Retro Recruitment

[susan314]

Yeah, I'm definitely glad that we already know you have a happy ending. Otherwise, I'd be struggling to figure out the right thing to say - we all know that a woman can have a perfectly wonderful college experience even if sorority life isn't in the cards for her, but its hard for a bunch of sorority women to try to convey that online without sounding insincere!

I'd imagine it must have been heartbreaking to get down to the end, have only your mom's house left as one that you really feel strongly about, and then get dropped. But I'm thinking happy thoughts, and I'm curious to hear how the story ends!


P.S. I figured out which chapter Babe Williams is. You made a recent post in another thread that gave it away.

[violetpretty]

I did kind of know it was coming since she did mention that she pledged as a sophomore in some other random post that I stumbled upon...but I thought I'd play along anyway. I think I know which one is DG and I definitely knew it was coming when I saw the round 3 invite list.

[dgdramadawg]

Well, I could keep going day by day, but it would take way too long, so here's the summary of events between prefs my freshman year and my decision to rush again.

I tried out for the fall plays, got callbacks for two of them, and was cast in the show I really wanted a part in (a small speaking part, but by comparison only two other freshman girls were cast in any of the shows and neither of them had lines). On my hall, a lot of the girls pledged Marian Paroo and Carrie Pipperidge. My friend on my hall who really guided me through the process pledged Eliza Doolittle. Two of my friends from high school pledged Kate Monster, two pledged Magnolia Hawkins, one pledged Eliza Doolittle, and one pledged Roxie Hart.

Time passed that fall and spring as I performed in that first college play, assistant directed another, and did another show that summer (not at the university). I met a girl who was an alum of the Anne Egerman chapter who was also in my show. She was really surprised to hear that I had dropped out of recruitment and encouraged me to go through recruitment again in the fall. I told her that I really didn't want to deal with the cuts again, and she noted that my involvement on campus might make it easier for me this time. However, I was already slated to direct a show, produce two others, and take 18 credits in the fall. I decided too much was on my plate to pledge, anyway. I was happy without Greek life (even though I secretly wished I could do both).

However, I kept in mind what the Anne Egerman alum had said and happened to run into my Roxie Hart friend in the late fall of my sophomore year, right before finals. She told me all about how happy she was as a member of Roxie Hart and how surprised she was that I had not joined a sorority. I told her a little bit about my story (and about the favorites who dropped me during recruitment). She suggested that I go through recruitment in January because it was low-pressure, I wouldn't have to attend parties for chapters I was not interested in, and several of my favorites from freshman year would be participating.

I really thought about it over winter break and when I came back, I stopped by Greek Life in between classes the first week of spring semester and filled out the form to go through spring recruitment. I was told that the houses participating would be:
Magnolia Hawkins
Margo Channing
Cora Hooper
Dolly Levi
Babe Williams
Kate Monster

Alright, now you're caught up. I'm now going into 19-year-old me voice.

I am supposed to get invitations to events within the next couple of days. Let's cross our fingers that I get a second chance with Magnolia, Margo, or Babe!

[violetpretty]

Are you going to Dolly or are you through with them?

[dgdramadawg]

Originally Posted by JessSigKap

Are you going to Dolly or are you through with them?

We'll have to see who invites me to events, won't we?

By the way, friends one year younger than me from my high school pledged Babe Williams (1), Dolly Levi (1), Magnolia Hawkins (2), and Cora Hooper (1), so maybe I will know some girls in the chapters this time!

[violetpretty]

I guess UGA does informal a little differently than UMD. During our informal recruitment, PHA has very little involvement. A PNM merely has to bring her transcript to show that she has the credits and GPA and she can go to anyone's open houses that she wants without having an invitation first. PHA does have a booth set up with all 14 chapters so PNMs can get the schedules, and PHA does hand out master schedules and maps, but that's about it.

So do PNMs sign up with PHA, and then PHA tells the chapters that dramadawg is signed up and the ones who want her to come to an event invite her? So you pretty much have to have connections to even get an invitation?

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by JessSigKap

So do PNMs sign up with PHA, and then PHA tells the chapters that dramadawg is signed up and the ones who want her to come to an event invite her? So you pretty much have to have connections to even get an invitation?

Historically, I'd say this is pretty accurate, and it's also pretty rare, as far as I know, for as many groups to be participating in informal as are for DGDramaDawg's informal rush.

DGDD(if I can take the liberty to abbreviate your user name), wouldn't you say it's more typical for only a couple of groups to be doing informal and that most of the time a PNM might only be recruited by one group?

[dgdramadawg]

Originally Posted by JessSigKap

So do PNMs sign up with PHA, and then PHA tells the chapters that dramadawg is signed up and the ones who want her to come to an event invite her? So you pretty much have to have connections to even get an invitation?

Yes, it's basically like this (or was during the 2002-2003 school year when I was a sophomore):

1. PNM signs up with PHA and fills out recruitment forms which include collegiate GPA.
2. PHA gives info to chapters for all PNMs.
3. Chapters choose who to invite to events. Some chapters might invite all PNMs to all events, others might invite only some PNMs to all events, some chapters might invite all PNMs to the first event and then make selections for other events, and some might invite only some PNMs to the first event and then make cuts from there. It depends on the chapter.
4. PNM goes to Greek Life Office on Bid Day to pick up bids. Greek Life Office may have multiple bids for a PNM because PNM may have attended every event for more than one group.

Generally, it's pretty rare for 6 groups to do informal, as alphagamuga mentioned. A lot of times if 5 or more groups are participating in informal at UGA, it's because a spot or two have been vacated by seniors who graduated in December and the chapter wants to fill to total (I know this was the case with one chapter who participated when I pledged... the rumor was that they had only one spot!). I also agree with alphagamuga that oftentimes the PNMs know who they want and the chapters know who they want beforehand. I was definitely the exception, going through without a lot of Greek friends and having several chapters I was interested in.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by dgdramadawg

We'll have to see who invites me to events, won't we?

By the way, friends one year younger than me from my high school pledged Babe Williams (1), Dolly Levi (1), Magnolia Hawkins (2), and Cora Hooper (1), so maybe I will know some girls in the chapters this time!

Well, now you're just abusing us with all this waiting. How about some hints of which group is which in real life?