went through recruitment, I trusted my heart, and I have not regretted my decision. Good luck, have fun, and keep us posted!!!

[adpiucf]

Originally Posted by PinkBabygirl10

-As for ACCESSORIES, there is some more information I could give you that are valid reasons for why I don't like them

If you don't feel comfortable with them after a semester, I think that is a good enough reason to avoid membership opportunities with them. Good luck!

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by Denise_DPhiE

Maybe I am reading too much into this but if you went to pref for both and they are both doing informal, they probably don't feel you are a good fit for their chapter. If both are doing informal, they had empty spots up to total that they could have given you a snap bid or COB'd you right after formal to get you.

I disagree. I think if they didn't feel she was a good fit for the chapter, she wouldn't have been invited to preference. Pledge classes are limited to a certain size, but you can certainly *want* to extend bids to more. As for snap bidding during formal rush, that's just to quota, not total. Also not all chapters/campuses do COB right after formal recruitment. It sounds like maybe this is the first opportunity she has after formal rush to join a chapter.

OP, like most have suggested, I would give all the chapters (if possible) a shot, with the exception of Hairspray. The 50% drop rate is bad, no matter the reason...something's up. Also, coming from a chapter that went through some numbers issues in the past, I want to encourage you to at least consider the smaller chapter..."numbers" is a vicious cycle that can continue in a chapter for no apparent reason other than it being a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can have a chapter full of beautiful women but sometimes numbers will still continue to be an issue. All it takes is one good-sized pledge class to change things, but so many women don't understand that or want to give it a chance.

[AXObuckeye]

Hey Pink! Your thread is awesome so far; lots of detail but with discretion too! Well if you want my $0.02, it's this: If you didn't feel comfortable at all and have multiple reasons for why you don't see this changing, don't force yourself to give a group another chance out of guilt or pity. Wherever you join, you will be a member of this org. for the rest of your life and should be proud to call it home. Don't get me wrong, an open mind is key. But go with your gut. And avoid the house that you suspect hazes. I agree completely with whomever made the comment about where there's smoke, there's fire. Best of luck with recruitment! Please keep us posted

[Stef the Pef]

Originally Posted by Denise_DPhiE

Maybe I am reading too much into this but if you went to pref for both and they are both doing informal, they probably don't feel you are a good fit for their chapter. If both are doing informal, they had empty spots up to total that they could have given you a snap bid or COB'd you right after formal to get you. I may be wrong but if I am right, I would certainly give all groups incl the small one a try (skip the hazing group).

If rush was in the fall, though, and they're doing informal just now...I really don't think that's the case, though. It's pretty common (here, at least) for people to graduate in December (or after that first semester)--there's probably open spots in everyone's from that.

Anyway, good luck with COB and keep us posted!