They're having a blast !

justamom · #1 08-21-2001, 08:21 AM

Round 1 has ended and this a.m. the girls face their first decision. The original group was 10, but friendships have been formed between girls from Tx, Al, and Ga. They are now 17 in size and meet for lunch or dinner to review the day. The greek system is really strong and this year, a record number of girls signed up. They are divided into apx 40 groups. The sororities(10) had to give 13 parties in order to handle the girls. The following is what little I know of their feelings and experiences. The parties were GREAT, but one had really bad accoustics and it was difficult to talk. At another, the girls felt like there wasn't enough rotation. Yes, EVERYONE asks them the same question, but "Are you nervous?" Made them laugh the most...Of COURSE they are! One party that stuck out in EVERYONES mind was ZTA. ALL the girls felt at ease and welcomed. This is in comparison with one or two houses that seemed to treat some girls differently.
My daughter's Rho Chi is "cool", but others have asked the girls "What was your favorite party?" "Which parties didn't you like?" Hate to say this, but all the girls agree the SAY NOTHING motto is the best. My daughter has shared the tips from this board with them and the results are very positive.
They are looking at the sisters, NOT the letters. They are really trying to get the feel of who they would fit in with. My daughter said. "I wish I'd get cut so I wouldn't have to decide." They ALL are afraid they will make the wrong decision. It is hard for them to remember what house did what and questions like "Who has the X and the horseshoe, who's the Hannah doll and what sorority did________?" One point worth mentioning refers to the "Big Guns" on campus. I can honestly say this group doesn't give a hill of beans about who's who, and these are the top notch girls of their high school. The names I am hearing are not what I expected. Of the "top" four on this campus, my daughter is only interested (very much so) in two,the others that have impressed her run the gambit as far as "reputation" is concerned.This is true for her friends as well. They are looking at the legacy issue, interaction between sisters and how they treat EVERY SINGLE GIRL at the parties. All this in 30 min. They want to go Greek, but have found it so easy to meet people, if they are cut, they know they will be just fine. One more thing, the majority of rushees (in their opinion) seem to be short blonds. It must be hereditary because at the parents meeting the audience was filled with lots of blond Mommies!

carnation · #2 08-21-2001, 08:28 AM

I am so glad that the rushees are being so levelheaded about choices! Looking back at my rush group, we were totally clueless about how to pick a group of real sisters and thank heavens that I lucked into a super sisterhood in spite of it!

justamom · #3 08-21-2001, 03:20 PM

The girls are attending round two. Their spirits are high. All but 3 have full schedules (but even then, they are going to 5 or 6 of 7 parties.) No single girl was unscathed by the cuts. They were severe. Many, many girls on campus were invited to only 1,2or 3 houses. Perhaps it was due to grades and/or lack of recs. No single sorority did the majority of cutting. In most cases it came down to the "fit" everyone talks about. They feel lucky to have an opportunity to return to ALL the houses on their schedules, and decided to take notes after the parties so they won't get confused. They have realized that their likes are as varied as they are. Their attitude? The greek system is so strong at this campus, all the sororities are great! I think their nerves are going to get a real workout as each round ends. I'll post Thurs. after invitations are distributed.

zetagirly · #4 08-21-2001, 03:31 PM

What school is this? this is very exciting! Thanks for the update.

justamom · #5 08-23-2001, 10:25 AM

At this point, I don't want to say what school this is. I am sure what these girls are experiencing is happening on every campus. I will name the school on Saturday.
This morning, the girls picked up their invitations for Round 3. For some it was good news, for others, heartache. My daughter was more fortunate than many. She didn't see too many of her friends, but 3 have decided to withdraw. She tried to tell them that the BEST sorority on campus was the one that wanted THEM.
It didn't help. Of the others, 3 received 1 invitation, 2 received 2 but none of her other friends received 5(that she knows of). There are bound to be several girls who did receive 5, but she doesn't hang out with any of them. The mood at pick up was a mix of excitement, shock and yes, some girls were angry.
The cuts again were deep. Many girls across the campus received 2, or 1. They are scared stiff!
A few Rho Chis and random girls told her how lucky she was to have 4 invitations so she is really pumped. She called it exactly right when I spoke to her last night. She knew who was likely to cut her and who she had the least in common with. This in no way implies she didn't like the sororities, in fact, she liked them a LOT. She just knew the fit wasn't there. One that cut her had a rusher that sat there with nothing to say. In fact her exact words were,"I felt like I was trying to rush HER!" The other two have great reputations, but when she took a hard look , she knew that it was not for her. She knows she will be friends with some of the members and is happy with that. So, in her eyes, the remaining 4 are exactly what she would have wished for and though many would consider them "strong" she is not looking at that as a factor. She is trying to remain totally open and not get her hopes up, but at this point, that is almost impossible. There are TWO that she has a stronger feeling for, but she is fighting it in order to avoid being let down. I'm sure all know exactly what I'm talking about.
So, now that the end is near, no matter what happens, she has had a great time. They pick up invitations to Pref tomorrow afternoon. Next post will be after she sees the list.

dzrose93 · #6 08-23-2001, 10:39 AM

I'm so excited! Thanks so much for the update. I can't wait to find out where your daughter goes!

carnation · #7 08-23-2001, 10:53 AM

I remember you told us that a lot of legacies would be rushing. Are most of them going back to the sororities to which they're legacies?

aopirose · #8 08-23-2001, 11:08 AM

I think I know which school you're talking about.

Great job keeping us informed justamom. After Bid Day, can you tell us if you are a sorority member? If you mentioned it earlier, I missed it.

MoxieGrrl · #9 08-23-2001, 12:28 PM

Oooh! I love threads like this!

I am in complete awe of super-competitive recruitments like this!

Thanks for the updates, justamom!

orchid2 · #10 08-23-2001, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MoxieGrrl
Oooh! I love threads like this!

I am in complete awe of super-competitive recruitments like this!

Same here! This is better than any soap. I can't wait to find out where your daughter ends up!

justamom · #11 08-23-2001, 12:50 PM

The legacies are getting cut right and left. This is brutal. From what I understand, some cut a few of their legacies after the first round. Our city is not fairing too well with the exception of a very few.
Grades are very important this year, but if the resume' is weak, grades aren't that much of a help. It appears the substance of the individual is very important. In a lot of cases, all the stereo-
types are being broken. Of course these impressions are limited to hearsay. The girls are tired and therefore very emotional. Believe me, the best piece of advice anyone could have is don't let your heart get set on one-two or even three specific sororities
in a competitive environment. The members of this board have repeatedly stated this piece of advice, and it is SOLID advice. That is why I believe my daughter is enjoying rush. Of course, she may be in tears tomorrow!( Invitations to Pref) Ya never know...

My daughter is not a legacy to any of the sororities she is visiting.

cutetiger · #12 08-23-2001, 12:53 PM

thanks for keeping us inside the loop. this is very interesting and i can't wait to find out how your daughter did!

GiantsChic · #13 08-23-2001, 02:06 PM

I keep coming back to read the updates here, and this is one of my favorites... and I have to say that it's really great that you're supporting your daughter... my mom's not opposed to sororities, but she doesn't know too much about them and is pretty much just leaving it up to me... lol, i know she'll get more excited when i start rushing... good luck to your daughter and her friends, and let us know what happens

justamom · #14 08-24-2001, 01:23 PM

Today, the girls picked up their invitations to Pref. The campus was full of mothers who had come to support their heartbroken daughters. There is so much unhappiness and hurt. Girls who thought things were going so great, were in tears, shocked and dismayed. Though many are having a fantastic rush, there is by far more disappointment than joy. This is terrible and so sad. My daughter told me 4 more local girls dropped out. She is certain the number is greater since her dorm is not in the thick of things. I know these girls! I can see no reason,(the majority have intelligence, attractiveness, charitable works, charm)for them to be so easily dismissed. You can throw everything I said yesterday out the window because there is little sense that I can see in these girls being cut so freely. When something becomes more destructive to an individual than beneficial, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate. Maybe it's a fluke of a year, but my oh my...

Last night as a smaller version of the group gathered, they discussed all the options and possibilities. It was agreed that on this campus, it would be better to be Greek than GDI.
The skits were all great. My daughter told me she knew she would be cut by one sorority. She said she could tell by the way her rusher interacted with her. She was right. She is fine with it because she kept an open mind and only went to the houses she felt comfortable with. It's funny, but her initial impression is right where she's at. So, the loss of one doesn't overshadow the joy of the others. She is so very fortunate, and she knows it. She will attend 3 parties tonight. Each has it's own special strengths and attraction for her. The Rho Chis gave some wonderful advice. They told the girls tonight is the time to look around you, not at the sisters, but at the other rushees. That's who you will be spending the next 4 years with.

They sign their cards tonight and find out where they will be...IF they will be, late tomorrow afternoon.

Sunny · #15 08-24-2001, 02:15 PM

AAahhhhhhhh!! The suspense in all the rush stories is killing me! How the heck am I supposed to make it through my own rush must without going nuts??

*24 days to go...*