My Happy Recruitment Story!

[theGOODDDlife]

I went back to my room after sisterhood feeling pretty good. I had a clear divide between the houses I loved and the houses I didn’t necessarily care for. It made me feel good because the choice this round was easier than before, but also I was concerned that I had just definite opinions—I had been disappointed by my tops in the past. Still, I realized that I needed to have confidence that they had just as good a time as I did and just let everything be. There was nothing I could do at this point, so whatever was gonna happen would happen.

Hallmate #1 was still keeping mum. Whatever. She seemed pretty happy though so I wasn’t concerned.

Roommate on the other hand was not very happy. Say Yes to the Dress had cut her. She had a lot of friends from high school in that chapter and was very offended. Not only that, but that was the only “top tier” chapter she had left. She was mortified. To be honest, I was embarrassed for her and not because she’d been cut by a “top tier” but because that’s all she cared about! She went to 5 great chapters today but all she cared about was the popularity contest. Typical Roommate. I gave her some tough love. She was being stupid. A lot of great chapters actually WANTED HER and she wouldn’t even give them the time of day. She even said she kinda liked Law and Order
, The O.C., and Mad Men! She still had them left and really needed to give them a chance. I really hoped I got through to her. She was just being a pouty baby. I definitely understood her disappointment that a chapter she loved cut her, but she was upset for the wrong reasons…

Meet Hallmate #2! she is literally the most easy-going person I know. She loved every single chapter. When a chapter cut her she was like “Oh they were so nice! I hope we can still be friends!” It was hilarious. She had the greatest attitude ever and I was so impressed. Her tops were Friends ,Law and Order, and Mad Men. She and Roommate could end up sisters! I was really excited for her and knew everything would be great!

I walked in to the house to get my schedule and again saw a lot of unhappy girls. I really had been lucky all week, Yes I had been cut by two of my top chapters, but some girls only had 2 or 3 left last round. A lot of great places were treating me really well and I was lucky to go back anywhere. I really truly believe my positive more serene attitude helped this day because I got back:

1. The O.C.
2. Sex and the City
3. Say Yes to the Dress

I was so excited! Things really had gone really well for me during recruitment and I was really lucky! I was beyond excited to visit all of my houses today. Not a single one I was looking forward to!

The O.C. was first. Their house was beautifully decorated! I talked to one new girl and two girls I’d met previously. It felt like they were SO excited to talk to me and they really were glad I was back. Their ceremony was really beautiful and afterwards the girl I spoke to said a lot of things about how she’d hoped all week that I would keep coming back and that she really knew I could be a great asset to their chapter. It was really flattering and I was really touched by their ceremony and excited to be back, but then the girl kept going a little too far and I got minorly creeped out. I’m sure she didn’t mean for it to be that way but I felt really pressured to come back there. Nothing she said was against the rules or anything and she was being really genuine and sweet but I was a little scared. Still, I’d had a great time there all week and would really consider it.

Sex and the City was next. This house had confused me all week. I had really enjoyed myself here every time, but I hadn’t gotten the vibe that they really wanted me at all. They were definitely polite and interested in what I was saying but they were hard to read. They were a very popular chapter on campus and I really never thought they’d look twice at me, but somehow I kept coming back and I was glad. When I lined up outside for pref there was none other than Hallmate #1, (who was also one of my best friends and sister of Carrie, president of this chapter) I always kind of figured she’d end up here because her and her sister were so close but I wasn’t sure what was going on! I walked into the house and was greeted by Carrie, which was very nice. Then a sister that I’d talk to a lot sat me down and we had a really good talk. I told her how excited I was for everything tonight and how I’d been so lucky this recruitment and was so grateful to go back to all these amazing chapters. She was really nice and gave me some great advice. She had been really good to talk to throughout the week and I was glad to see her again. A girl who I hadn’t met yet came to talk to me after and I instantly loved her! She was so funny and reassuring that even though tonight would be a tough decision everything would work out. She gave me a wink as she sat me down for the ceremony. Everyone was in alphabetical order except for me! They sat me next to Hallmate #1 because I had mentioned how good of friends we were. I thought that was really nice. One of the girls who gave a speech talked about an experience that was very very personal to me and I teared up a little. [b]Hallmate #1[/b ] just squeezed my hand a little. She was a good friend and these were really great girls around me. The sister who preffed my led me out and gave me a huge hug. She told me good luck and that she had loved talking to me. I was beyond impressed with this chapter tonight.

Say Yes to the Dress was next. The line outside was a little awkward. We were lined up alphabetically and the girl in front of me (we’ll call her Haley) just happened to be the ex girlfriend of this great guy I had just barely started seeing. It wasn’t drama or anything and we certainly don’t hate each other, it was just kind of awkward because we’ve never met but totally know each other. We just gave the acknowledging half smile and then moved on. We went in and I got picked up at the door by someone I’d never met. I thought this was weird because I’d talked to the same group pretty much the whole week and they weren’t around. I kind of saw this as a sign they weren’t super interested in me. The girl was nice but we were back to the basic “where are you from?” conversation that I wasn’t used to having during pref. As I looked around the room it became immediate obvious that Haley knew everyone at this chapter, and they all knew her. She was just not like me at all. She was really sweet but she was just extremely outgoing and very intimidatingly beautiful. They sat us down for the ceremony next to eachother (because of that damn alphabetical order again!) This ceremony was different from the other ones I’d been to. The girls who gave speeches were almost entirely full of inside jokes. All the girls in the chapter were laughing and all the PNMS who were close friends with them (Haley of course), but I really didn’t get any of it. They certainly seemed to be a close sisterhood, but I just had a weird feeling.

I went back to my house to rank and was so confused. Up to this night I reeeeeally thought I would be in Say Yes to the Dress. Now I wasn’t so sure. I’d had a really great time there all week but maybe it was just that the girls I met I could really be friends with? Not necessarily that their chapter was for me. The girls in the room at the end just really didn’t seem like me—definitely people I could get along with, but not the people I would be most comfortable with The O.C. was another story. I felt like I’d almost be a big fish in a small pond there. I felt like maybe I’d be so comfortable there that I wouldn’t put myself out there enough. They were also almost exactly like me! Which was good but I didn’t I want to be pushed to try new things every once in a while? Then I thought about Sex and the City. They had been great to me all week, but in a very understated way. I was comfortable there but still a little nervous. The girls I had met and seen all definitely had similar qualities to me, but in a different more classy and mature way. So maybe they weren’t completely what I was at that moment but what I’d hope to become. Say Yes to the Dress would definitely be the girls I’d be carrying on like a loon laughing and dancing at a party with, having a ball. At The O.C., I could definitely see myself just lounging with no makeup being lazy and watching movies. But at Sex and the City, I felt like I’d met more of a mix. Girls to be wild with, girls to be lazy with, and especially girls who would take really good care of me whenever I needed it. For this reason I ranked:

1. Sex and the City
2. Say Yes to the Dress
3. The O.C.

I really truly believed that I could be happy and successful at any of these places. They were all amazing and would all treat me really well. I was excited. I knew no matter what tomorrow I would not be disappointed

[DZsis&mom]

I'm really enjoying your story. I can't wait for the ending!!! Don't make us wait too long.

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by theGOODDDlife

I walked in to the house to get my schedule and again saw a lot of unhappy girls. I really had been lucky all week, Yes I had been cut by two of my top chapters, but some girls only had 2 or 3 left last round. A lot of great places were treating me really well and I was lucky to go back anywhere. I really truly believe my positive more serene attitude helped this day because I got back:

1. The O.C.
2. Sex and the City
3. Say Yes to the Dress

I was so excited! Things really had gone really well for me during recruitment and I was really lucky! I was beyond excited to visit all of my houses today. Not a single one I was looking forward to!

You had just a great attitude during the entire process, I think this is why you has such a successful recruitment. You seemed focused on the right things: philanthropy, how you felt with the women in the chapter, were they nice girls, etc. I wish more women went through the whole process with this frame of mind.

[LAblondeGPhi]

I just wanted to chime in and say that I'm loving your story and your attitude!

Originally Posted by theGOODDDlife

Then I thought about Sex and the City. They had been great to me all week, but in a very understated way. I was comfortable there but still a little nervous. The girls I had met and seen all definitely had similar qualities to me, but in a different more classy and mature way. So maybe they weren’t completely what I was at that moment but what I’d hope to become.

For some reason, I really like this passage. I used to say something similar to this to the girls I advised: that the chapter should be something that teaches young women how to be the best version of themselves.

[voguegirl]

I'm so excited to see how this ends up!

[theGOODDDlife]

When I got back to my building things were a little tense on my hall. Everyone was just being nervous and weird. The boys totally didn’t understand and were laughing at all of us. I wasn’t bad nervous I was just anxious and excited. Roommate wasn’t back yet, but Hallmates 1 & 2 had a good day. They told where they each preffed:

Hallmate #1 preffed: Sex and the City, Psych, and 30 Rock. We decided not to tell what we ranked since it was a possibility we could be sisters!

Hallmate #2 preffed: Law and Order, Mad Men, and 30 Rock. (and ranked in that order)

Roommate stormed in while we were all freaking out together. She slammed the door and went straight to bed. I found out later that she was upset because she had no “top tiers” and only two “middle tiers.” She preffed: Law and Order, Mad Men, and Parks and Recreation. She ranked as such, but claimed she would never be in Parks and Recreation. Her attitude was just ruining everyone’s night and we weren’t having it anymore! So we just went to another room to relax recruitment worry-free!

The next day, everyone was told to wait in their room all day until a Rho Chi called and told them to come to the holding house. Everyone got called in before me, and I was freaking out!! I finally went in around 4:00. I sat down on a chair and waited for them to come to me. The Rho Chi handed me my envelope and winked at me. I saw that I was a brand-new…..
















































Sex and the City!!!!
also known as.....
DELTA DELTA DELTA


(minor epilogue/wrap up coming soon! knowing me it will be like 100x longer than anything else!)

[LAblondeGPhi]

Yay! What a happy recruitment, indeed!

Looking forward to the wrap-up!

[Tulip86]

Great story!

[theGOODDDlife]

Hallmate #1 ended up going Sex and the City as well! We were so excited when we saw eachother on bid day. it was crazzzzzy.

Roommate and Hallmate #2 both went Law and Order, which they both ended up LOVING and it all worked out. Other girls on our hall went Psych,Friends ,The O.C., Mad Men, Lost, and Bones! almost everyone in our building ended up going greek that year and we took a huge picture of everyone in letters after we were all initiated. It all ended up working out and everyone loved their chapters.

Just a little bit of advice to girls who are going through rush (or a reflection for people who've already done it): Just trust in the process. It sounds so lame because thats what everyone says but honestly, just do it. The chapter women know a lot about the process, their chapter, and you than you realize. If you're trusting and calm and yourself the entire time you will end up where you were meant to. The only people i know who didn't like their chapter were ones who got to caught up in the rush politics to really understand what they wanted.

Also a note about after you finally join a chapter: you will most likely feel awkward/ overwhelmed. Its hard joining a new group with 150 girls you don't know. I only knew Hallmate #1 and i was definitely uncomfortable for a few weeks. Its still fun in that time, it just takes a little more work. Hang in there, as long as you put yourself out there and don't take yourself/ your chapter too seriously, you will become more comfortable and less overwhelmed. I remember being so scared when we were getting bigs because i barely knew any of the older girls! But again, just trust that your chapter will take care of you and it will work out. I ended up getting a girl i had never met before as my big. She and my grandbig are PERFECT for me. No idea how it worked out, but im glad it did. I guess a big thing i learned from this whole process is just to let the mystery take control, but not overwhelm you.

Thank you everyone for reading my story! Please feel free to message me if you have questions or anything. (I'd rather not reveal my school though, i'm sure some of you know already...)

[TriDeltaSallie]

I assumed you were going to end up Tri Delta based on your name.

Welcome to the bonds! So happy it worked out well for you.