My Very "Sweet" Recruitment Story!

[callie45]

Round Three
Ahh well Round Three is done. It was an emotionally draining night. But I’m going to do my best to tell the story even in my semi-comatose state. So I wasn’t too nervous about getting my schedule this time—until I got it. I was cut from one of my favorites Crème Brulee. It hurt because I really liked them and could really see myself there in Round Two. But then I realized that it obviously wasn’t the place for me if they didn’t want me back and that I had 4 of my top 5 houses back—which is pretty good considering how many girls are rushing this year. So I brushed off my shoulder and moved on.

My schedule for the day was:
Snickers
Ghirardelli
Milky Way
Ferrero Rocher
Key Lime Pie

At the Snickers house we started with a video of their philanthropy. It was very cute and they seemed to be very involved and invested in their work. They showed me around the downstairs of the house and had a lot of pictures of the various aspects of their sorority on display. Then we went upstairs. The upstairs of the house was ADORABLE. All of the rooms were super cute and the girls were all friendly. I liked the house but I just didn’t feel a connection with the girls. They were a very diverse group, which I liked, but the vibe just wasn’t there.

I was interested to see what Ghirardelli was like today. The past few days I haven’t felt a strong connection in this house, but it wasn’t bad either. I really enjoyed the presentation about their philanthropy as well as all of the other service projects they are involved in besides their main philanthropy. They seem to have a very strong bond with each other and a good balance between philanthropy, academics, sisterhood, and fun. I had great conversations with the two girls I was rushed by. I also really enjoyed the house and along the way met a bunch of other girls who all were very nice and I felt I could get along with well. Leaving this house I definitely felt like I could see myself at home there.

Milky Way had been at the top of my list after the first round of rush. But for round two Milky Way kind of just fell in the middle of the pack. I was interested to see if round two had just been a fluke or if there just wasn’t going to be the connection I felt the first day. Their philanthropy presentation was very personable and I could tell they really cared about what they do. These girls are VERY involved in many different ways, which I really loved. I really enjoyed the first two girls I talked to and definitely felt more of a connection. But the third girl I talked to just kind of ruined it. I asked her about their sisterhood and instead of pointing out positives she definitely pointed out some negatives. Their house was very nice, but I kind of wondered if it was homey enough for me. The girls are beautiful. I am a fairly relaxed person and while I do enjoy dressing up and looking nice there are definitely days that I just want to lounge around on the couch and look like a scrub for the day. I’m not sure I could do that in the house-seemed kind of formal-or with the girls-they just seem a little too perfect for me.

Ferrero Rocher was similar to Ghirardelli. I hadn’t felt a great connection before, but still wanted to give them a chance. And I’m glad I did. I enjoyed meeting a few more girls and learning more about their sorority. They are very involved on campus and I think their philanthropy is great although I don’t connect to it quite as much as Ghirardelli’s philanthropy. I loved the Ferrero Rocher house and had a great conversation with the President and with a bunch of other girls. They all seemed to love their sorority and to be very close to their sisters, which I liked. The only thing I am not sure about is if they have enough fun for me. I am by no means a crazy party girl but I do like to let loose and have some fun on the weekends. They seemed a little “good girl” and religious. But overall they definitely moved their way up in the rankings for me.

Up last on the schedule was Key Lime Pie. After round two they were by far my favorite so I was VERY excited to go back and see if they kept their spot. Key Lime Pie definitely has a reputation for having a lot of fun-but I tried to ignore this throughout rush so that I could make my own decision. During Round Two I felt that although they have fun they also really care about each other and their philanthropy. But then came Round Three. The girl that I talked to for almost the whole time pretty much only talked about how much fun they have and what they do when they have fun. Even when I tried to ask questions about sisterhood activities or academics etc. the conversation always came back to having fun and going out. Then whoever was supposed to switch off and rush me second did not show up and it quickly became very awkward. Eventually I was put with the President of the sorority to discuss philanthropy/see their presentation. I was excited to have the opportunity to talk to the President. But it quickly became apparent to me that she didn’t really know much about the philanthropy or anything other than social things. She sat there and didn’t talk for a long time then after the presentation she just basically repeated everything they said in the presentation. To say the least it was awkward. I realized that I don’t think Key Lime Pie is for me—they are a little too fun/crazy and I really want to make sure that sisterhood, philanthropy, and academics are all a part of the sorority. I want a balance.

So then came the really hard part—who to put for the top three and who to put in the bottom. After a lot of contemplation and a chat with my Rho Chi I realized that I had to be true to myself and not think about names/rankings or tiers.
Top Three:
Ghirardelli
Ferrero Rocher
Milky Way
Bottom Two:
Key Lime Pie
Snickers

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by callie45

I was cut from one of my favorites Crème Brulee. It hurt because I really liked them and could really see myself there in Round Two. But then I realized that it obviously wasn’t the place for me if they didn’t want me back and that I had 4 of my top 5 houses back—which is pretty good considering how many girls are rushing this year. So I brushed off my shoulder and moved on

This is probably the wisest statement I've ever seen in a Reruitment Story. I sincerely hope you get the bid of your dreams!

[TriDeltaSallie]

Enjoying your story!

(Especially not having to wait for days on end to read it! LOL!)

[AOIIBuckeye]

I wasnt directing my post at anyone in particular, I just figured that people had said what needed to be said and since the recommended edit had been done, that we could all move on from the distraction and get back to the OP's story without hurting anyones feelings. Jeeze, wouldnt want to "look stupid" or anything.

[Barbie's_Rush]

Originally Posted by AOIIBuckeye

I wasnt directing my post at anyone in particular, I just figured that people had said what needed to be said and since the recommended edit had been done, that we could all move on from the distraction and get back to the OP's story without hurting anyones feelings. Jeeze, wouldnt want to "look stupid" or anything.

Oh I see. That's why you quoted my post. Because it wasn't directed to anyone in particular.

I'm pretty sure almost all the people here can read and they are quite capable of noticing edits on their own. They don't need you to point them out.

[MandyPepperidge]

Originally Posted by callie45

So then came the really hard part—who to put for the top three and who to put in the bottom. After a lot of contemplation and a chat with my Rho Chi I realized that I had to be true to myself and not think about names/rankings or tiers.

So wise.

[callie45]

Pref Night!!
I was so excited for pref night! Mostly I was happy that rush was finally coming to an end—it has been so exhausting! But I was really excited to see the ceremonies and find a deeper connection to the houses. I was nervous about my schedule (what’s new!) but quickly breathed a sigh of relief. I got all of my top three back!!

First up was Ferrero Rocher. I felt welcome in the house. The conversation was pretty good and it was great to read a note from girls I had previously had conversations with, including the president. Overall though I was still worried about whether or not I would fit in. I felt like I had to be so proper and very “straight and arrow” in the house in order to fit in. I definitely felt like I would get a bid from Ferrero Rocher, but I just wasn’t sure if it was the right place. The ceremony was very emotional and you could tell the seniors were sad that it was their last year. The girls obviously loved their sorority a lot. I left with mixed feelings about Ferrero Rocher and wasn’t sure what I was going to do.

Next was Milky Way. Right away I felt comfortable. I had two notes to read from girls who I had talked to and it was great to feel welcome in the house. I had a GREAT conversation with the girl I talked to. She answered the questions that I had and really cleared things up for me. By the end of the conversation I felt like I was talking to an old friend. During the ceremony it was extremely obvious that the girls LOVE Milky Way and are very strongly connected to each other. I left Milky Way and knew I had a hard decision to make.

Last was Ghirardelli. After Round 3 I really felt connected with Ghirardelli. However the second I walked into the house tonight I knew this wasn’t the place for me. The girls just didn’t seem as enthusiastic about recruitment. I did not talk to girls I had talked to before and the two girls I talked to made the conversation very simple and superficial instead of deep like it is supposed to be by pref night. I got a short note that was not very personal or moving and I just did not feel welcome or wanted. The ceremony was very different than the other houses I had been to that night. It did not seem as meaningful to the girls in Ghirardelli and was kind of awkward. I left knowing that Ghirardelli just wasn’t for me.

So now once again came the hard part. I was completely torn between Milky Way and Ferrero Rocher. They each appealed to different parts of me, which made it complicated. I liked both and could see myself happy at either one-which I suppose is a good position to be in but it sure made the decision hard! I also had the Ferrero Rocher family members in the back of my head. It made me wonder if I should take the safe route (Ferrero Rocher) where I knew that my family members had a great time or try something new that maybe felt like it was a little more for me. So in the end after some tears and a lot of thinking/talking/freaking out I decided to fill out my bid card as follows:
1. Milky Way
2. Ferrero Rocher
3. Ghirardelli

[LizzieBee]

I can't wait to hear where you got a bid!

[arrowlady]

Your story is great, can't wait to hear the end.

[Lightning Bug!]

LizzieBee gave us a conclusion...now it's your turn!

[twinkle555]

biiid daaaay! <3

[callie45]

BID DAYYYY!!

I was so excited for bid day. It felt great to finally be done with rush and knowing that I would have a new home and family at the end of the day was so exciting! I knew that I would be happy no matter where I ended up so I was not too nervous-I had become set on being a Milky Way in my head but I didn’t want to totally commit myself knowing that anything could happen. It was a lot of fun finding out what our Rho Chis were and seeing them so excited to rejoin their houses was great. All of the chapters were PUMPED and having a ton of fun—I couldn’t wait to join in on the festivities! So after opening my envelope I found out I was a...........
















MILKY WAY!!!!!!!!















also known as





















ZETA TAU ALPHA!!!!!!





I could not be happier. I’m so glad I followed what my gut had been telling me since day one. I felt so comfortable going back to the house with these girls and just hanging out and getting to know everyone. It is definitely going to be an amazing four years!!!

Update: I LOVE being a ZTA. We had our first mixer already and it was a blast. I have been to the house for meals and to study and I love it! I feel comfortable hanging out with these girls, going out with them, studying with them..everything. The house feels like home and the girls are all so sweet and welcoming. It is great and I know I made the right choice for me. Thanks for reading my story! I hope you all enjoyed it!!

[canadajen]

Thanks for sharing your story with us

[LizzieBee]

Several of my good friends went Zeta!!!! Congrats Zeta Baby!!!

[IrishLake]

wonderful! Congrats to you and ZTA!