Quote:
Originally Posted by Giuliana
The "competitive" aspect scares me a bit, because that is soooo not my nature (in any aspect of life) and I've been known to shy away from competition.
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Think of the "competitiveness" as more like a marathon than a basketball game. Stay with me for a second. In a basketball game, you're trying to do your best, yes, but you're also trying to get in the way of your opponents. In a marathon, your opponents matter very little. You train and prepare and show up and do your best. For 97% of marathon participants, winning isn't even a consideration. It's not about how you do compared to anyone else. It's about how you do compared to yourself, and getting your best time.
Recruitment's the same way. You do your preparation:
- keep your grades up and finish high school with a bang
- research the national organizations and visit local chapter websites
- network with alumnae and actives from other chapters (if applicable) and secure recs well ahead of time
- do some soul-searching and figure out what you're looking for in a sisterhood (hint - don't go for the house full of women who are like you want to be; find the house full of women who are like you really are)
- practice talking about yourself and what matters to you in a way that relates you to the organization
- come up with questions you want to ask your rushers about life in their sorority
- choose your outfits, jewelry, makeup and hairstyles, etc. in a way that will present your best outer self
Once you're done preparing, you show up and power through the actual marathon that is Recruitment, striving to ignore tent talk and stay positive and motiviated. You're tired. You might even be sweaty. The tent talk and the voices in your head are discouraging and try to undermine your confidence. You may not think you can do it. At times, your goal is simply to finish. And on Bid Day, when you cross the finish line, it doesn't matter how anyone else did. What matters is that you got your "best time" - you found the home that is the best fit for you.
A more competitive recruitment is simply a marathon where everyone has a higher level of preparedness. Because of RFM (read the threads on it if you want to understand how it works), you might get cut heavily in the beginning. But remember that that's how it works for everyone. All the chapters have to cut a certain number of women. The most important thing is that the chapters that keep you are the chapters that see something in you that resonates with them. They want you.
Sorry if this got a little rambly, but I want to emphasize that you can do this. You're starting at the right time. Prepare, persevere, stay positive, and you can finish the marathon.
Editing due to an excellent point made by KSUViolet06.
Not everyone can cross the finish line. Not everyone winds up with a bid. It's our experience on GC that most women who maximize their options and keep an open mind do find a home through formal recruitment, but some don't. Sorry about the confusion, but I got carried away with my metaphor.
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