Last year around this time, a girl in a "Go Greek" shirt approached me after a meeting for a publication I was writing for to ask me if I had considered sorority recruitment. Two weeks before, my best friend's roommate had cornered me to help her convince my friend to rush, and in turn convinced me to fill out the application. Then, as I ordered my usual latte at my usual coffee shop, the sleeve had a bright purple sticker urging me to consider going through recruitment. I took all of that as a sign that I should just give in and sign up, see what all the fuss was.
Despite the fears and the fact that I had always taken Greek Life as a bit of a joke, a stereotypical popularity contest, and an almost cult-like club that demands uniformity and devotion, I went through the process. A year later, I'm happily living in my chapter house with my amazing sisters, preparing for the next group of girls to go through recruitment, and I'm ready to share my knowledge on what to expect for girls who were like me. So if you're not sure whether Greek Life is right for you, here are some truths about Recruitment and Greek Life.
1. Recruitment is Overwhelming
To say the least! You've probably seen videos of door chants (if you haven't and you're already wary of the recruitment process, DO NOT look it up) and the Go Greek song, and may have heard from older girls the woes of the intensive rounds. It's true! Recruitment is a lot of talking about the same thing over and over at different houses, long days of meeting new people and emotions as the list of houses you are invited back to gets shorter and shorter. It's a lot to handle all at once, and more than that, it's a lot to process. Don't let yourself stress out about saying the right thing or let the hyper excitement freak you out. Go with the flow, and understand that houses are trying to impress you as much as you are trying to impress them. Have fun with it and the overwhelming-ness will subside!
2. The Chapters are Out to Impress YOU!
Like I said before, the girls who you are talking to are looking to bring you into their sisterhood. Recruitment can seem a little brutal from the outside because the process of cutting girls based on the standards of a certain group is, well, brutal. But the girls you are talking to aren't immediately judging you, and looks are not a factor as much as people may say they are. It's all about being a good fit, and the girls recruiting want to make you feel at home and like you could fit above anything else.
3. Be Yourself, and Talk About Your Passions
A lot of the articles I read before I went through recruitment stressed things to talk about and ways to present yourself. If I had followed those guidelines, I don't think I would be where I am today, because I wouldn't have shown my actual self. Obviously, it's important to not be rude and make a good impression, and to avoid the B's (Baes, Booze, Boob), but talk about the things that move you. Passion stands out more then any other factor, in a good or bad way, but if you are passionate about something it signals the girls recruiting you that you could be passionate about their values and causes.
Be willing to say that you don't understand, or that you aren't sure. Ask questions if you don't understand what a chapter's philanthropy does! Be honest about your financial concerns, and ask questions when it comes up. Ask the hard questions about sisterhood and the values of a chapter if you want to know. It's okay to be confused and it's okay to not know. If you are truly curious, no one will fault you for asking questions.
4. Don't Listen To Gossip
When you leave a house, every girl in your group will have an opinion about the house and the girls. DON'T LET THAT CHANGE YOUR MIND! It's so important to let your opinions stand alone. Everyone is different. Don't let the perfect house pass you by because your friend doesn't like it as much as you do.
5. You WILL Get Sick
At minimum, you will lose your voice. Germs spread, and talking wears out your voice, it's just a given. Keep some Emergen-C and cough drops on you, and try to get enough rest before the rounds.
6. You Don't Have to Go Through Formal Recruitment
For all my girls out there who don't feel prepared for all of the hoops of recruitment, or who aren't sure yet if they're ready, there are other ways to join a sorority. Continuous Open Bidding occurs when a chapter has not met their max number of girls. They arrange an event to open up their house to any girls who are interested in joining that specific sorority, and have a two day session where they combine all the days of recruitment into one chill evening. I obviously recommend formal, because it is always good to see all of the houses and meet all of the chapters, but if you feel overwhelmed by real recruitment and drop, or if you decide to not go through and one chapter that speaks to you in particular has an event after recruitment is over, I think it is a great option. I personally dropped out of the formal process and found my chapter at one such event, and could not be happier with how it worked out.
7. Trusting the Process Sucks, But it Works
Because I didn't go through the process fully, I asked some of my sisters to give me their stories on the words "trust the process", something said over and over during formal:
"When I went through recruitment I went from 10 houses to 4 in one day. The cut was absolutely devastating because that day girls could have up to 8 houses. A lot of the houses I got cut from were in my top half as well which made it even worse. I talked to my Rho Gam to try and understand because I was honestly very upset. All she kept saying was "trust the process" and later that day I met one of the girls in a house that changed my life and made me want to be a die hard member! If I hadn't listened to my Rho Gam and just gave up after getting my schedule I never would have met Kelsey who made me fall in love with our chapter." - Lindsay Beck
"It's difficult at the beginning when houses are dropping you. You wonder what you did wrong, what they didn't like and what made them drop you. Eventually though, you realize that the process is about you choosing a house and a house choosing you back, and that's the way to end up in the right place."
And finally, my favorite quote;
"It might crush your soul, but then you realize you're in the right place so it's fine." - Emily Doll