I'm sure a lot of you who are reading this article are doing so in hopes of seeing your sorority's name at the top of the list. Others of you might be reading it to see if the order I chose to rank these sororities in matched up with what you believe. Well, sorry to break it to you, but there is no list. I personally don't believe that there is any one sorority that stands above the rest, because each and every chapter at UConn has something unique and wonderful to offer to this community. You'd think that we would have left this need to create a social hierarchy behind in high school, but unfortunately there is still this perception that some sororities are "top tier" while others are not.

While going through recruitment earlier this year, it was clear to me that many of the girls had done their research before beginning the process. I heard girls saying that they would "never accept a bid from [insert name here]," simply because of what she had heard about them. By believing the stereotypes perpetuated by people, many of whom have never gone through rush themselves, these girls lost the chance to get to know an entire group of girls. They went into the parties for "lower tier" sororities with no intention of getting to know the sisters. At the end of each day, girls would rank certain sororities last on their list without stopping to think about whether they might have actually enjoyed the conversations they'd had with active members in those chapters. The need to be a member of a top house started to matter more than finding a sisterhood you actually belonged in.

What truly bothered me about hearing these rankings was that often times they were based on how pretty the girls in one sorority were versus the girls in another. No girl should be ashamed to wear a sorority's letters because she thinks people will think she wasn't attractive enough to get into another one. Yet, it is often this exact thought that causes girls to withdraw from recruitment when they are dropped by "better" houses. As cliché as it sounds, we are more than our letters. Throughout recruitment I became friends with many other girls, and for the most part, we all ended up accepting bids to different houses. And guess what? They're still my friends, and each of them is perfect in their own way. It doesn't matter to me or to them that we wear different letters, because what does matter is that we all found a sisterhood that we belong in; that's what going Greek is really about.

My advice to girls who plan on going through recruitment in the future is don't listen to what other people have to say about sororities. Take the time to get to know girls in each one and make the judgement for yourself. What might be the perfect fit for your best friend may be the worst for you. Being dropped by a certain chapter doesn't say anything about how pretty you are or about your personality. They probably loved you but think that you will thrive better with another sorority. So go into recruitment with an open mind, try to have genuine conversations with the sisters you meet, and be honest about where you feel most comfortable, because, as I said, every sorority at UConn has something wonderful to offer. Wherever you end up is where you were meant to be, and you should always be proud of the letters you wear, regardless of what others say.