University of Arkansas Recruitment

[futurehog]

Hi, I have some questions about recruitment at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. I'll be a freshman there next year for 2013-2014.

First, I've read on here that this school has a very "competitive" recruitment. Does this mean that it'll be hard to get into ANY sorority, or just into the "top tier" ones?

I hope this doesn't make me seem like I have a low self-esteem or anything, but how do the women in sororities act towards shy/quit girls? I'm usually pretty shy until I get to know someone, so I'm very afraid that I will have extremely awkward conversations with everyone. :/ I am fairly smart, and involved with clubs and activities and sports in my high school, if that matters. And I hope this doesn't sound shallow, but do a lot of the girls come from fairly "rich" families? Because my family is by no means poor or struggling, but just middle class and I'm afraid everyone else there will be loaded with money. So what are my chances??

Also, is Lilly Pulitzer very popular at this school? I'm not sure if Arkansas is a classic southern-type school or more midwestern? I would love to get a Lilly dress for pref night, maybe? Would that be appropriate, or is it not dressy enough?

Sorry if it seems like I'm freaking out a little too much; I tend to do this with any situation. I just need some answers for my concerns.

Thanks in advance and thanks for reading!

[KSUViolet06]

There are close to 300 women in every chapter at UA. It is statistically impossible for everyone in a sorority to be well-off.

[IndianaSigKap]

I believe that the U of Arkansas' Panhellenic has a facebook page and they put up quite a few photos from last summer's recruitment. Check those photos out, that will give you an accurate picture of what PNMs wear. And if you really want a Lilly dress for recruitment, there are lots of options. Shop sale racks, re-sale stores, online boutiques, re-Lilly facebook page, etc. I live in an area where we have great re-sale/consignment stores. I have gotten brand new items with the tags still on them for a fraction of the original cost.

[futurehog]

Thanks guys! I feel better about it already.

[DubaiSis]

In even the most competitive schools (except Indiana, but we won't go there) virtually every girl going through rush will find a home. We're talking about a handful of girls who get cut completely from rush. But many MANY girls will say they got cut completely because they got cut from the chapters they wanted.

Thankfully at Arkansas they have recently added 2 new chapters, so that is going to ease the burden on everyone. Don't fall victim to ranking them at the bottom or not being willing to give them a chance just because they're new.

And my last piece of advice is you have between now and next August to work on your shyness problem. It is going to be a huge detriment in rush so I'd start working now on talking with strangers, getting comfortable telling your story and responding creatively to mundane questions (where are you from, what's your major, what dorm do you live in, what did you do this summer?). And if quietness is part of your shyness problem, you will need to work on that too. The rooms where rush is held are EXTREMELY loud and if you are whispering, or nearly so, your rusher will eventually nod and keep going because saying what for the 100th time gets old. And without something interesting (and positive) about you to remember, you could drop down on their list, even if they might like to give you another chance. These are all learnable skills. Good luck!

[Titchou]

And don't forget to get 2 recs for each group!

[futurehog]

Yeah, I was also wondering about getting recs! I only know a few women who were in sororities (they are my parents' friends from when they were in college). How will I get recs if I don't know anyone?

And also, is the rec an actual letter they write, or is it a form they fill out?

[futurehog]

And thanks DubaiSis. Is it important to elaborate a lot on responses to questions? Like, say the rusher asks "What dorm are you staying in?" Should I say, "Dorm 123, and i really like it because _____ "

[KDCat]

Even if you are quiet and shy, you can learn to make small talk. It's hard for me, but I had to learn to do it for my job. My husband is NOT shy and very friendly and watching him has taught me a lot.

Suggestions to get ready for rush:

1. Practice talking to new people. Whenever you get a chance (church, grocery store, volunteer activities, elevators, where ever). Just start with "Hi. How are you?" and start talking about the weather or whatever is going on the environment. You can learn to be friendly.

2. Learn to talk about yourself. I'm naturally not inclined to talk about myself, but it's hard for people to get to know you if you never tell them about yourself. The response to "Hi. How are you?" has to be more than "Fine" or "Okay." You have to say more, like this "Oh, I'm pretty good. We're really busy at home cleaning up all the post-Christmas mess, but it was worth it because we had a good Christmas." That little bit of information lets the person ask you questions about cleaning or about what you did for Christmas or start talking about their own Christmas or their own cleaning. Think of passing conversational turns like passing a ball. You want the other person to be able to catch the ball and pass it back to you easily.

During recruitment, an opening question might be "How are you enjoying orientation?" and your answer should NOT be "It's okay." The other person can't go anywhere with that. You need to say something about it "It's been okay. I really like my roommate, but the dorm food is terrible. My roommate and I found a great pizza place called Lou's, though." That gives the other person a chance to ask or talk about her dorm experience, your dorm food, the food at her sorority house, her experience living in house, Lou's pizza, or other good places to eat in town. It also gives you a chance to ask about living in house or food in the house.


3. Have some things that you make sure you want the other person to know about you. You have things that will make you an asset to the chapter. Know what they are and think about how to work those into conversation. Know why you chose your major and have something to say about it.

4. Know what the common questions are going to be and think about your answers. You can find some of them here:

http://sororityeverafter.com/6-quest...y-recruitment/

http://www.coppellsororities.com/joi...or-these-faqs/



5. You should also be prepared to ask questions. This link also has questions to ask:
http://www.coppellsororities.com/joi...or-these-faqs/

[futurehog]

Thanks so much KDCat! That was really helpful. I'm not very inclined to talk about myself either. But it's weird, with some people it just "clicks" and I can keep talking forever, but with other people I'm intimidated. I guess that's how I'll find my sorority home though!

And thanks for the links, I'll be looking at those.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by futurehog

Thanks so much KDCat! That was really helpful. I'm not very inclined to talk about myself either. But it's weird, with some people it just "clicks" and I can keep talking forever, but with other people I'm intimidated. I guess that's how I'll find my sorority home though!

And thanks for the links, I'll be looking at those.

Here's something to remember: there are shy women IN the chapters, and many of them will be nervous and unsure about talking to PNM's for the first time. I remember one of my friends telling me that she was certain she had just found her rush crush because the girl tripped down the stairs and they spent the rest of the time sharing stories about embarrassing things they had done in public.

[greekdee]

You sound like my oldest son -- he can be extremely quiet, but if it clicks and/or once he's comfortable, he can talk a blue streak. During his senior year of high school, he was voted "The Most Non Talkative Person You Will Ever Have a Long Conversation With."

Those are some great tips from KDCat to build your conversation skills, relate info about yourself and keep conversation from falling into that dreaded pit of awkward silence. They really can serve you well during recruitment!

A VERY simple trick to standing out is one I learned from Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People." He says there is nothing more musical to people than the sound of their own name. So, when Sarah Sister introduces herself, instead of just saying "hi," say "Hi Sarah." When you're getting ready to part ways, say "it was nice to meet you, Sarah" instead of leaving her name off. Names validate people, and book ending your conversation with someone's name is just one of those little pieces of conversation gold that can click with a person. Test it out on people and see if you don't note a difference in their demeanor. I have friends who swear they've gotten better customer service doing this. I have also observed that people who do this on a regular basis seem to have more people interested in being around them. So often, it is the little things that make you or break you.

Another old trick -- if conversation with a woman really is dying and all else fails, comment on her hair. "By the way, your hairstyle is so cute." Laugh, but I swear the topic of a woman's hair will revive any conversation with her.

[LXA SE285]

Here's an old thread on conversation skills that may also be helpful.

[Titchou]

Recs = networking. networking. networking.

Make a list of everyone you know who is college age or older - EVERYONE. Your parents's friends, neighbors, employers, Sunday School teachers, high school teachers, coachs, counselors, camp counselors, the owner of a store where you shop, whomever. Have a list of all the groups at Arkansas. Ask everyone if they were in a sorority or have a friend/sibling/parent/child who is. They do NOT have to be from U of Arkansas. When you find someone in a group, ask if they know anyone in the other groups. Network like you have never, ever networked before.

[FSUZeta]

And don't forget to ask your friends parents,too!