A Fall 2009 Story

[carynie13]

Okay, I've been reading this site frequently, and it was a great help for my recruitment. I've never actually posted, but I wanted to share my story as some of you and your threads helped me learn what to do and not do during this crazy, hectic week. This is still my favorite part of being a sorority member so I hope you enjoy!

To begin, my summer after senior year was spent doing research about sororities and recruitment at my fairly competitive school. From this site, I learned that although I had an amazing GPA (4.28 cumulative) and a great resume of activities, awards, and service, I really needed recs to stand out from the 1200 other girls that would be going through the process.

My first rec came from one of my grandma's friends who offered to write me a letter (after seeing my picture in the paper for a scholarship) before I even really knew what their purpose was. I was so happy to have such a prestigious community member offer to write me a letter. From my research, this chapter seemed to be really interesting to me and one I might really love. I'll use types of trees in order to not suggest sorority affiliation, and this letter was for Maple.

After this, Maple member offered to have her daughter, an alumna of Pine at another school, write me another rec. I was so excited as I had an older friend who is a member of Pine and had very similar character and interests to me. I still felt that two recs to two of the fourteen chapters was not sufficient. I began asking friends if their moms were sorority members and was happy to find another Pine alumna and a Ginkgo family friend, which was another chapter that I thought looked interesting from the school greek life page. Two more recs came from a recent grad of the Oak sorority and an older acquaintance whose mother was a Dogwood, which was home to many friends from my hometown. I also asked my boyfriend's sister to write me a letter to her sorority, Ash. Although she thought I would fit better in a few other houses, she wrote me a very nice and complete recommendation.

Going into recruitment I felt very prepared, with seven letters to six different chapters and several friends who put a good word in for me at their chapters. I was so excited for the week ahead even though I still had no idea what a walk out was or what all I would talk about in each house, since the 5 B's were also off limits (thanks GCers for that info, too .

[FSUZeta]

keep going!

[violetpretty]

Could a mod please move this to Recruitment Stories?

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by carynie13

Okay, I've been reading this site frequently, and it was a great help for my recruitment. I've never actually posted, but I wanted to share my story as some of you and your threads helped me learn what to do and not do during this crazy, hectic week. This is still my favorite part of being a sorority member so I hope you enjoy!

To begin, my summer after senior year was spent doing research about sororities and recruitment at my fairly competitive school. From this site, I learned that although I had an amazing GPA (4.28 cumulative) and a great resume of activities, awards, and service, I really needed recs to stand out from the 1200 other girls that would be going through the process.

My first rec came from one of my grandma's friends who offered to write me a letter (after seeing my picture in the paper for a scholarship) before I even really knew what their purpose was. I was so happy to have such a prestigious community member offer to write me a letter. From my research, this chapter seemed to be really interesting to me and one I might really love. I'll use types of trees in order to not suggest sorority affiliation, and this letter was for Maple.

After this, Maple member offered to have her daughter, an alumna of Pine at another school, write me another rec. I was so excited as I had an older friend who is a member of Pine and had very similar character and interests to me. I still felt that two recs to two of the fourteen chapters was not sufficient. I began asking friends if their moms were sorority members and was happy to find another Pine alumna and a Ginkgo family friend, which was another chapter that I thought looked interesting from the school greek life page. Two more recs came from a recent grad of the Oak sorority and an older acquaintance whose mother was a Dogwood, which was home to many friends from my hometown. I also asked my boyfriend's sister to write me a letter to her sorority, Ash. Although she thought I would fit better in a few other houses, she wrote me a very nice and complete recommendation.

Going into recruitment I felt very prepared, with seven letters to six different chapters and several friends who put a good word in for me at their chapters. I was so excited for the week ahead even though I still had no idea what a walk out was or what all I would talk about in each house, since the 5 B's were also off limits (thanks GCers for that info, too .

We've never had trees before. Cool code.

[carynie13]

That Sunday night, we met with our Pi Chis who gave us a little info on what to expect for the coming week. While it helped settle my nerves a bit, looking at all the lovely, outgoing girls around me only made me feel more nervous as I thought it was a competition in some way. These girls were also those that I would be living with the rest of the year as they were from my floor and the floor beneath me. So we all trekked back to our new home, chose our outfits, and tried to get some sleep.

Each morning of recruitment, we had to meet in the huge auditorium to hear speakers talk about the importance of greek life. This only intensified my nerves as our group sat in the top balcony and I could look down and see the hundreds of other girls also participating. It was very overwhelming, but then we got our schedule and learned where we would be going that day.

Day 1: Open House

Spruce: This chapter was going through their first recruitment, which put me at ease knowing that these girls were probably just as nervous as the girls lined up outside. They had recently obtained a huge house due to the closing of a fraternity and had done a lot of renovation work to make the home beautiful. I talked to three girls here, all were very sweet and kind and two were cheerleaders like myself. Most of our discussion came from our common activity, how excited they were to have a home (and one being built for when the fraternity returns), and why they chose Spruce even when it was so new. The girls were very nice, but I just did not feel a connection.

Cedar: We made a short trip next door, and were greeted to an amazing, unified walkout. I was so impressed at their walkout and how every girl seemed to be so pretty and bubbly. I talked to three girls here, who each kept that same stereotype, but it made me love them even more. They talked with me about cheerleading, as they were also, our common love for Coach outlets (I was carrying one at the time) and fun accessories, like my flower headband. I felt a great connection with these girls, and wanted to come back and meet more fun, sweet girls.

Ash: I knew going into this house that the chapter already had a strong idea of who I was from the large recommendation letter that I had written for me. I was paired with a girl who just happened to have family living in the small town right next to mine. At the time I thought it coincidence, but I was very mistaken. I thought this girl had an amazing sense of humor and really liked her attitude. However, I was bumped to one other member who was not quite as talkative and I had a hard time making conversation throughout the rest of the social. I knew I wanted to give them another chance, however, since I did have a strong rec and the first girl was so funny.

Oak: This was my second house visit to where I had a rec letter and I was really excited to visit here. I was picked up by someone not so memorable. We had a very basic conversation, which was mainly just about major and why I chose the school. However, when bumped I began talking to a hilarious and loud lady who I fell in love with. We talked about MADTV, our love for Stewart, and other comedy shows. We really connected and we were so busy talking that when it was time to separate we were still discussing Chelsea Handler's books. She quickly looked at my name tag and said she needed to remember it. I left there so in love with Oak.

Hickory: This house had a very showy walkout complete with a flip of the hair, and the most dramatic girl of the walkout was the one I was picked up by. Needless to say, I was slightly intimidated, especially when we began discussing our common major. She seemed to be very involved and outgoing. I was bumped to two more girls here, but they did not stand out as much as the first I spoke with. While I wasn't completely sold on the house, I just knew they would ask me back because rumor had it that their first cuts were only done on grades and my GPA was sure to get me an invite back.

Redwood: Another strong house (from what I had heard), but also one that had a really great philanthropy and grades. I was already interested in them because of this and only became more interested after talking to two really awesome girls. The first did not have much in common with me, as she was more of an athlete, but she was really easy-going and made great conversation. I felt like I was talking to someone I had known for years. I was sad when I was bumped to another girl, but not for long. This girl was gorgeous, looks and personality. She was a Texas bred cheerleader and shared the same journalism major as I had. I really had a great time at this house overall. I knew I wanted to return here.

Pine: This was the last house of the day and while I'm sure I looked a hot mess from the humidity and misty weather, I was so excited to be here especially since I had a friend in this house. I only talked to one member here, which I worried about at first but seeing that no one else in our room bumped, I thought it was normal. She was a senior and somewhat shy, but I really liked her as we casually talked about going away to school and missing our dogs just as much as our family. The time seemed to fly here as we had a nice, comfortable chat. When I left, the President winked at me, which I'm still unsure if that was done to everyone as I tried not to talk about my time at houses with others. Also, my friend waved goodbye and those surrounding her seemed to be very interested as I waved back.

Day 2: Open House

Hawthorn: This chapter has a beautiful house that made me so interested before even entering. I was picked up by a girl who I felt very similar to in looks. This house had the trendy braid in the front of her hair. We discussed how cute the look was, but how each of us were terrible at getting the look on our own heads. Not long after, I was bumped to another member, who I also felt I looked similar to. She was a senior and her bubbly persona really stood out. I decided I really liked this chapter as we talked about our love of all things girly, especially accessories. I knew I wanted to return here for skit day.

Ginkgo: A quick walk across the street took me to the next chapter, which was one that I was super excited about. During these two days I stood between two PNMs who were high school friends. The one informed me this day that she was a legacy of around five times and her friend was also well known here. I felt a little nervous standing between them, but I knew that I had a really nice rec here too, so I hoped that would help me stand out. I talked to a girl here who was sort of a "tomboy," but I didn't mind as we shared a common love for watching football and basketball. I was really impressed after speaking with her and when bumped I received another girl, who although I did not have much in common with, I really liked. I had a good feeling about this house.

Maple: This house had the cutest outfit thus far in recruitment and me being obsessed with fashion, I was already beginning to like this house. I was picked up by a girl with the cutest short, blonde haircut. This really stood out to me as most of the girls I had talked to had long hair. She had a very edgy look and I really enjoyed talking to her even though our conversation was pretty basic. I was bumped to another girl who had a twin also in the house. She seemed to be a very athletic person and did not seem really comfortable in the dressy outfit. However, she was a really great person to talk to and very memorable. I left this house very happy.

Dogwood: This house was home to several girls currently and past from my town. I had actually been inside the year before when visiting a friend two years older. I was greeted by a member and seated in a chair that almost made me feel excluded from the rest of the girls in the room. We had a nice conversation, and several older members, including the recruitment chair and her helper (forgot the title) came and introduced themselves. They said they were happy to have me in their home, which made me feel really special. My friend also came over to say hello and I left there so happy as I felt like I stood out in this chapter. However, I became upset when I learned that most girls had talked to two to three members and I had only talked to one. This tent talk made me very nervous.

Locust: Arriving at this chapter, it began raining, which was really difficult for both the members walking out and the PNMs trying to stand so close together, with such big umbrellas. During the walkout, I saw two girls I had met while visiting my boyfriend's fraternity last year. In fact, I had rode to a formal with one of the girls and both were really nice girls. My first girl I talked to was close friends with the girl I had met at formal, who was also from a town near mine. I talked with this girl about her visit to the very small town, since I also visit there frequently. My acquaintance came over and said hello, and I was bumped soon after seeing her. The other girl was sweet, but really did not stand out for me. It was a very basic conversation, and I left there unsure of whether I wanted to return.

Walnut: This house did not look like a traditional sorority from the outside, but when the walkout began I noticed a girl who looked very familiar, but couldn't put my finger on where I'd met her before. I was picked up by a very petite, but very outgoing member. We had a pretty good conversation and then I was bumped to the girl I thought I recognized. Sure enough, we had met before though none of us could remember where exactly. She was from a small town near mine. She was a member of her school's awesome dance team, so we just decided that was probably where we had met, since I was a cheerleader, but I think we both knew it had probably been at some party months earlier. I really liked both girls here, but just didn't know if the chapter was for me.

Poplar: This was another house that did not look like a traditional sorority house from the outside, but the inside was absolutely gorgeous. The first girl I talked with seemed so nervous. She quickly asked if I like the show that their skit was about for the next day and told me I would really enjoy it since I did like the show. Our conversation was pretty short and pretty lack-luster, though the member seemed very nice. Next, I talked with a girl who seemed to be also very nervous. She laughed quite a bit as she searched for things to ask me about, and although it was a bit awkward, I could tell she was a real person, which I liked. The last girl I was bumped to seemed to be very composed in comparison to the previous members. We talked about her heritage and her travels abroad, which I was very jealous of. We had a nice conversation but I was not sold on this house.

It was time for preffing. At my school, we circle the ten chapters we'd like to go back to and rank our bottom four. I quickly circled Cedar, Ash, Oak, Hickory, Redwood, Pine, Hawthorn, Ginkgo, Maple, and Dogwood. I ranked 1. Locust 2. Walnut 3. Spruce and 4. Poplar. One being the one I would most like to return to and so on.

I went back and chose my outfit carefully for the next day. Sleeping was not successful that night, or the rest of the week for that matter.

[MUSK81]

OK, I'm hooked! Keep writing!

[bostongreek]

Originally Posted by carynie13

I also asked my boyfriend's sister to write me a letter to her sorority, Ash. Although she thought I would fit better in a few other houses, she wrote me a very nice and complete recommendation.

Wait, what? Was she an alum of the chapter at your school? If not, how is it her place to say that unless she refused to write you a rec?

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by bostongreek

Wait, what? Was she an alum of the chapter at your school? If not, how is it her place to say that unless she refused to write you a rec?

You don't have friends who you think would fit better in other chapters than your own?

[carynie13]

Yes she is a young alum of the chapter. It's not that she didn't want me to be a part of her chapter, she just thought I would personally like other chapters better. Sorry for the confusion!

[im5am]

what school is the OP talking about? or did I miss that somewhere in the thread?

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by im5am

what school is the OP talking about? or did I miss that somewhere in the thread?

Hi, new and random poster who couldn't possibly be the alternate identity of someone else.

If it's not mentioned it is not meant to be.

[Blue Skies]

I love the details in your story, carynie13! You are a terrific writer -- I can see why you chose a journalism major. Keep it coming!

[carynie13]

So the next morning came, along with the wishy-washy weather. The hundreds of girls met once again in the huge auditorium to anxiously listen to more speakers. Today we were all decked out in pretty sundresses and our "comfortable" shoes, which were proving to be not all that comfortable.

My nerves were killing me as they began passing out the slips of paper. I almost couldn't even look as I was handed my sliver. I opened it, however... A full schedule. Phew! But no Hickory, and no Cedar I thought I had strong conversations at both and I thought my stellar GPA would get me an invite back to Hickory. Oh well, I was still happy as the two chapters I would have to return to were two that I did like originally.

Day 3: Skit Day

Ginkgo: They had a great walkout, which included many of the skitters. It was fun trying to figure out just what their skit would be about. I was picked up by a member and quickly taken downstairs for the production. The basement was decorated so nicely, just like a movie theater (a lot more glitter and sparkle, though). Their skit was a play on a popular MTV dating show and the girls in the skit were great actresses. It was easy to see that each had really worked hard to perfect their role and it made for a very funny skit. We were taken upstairs to talk for a short time. This conversation was limited and not very memorable after such an awesome skit.

Hawthorn: This chapter had a very original skit, which did not play off famous shows, like many of the others. However, it was one of the least memorable. It had funny moments from obviously hilarious members, but overall I was not as impressed as Ginkgo's skit. However, the girl I talked with here more than made up for the lacking skit. She stood out in my mind for having braces, which I feel is uncommon in college, especially after freshman year. However, she also stood out for her sweet, soft-spoken character. Although she was timid, we had a very good conversation. I left with mixed feelings as it was still early in this very long day.

Pine: I felt so sorry for the girls as they walked out because their walk out path was right through the muddy grass left over from the rain the day before. They had the cutest little 50's-inspired outfits on and I knew their Grease themed skit would be very cute. First we talked to our member for a short time and a friend of my friend in Dogwood chapter, came and introduced herself. She said she had heard a lot of great things about me and a short time later we were taken downstairs for the skit. It was well done, not as much humor as the first of the day, but still great. I went back upstairs to talk more with my member and my friend from the chapter also came to say hello. I left still loving the chapter and once again the president gave a friendly wink as I left their home.

Oak: This chapter walked out wearing long black dresses with sashes and it quickly became clear that their skit had something to do with pageants. A member from a small community near mine made eye contact and said hello during the walkout and I was picked up by a member who really only stood out because of her crazy curly hair and heavy makeup. We quickly went to watch the skit. It was very funny and starred my Oak rush crush, which made me enjoy it all the more. After the skit, the member I was talking to said we would be joining in conversation with another member and her PNM. This did not go so well as the other member seemed to have a lot more in common with the two members. I tried to keep in the conversation, but I had never been skiing and this was the main topic. I walked out with the other member and she said she needed to remember my name. I loved the skit, but hoped the lacking conversation hadn't ruined my chances.

Dogwood: The walkout here left me questioning what the skit would be about as the ladies came out in simple black dresses. Here we talked with our members for a while before heading downstairs to watch the skit. Oddly enough, I was seated close to where my two friends from high school were standing. Before it began, the chapter played very new popular songs, which really stood out to me. This skit was quite clever as a spinoff from The Price Is Right and all the characters had a really great sense of humor. This house also had amazing dancers with crazy costumes, unlike the other chapters I had visited thus far. I left the house with the same member and was still very sold on the chapter.

Ash: Ash also walked out in simple black dresses, but each had a green or pink scarf to spice up the simple outfit. Going inside after being picked up, we quickly were taken downstairs for the skit. Gossip Girl was the theme for the skit. Here there was a combination of very good and some not so great acting, but it was clear that they had put a lot of effort into making the skit great with such a popular show to portray. Afterwards, we went upstairs and my member and I talked in a group with three or four other PNMs and their Ash member. It was a very comfortable setting, but it did not make a really strong impression.

Walnut: After being taken inside, we spoke with the member for a while before walking down for the skit. My conversation was pretty general, but I was excited for the skit as it was a combination of viral YouTube videos. Though it did not seem very well rehearsed, the girls clearly had a lot of fun with it, which made it very funny. They had strong dancers, which included my dance team member from the previous day. They also gave a brief house tour on this day, which was interesting. I left the house knowing that I just hadn't really made the connection.

Maple: Another day of super cute outfits came from the Maple chapter and an amazing skit, which was Sex and the City themed. While I had to stand as seating was limited, it did not bother me as the skit was great. All the characters were really well portrayed by the members of the house. The dances were also amazingly done as this chapter is home to many of the school's dance team members. I was very impressed after their skit and I talked to a really nice member and was visited by a few of the skitters during our conversation. I left there with a good feeling about the chapter.

Redwood: Here, the PNMs were taken inside and talked for a short time before going to watch the skit. While this conversation was limited in time and does not really stand out in my mind, the skit definitely did. It was a very original skit, with several members dressed as men and doing very good impressions considering the fact that they were such pretty young ladies. The humor was for a college-aged crowd and I really enjoyed it overall. This was another chapter I left feeling great about.

Locust: This last social had taken us into the evening hours and in fact, it was quite dark outside when it began. I soon figured out the skit was Disney themed as several members came out in amazing costumes. I was picked up by a member who led me straight to the basement for the skit. While it did have funny moments, I had a hard time understanding what was being said and I felt like it was hard to make a humorous skit from famous children's movies. After the skit was over, I was taken to a craft room in the basement to talk with the member and while she had a great personality and really loved her house, I just did not really feel the connection.

After this, I had to wait in what seemed to be a never ending line for around an hour after dark in a dress. I was definitely exhausted. Once in the door, however, I knew what I was going to do. Here we were to circle our top six, and rank our bottom four. I circled Ginkgo, Pine, Oak, Dogwood, Maple, and Redwood. Then I ranked 1. Hawthorn 2. Walnut 3. Ash 4. Locust.

I went back to my dorm and prepared for a comfortable outfit day and the fun that comes with Philanthropy/ House Tour Day.

[full*hearts]

Good Story!!!

[carynie13]

Okay, I hope you all are still interested in reading! I'll continue to Day Four, which was House Tour and Philanthropy Day.

It was obvious that many girls had already dropped out of the recruitment process, as the huge auditorium seemed to contain much less girls than previous days. Once the speakers were done talking about another important aspect of Greek life, the Pi Chis began passing out the slips.

I was so nervous when I opened mine... Once again a full schedule of six houses. I was slightly relieved. However, no Oak. I was so upset. This was the first house that cut me that I really thought I could see myself in. I quickly pulled myself together and began the walk to Greek town.

Hawthorn: This was the one house I had to return to that I was not completely sold on from the day before, but I went in with an open mind, as I could easily change my mind. After walking inside, we went into the kitchen and watched a very well put together slide show, which explained their philanthropy and their participation in other philanthropy events. The slide show also included many photos of some of the fun aspects of being a Hawthorn. Then it was time for house tours and already seeing the outside beauty of the home, I was very impressed by also the outside beauty. I then talked with the member I had been paired with, but I just did not feel that connection for another day. I left unsure about the chapter as, once again, I visited the chapter early in the day.

Pine: At this chapter, the first order of business was a tour of the home. It was beautiful and had some great decorations, but I was very put off by the triple bunked beds in each rooms. However, I still felt very strongly about the chapter, especially after watching the slide show they had put together. I really liked their philanthropy and could see that they had a very strong sisterhood through their photos from socials. Also, I talked to a senior here who made me feel very comfortable and at home. Once again, I left with a wink from the President and although there was some issue with the bedding situation, I knew I wanted to return here for the last day of recruitment.

Gingko: Once we were picked up, we were taken downstairs for a slideshow and a few short speeches about the philanthropy of this chapter. It was clear that they were very passionate about their charity and also had a great sisterhood. We were then split into groups for the house tours and I was very impressed by some of the rooms I saw, including the study room. However, my conversation with the member was just not very strong. At this stage I felt like there should have been deeper conversation, which was not the case here. I was really torn about the situation and knew that my decision would rely on impressions at the other houses.

Redwood: This chapter had some of the cutest walkouts all week and this day was no exception. The member we were paired with came and announced that they had a ticket for (PNM's name) to take a ride on their train. It was so cute and the house tour made me love the chapter even more. It was very home-y feeling, which I loved and after watching their very touching philanthropy video I was sold. Then we were shown pictures from their sisterhood events along with another member and PNM. The other PNM was very loud and outgoing and I worried that I was not being talkative enough. I hoped that my conversation with the member before was strong enough to bring me back on preference day, as I knew I was very interested in Redwood.

Dogwood: As soon as the Dogwood girls began walking out, I immediately noticed their adorable outfits, which tied in with their symbol. The did a very fun little dance before pairing up with the PNMs. Once inside I was taken in for the house tour. The house was also decked out in the theme that related to the chapter symbol. Although I had already seen the house before during the past year, I was still so impressed with the beauty of the home. Then we went back downstairs to watch a really well done slideshow. They had a great philanthropy and fun event to support the charity. They obviously had a great sisterhood and after a funny rendition of a popular Taylor Swift song, I talked with the member, who I absolutely loved. She was so bubbly and seemed so interested in my understanding of what Dogwood stood for. I left this chapter so happy.

Maple: By the end of the day, I was very exhausted. Also, after visiting two chapters I loved right in a row, it was hard to put forth a great effort. Here, after being picked up we split from the member and went on the house tour. It was pretty, especially the bathrooms, but I wasn't in love. Then we went back to the main floor to learn about the philanthropy and their event to promote it. While it was a very fun event, I had struggled conversation with the member, which was partly my fault, but I knew she did not feel the connection, either. We watched a slideshow play while standing in a living room area and after a few moments here, it was time to leave and go pref for the last day. While I had liked this chapter so much the day before, this day showed me that I could not see myself as a member of Maple.

I groggily walked to pref and had to wait in a long line once again. This was the most difficult day in choosing as I was torn between Redwood and Gingko. However, I ended up circling Pine, Dogwood, and Redwood, as I wanted to return there on the last day. I then ranked 1. Ginkgo 2. Hawthorn 3. Maple.

I faced another restless night as I began to worry if all the chapters might drop me at once, since I really had not had too many cuts thus far in the week. I was so exhausted and feeling ready for the process to just be over, as I began to feel anxious about where I would end up if anywhere at all.