Fall Recruitment as a Transfer: My story!

[gebbie]

Sorry it has taken me so long to post this installment-- I've been extremely under the weather and am just now getting back in the swing of things!

I was very nervous going into Round 2. The difficulty of my particular situation was beginning to weigh on me heavily and I was getting scared, despite how well I felt Open House went.

We started off our morning by meeting with our recruitment group and recruitment guide. She gave us an overview of how House Tours would go and gave us a pep talk about our parties before handing us our schedules. We could attend up to 12 parties, but my recruitment guide told us that few girls receive a full schedule. Its perfectly common to have 8 parties and totally fine if you have 6 or less. After all, you only need one match!
I was extremely surprised to find that I had a full schedule for the day. And it was pretty much full of my top houses!

This is how it all shook out:

STANDARDBRED: I was happy to go back to this house for tours. I was eager to form a more concrete opinion of this house. The girl who showed me around was a very nice young lady. Everything between us was perfectly cordial, but I did not get the sense that she was particularly interested in me. Looking around this house, it didn't seem like I would fit in here-- they actives did not seem as down-to-earth or considerate as the girl I spoke to during Open House. I left thinking it wasn't for me, but I would by no means be upset if I went back for the third round.

FRESIEN: I'll start by saying that this house is phenomenal to look at. It is completely stunning, inside and out. Counter to my experience at the previous house, the girls here seemed extremely interested in me-- in a very genuine way. It was really nice to feel wanted, if that makes sense...
I liked all of the girls I spoke with and felt like I bonded with the primary girl I was with for tours. I left feeling totally at ease and like this could work well for me.

MORGAN: I was most excited to go back to this house. I think I partly felt really 'honored' to even be asked back because so many girls were cut. But I also really loved them from the day before... I couldn't wait to go back. I was picked up by a girl who went to a rival high school from my home state. I got a good vibe from her, but it wasn't the same magical feeling as the day before. I adored their house and wanted to go back for a third party.

WESTPHALIAN: I ended up liking this house better than during Open House. The girls seemed really interested in me, which was nice, but the chemistry still wasn't there on my end. I was not crazy about their house but they seemed to have a really strong sisterhood (something that I value greatly).

DUTCH WARMBLOOD: I LOVED the girl who toured me. We clicked so well... and it made me think even higher of this group of girls. I liked the interior of their house better than the exterior (which was still very attractive). The girls seem to enjoy each others company so much which made me feel really welcome and at home. I definitely wanted to see more of this house.

FJORD: The girls still seemed very sweet. I didn't experience any sort of "Aha!" moment here. I hoped I would. The girls all came off as a bit introverted which made me feel a little out of place. Still, they were extremely nice and I thought I might like seeing them again to figure out their vibe a bit better. Really pretty house. The inside was very cool.

APPALOOSA: I was surprised that I was not more excited to go back to this house. I mean, I was happy to go-- don't get me wrong-- but I thought I would have looked forward to it more than I did. I didn't really enjoy this house at all, to be honest. The girl who showed be around was perfectly lovely but she seemed superficial. She showed me a bunch of photos of their sisterly activities... a majority of which had to be censored (put a sticker over it) to conceal alcohol. It was kind of a turnoff for me. I realize that drinking happens a lot in college, especially at a large school, but it seemed like most of their pictures/activities were centered around drinking. I left fairly indifferent. I would surely go back with a smile on my face if I had to, but I didn't particularly want to go back to this house...

QUARTER HORSE: I had a very similar experience at this house. It seemed clear that partying was a really core part of this house. A ton of PNM's loved that vibe but I just was looking for something different. I asked the active who was showing me around what she liked best about her sorority/ why she picked it and she told be because they "rage the hardest." (For anybody who doesn't know to rage means to party hard) The comment just left a sour feeling with me. I just wanted a different experience than what this house seemed to offer.
**I realize that I made a huge generalization about this house and I am sure they have more to offer than parties, but that was the gut feeling I walked away with. I hope I'm not offending anybody-- I apologize if I am**

THOROUGHBRED: I had a wonderful time at this house. The girls seemed so fun and genuine. I felt that I really hit it off here, and totally saw myself in this sorority after I left. I really liked their house, too, which is always a plus!

PALOMINO: I liked these girls much better after this round. They seemed more genuinely happy to have me there. Their house had a few really neat features. The girls were very nice but the experience wasn't as nice as some of the others. A pleasant visit all and all.

HOLSTEINER: I was excited to meet more of the girls in this house. I had a wonderful time here. The girls all seemed very classy and sweet which appealed to me greatly. And they were SO down to earth! I had such a laid back and easygoing experience! How refreshing! I wasn't wowed by the physical house but thought I would enjoy coming back to see these girls again.

HANOVARIAN: I was very excited to see these girls again. I had a really nice START with the girl I spoke with here but it kind of unravelled as the party continued. She had a few dirty-rush moments which I tried to just play off, but it felt kind of awkward. I also started to get a kind of fake vibe from her, but I wasn't sure. I might of just picked up on some weird vibe after she bid promised me.. It was odd. But, I liked the house overall. I felt really strongly about their philanthropy and I think that helped keep them afloat in my mental ranking.

Ranking at the end of the day was tough-- we had to get from 12 to 6 houses. My Gamma Chi warned us that this set of cuts would be the largest from the sororities' side. I started to get nervous! Plus I was totally torn with how to rank on my end of things. I was the last to leave from my group and ultimately arrived at this:
~The bottom 6 are the houses I wished to drop, in order of my favorite to least favorite house~

MORGAN
THOROUGHBRED
HOLSTEINER
FRESIEN
DUTCH WARMBLOOD
HANOVARIAN

PALOMINO
STANDARDBRED
FJORD
WESTPHALIAN
APPALOOSA
QUARTER HORSE

[dgdramadawg]

Originally Posted by gebbie

QUARTER HORSE: I had a very similar experience at this house. It seemed clear that partying was a really core part of this house. A ton of PNM's loved that vibe but I just was looking for something different. I asked the active who was showing me around what she liked best about her sorority/ why she picked it and she told be because they "rage the hardest." (For anybody who doesn't know to rage means to party hard) The comment just left a sour feeling with me. I just wanted a different experience than what this house seemed to offer.
**I realize that I made a huge generalization about this house and I am sure they have more to offer than parties, but that was the gut feeling I walked away with. I hope I'm not offending anybody-- I apologize if I am**

I experienced the same feelings about a house when I was going through recruitment... other PNMs kept telling me it was the "best house I had left" at prefs, but I just didn't like that partying was the first impression they wanted to give. I have to wonder if Quarter Horse is the very same chapter, still giving the same first impression after a decade...

[BraveMaroon]

Originally Posted by dgdramadawg

I experienced the same feelings about a house when I was going through recruitment... other PNMs kept telling me it was the "best house I had left" at prefs

Wow, what a perfectly craptacular thing to say!

Originally Posted by dgdramadawg

I have to wonder if Quarter Horse is the very same chapter, still giving the same first impression after a decade...

Every time I read something bad about recruitment at UGA, I hope, hope, hope that it's not my sorority.

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by BraveMaroon

Every time I read something bad about recruitment at UGA, I hope, hope, hope that it's not my sorority.

I feel that way too when I am reading about a recruitment at a school where we have a chapter!

I enjoy reading the UGA threads since I know so little about the campus. A few years ago, I had an interesting experience with an NPC alumna of a group other than my own from UGA at a social event here in my area. By interesting, I mean odd not bad! So I have wondered what the Greek system is like there.

[dgdramadawg]

Originally Posted by BraveMaroon

Every time I read something bad about recruitment at UGA, I hope, hope, hope that it's not my sorority.

BraveMaroon, trust that it's NEVER about your sorority at UGA. My rec girls are always impressed by your chapter, and even the girls who don't rank it as a favorite still have nice things to say. I've never heard anything bad about your chapter at UGA!

[dgdramadawg]

gebbie, what happened to you?

[gebbie]

I was amazingly nervous going into Skits. The morning of, my alarm woke me up in a complete panic-- I was SURE it was my Gamma Chi calling with bad news! (I decided to change my alarm ringer after that mini panic attack!

After my group collected, our Gamma Chi started giving us this really worrisome speech about how last nights cuts were huge (essentially cutting party lists/ PNMs in half) and how it is very important not to talk about our schedules as there will likely be many upset girls today... We all were starting to look seasick.

Honestly, I was a bit shocked when I received my schedule for the day. First, I was ecstatic to skim the schedule and see that I had received 6 invites, the maximum for the day. Looking closer I kind of felt my stomach flop a bit. I had lost a few that I really liked and was wondering if the one's in my bottom 'cut me' or if I had 'cut them,' and if I had made a mistake by putting certain houses in the bottom.


I was looking forward to all of the houses I had been asked back to and knew I was very fortunate to receive a full list. Happy faces! Here we go!

WESTPHALIAN: I wanted to feel a connection here so badly... But I just couldn't. I really liked the girl I was matched with for the party, but collectively I didn't feel like I fit in at this chapter. Their skit was not particularly impressive to me, but I was not sure what to expect exactly. It didn't seem to showcase any sort of personality and I think I was really hoping to see something relatable/exciting/humorous from them.

FRESIEN: I was paired with a hilarious girl. She was extremely down to earth and we really hit it off. The skit at this house really let us see how funny the girls in this house are. It definitely amped up my perception of them. I felt like I could definitely find my way here.

FJORD: Like the first house, I was hoping that their skit would reveal something new about the chapter's personality. It mostly just confirmed how I thought of them... They were extremely sweet girls. I felt that this house could maybe work for me, but it just didn't feel natural to me.

THOROUGHBRED: I was most excited to see this house again. I was not crazy about the girl I was paired with but I felt that I fit extremely well with the chapter overall. Their skit was extremely enjoyable and definitely showcased members' personality traits. After the skit, the active and I had an awkward/odd exchange about something I am very sensitive about and I clammed up pretty badly. She completely caught be off guard (it was not a statement you would EVER expect to come out of someone's mouth during recruitment) and I tried to handle myself to the best of my abilities but it was an extremely uncomfortable situation for me to be in. She definitely looked at me weird after the fact and I had a feeling she was not going to put me through for the next round.
I left kind of sad...this house was exactly what I was looking for in a sorority. While I didn't love the active this round, I completely fit at this house. I hoped that maybe the situation was not as uncomfortable as I thought it was... maybe it would be fine. But I had a horrible gut feeling that the exchange we had was a deal breaker...

DUTCH WARMBLOOD: I tried my best to rally by the time I arrived at this house. I was greeted by a really awesome girl who seemed so happy to have me back at the house. Their skit was hilarious and very well done. This house seemed to fit me well. The girls seemed to be a bit more 'done up' than I generally am, but I still felt really comfortable here.

HOLSTEINER: I didn't take notes on the active who was with me. This house's skit was so creative. It was extremely humorous and actually centered around a lot of improv. Looking around, I thought that I could completely see myself here. I felt so comfortable and at home here.


I had a really difficult time ranking. We were aiming to cut our houses from 6 to 3 for Prefs. I ended up staying very late and hashing it all out with my Gamma Chi.

Ultimately this is what I arrived on, the last 3 being the houses I wished to drop:

Thoroughbred
Dutch Warmblood
Holsteiner

Fresien
Fjord
Westphalian

I struggled hugely with how to rank Holsteiner and Fresien. I liked both of them equally and could see myself at both houses. I don't remember why I ended up putting Holsteiner about Fresien, but this was my rank! I explained what happened at Thoroughbred to my Gamma Chi and confided that I was scared I would be dropped because of the exchange. She found it funny that I was worried about how I came across-- she could not believe that I was not holding a grudge against the house! I ranked them first because I could see myself there better than any other house. If I got cut I would presume it was related to the exchange...and if I were to be cut based on THAT, then maybe it was not the house for me.

Big cuts again going into prefs! I felt extremely nervous...

[gebbie]

I could barely sleep the night before pref. It was a really tough night...

I was completely nervous to receive my schedule for the day. I was scared to see how the Thoroughbred situation had panned out.
When I looked down at my schedule I saw that I had, again, receive a full list and I was hugely grateful for that. Very few girls in my group received full pref lists and I was the only upperclassman to receive a full schedule.
My heart sunk when I saw that I had been dropped by Thoroughbred. It seemed like such a perfect fit for me...I was sad to see that I no longer suited what they were looking for.

I was also dropped from Fjord and Holsteiner, which I was not anticipating.

My schedule was:

FRESIEN: I was paired with a girl who I had spoken with for 2 of the previous rounds. We continued to hit it off and I felt extremely comfortable here. I like this house. I can tell they like me. Their pref ceremony was not as intimate/emotional as I was anticipating... but it was pleasant.

DUTCH WARMBLOOD: I spoke with the same girl I had for skits. It was nice to see her in a less comical manner and I found myself longing to be part of this house. I meshed so well with the girls and was touched by the pref ceremony.

WESTPHALIAN: I spoke with a really sweet and fun girl who I had been paired with earlier. We hit it off really well and I began to consider this house more that I had previously. Their pref ceremony was really wonderful. I loved how rich in tradition it was and how strong the bonds between the sisters are here. I still didn't feel quite at home here, but I realized that I could make this work.

This rank was easy for me.

DUTCH WARMBLOOD
FRESIEN
WESTPHALIAN

[gebbie]

At 6:00 p.m. after the first day of classes, the remaining PNMs gathered for Gamma Chi reveal and to receive our bid.

My Gamma Chi is a Delta Gamma

And I am thrilled to announce that I am....


































an ALPHA GAMMA DELTA!!!!!

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by gebbie

And I am thrilled to announce that I received am....


an ALPHA GAMMA DELTA!!!!!

So, I know I'm really behind on this, but YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Congrats on joining my wonderful sisterhood! You'll have a fantastic time and meet the most wonderful women of your life!!!!

Red & Buff Roses to you!

[AGDAlum]

an ALPHA GAMMA DELTA!!!!![/QUOTE]


Hooray! Welcome to our circle!

[BeeBee23]

Originally Posted by dgdramadawg

I experienced the same feelings about a house when I was going through recruitment... other PNMs kept telling me it was the "best house I had left" at prefs, but I just didn't like that partying was the first impression they wanted to give. I have to wonder if Quarter Horse is the very same chapter, still giving the same first impression after a decade...

I third this notion. I had the same feelings at probably the exact same house. This house is a popular house on campus, but I knew even before rush started that I wouldn't fit in here, and the vibe I got during recruitment just reassured that.