If I could count how many times I've been asked "why did you drop the first time?", I would probably tell you how many. So why did I drop Fall rush? Well maybe a lot of girls can relate to me on this one, I wasn't sure I wanted to be in a sorority anymore and then my favorite houses dropped me, so I did too. As an Outgoing Introvert (it's a thing, trust me) the outgoing part of me was so excited to meet my new sisters and see what houses had to offer, but the introverted part of me was scared of big groups of people, especially girls. I'm not really a talker and it's excruciating for me to make small talk, I'm the absolute worst! As rush week kept moving forward, I kept getting more intimidated by the houses that I wanted because I was so worried that they would drop me. Towards the end of the week, they did and I was crushed. I talked to my Rho Gam and she told me to keep pushing through and so I kept going through the house tours. They say "it will all work out in the end! Trust the process!" It may have been true for some people, but something wasn't settling right for me. I was touring sororities that I personally didn't feel like I belonged to, so I dropped. I didn't show up to the next house and I called my mom.
Formal rush is fast paced and exhilarating. Go Greek days were some of the best span of days I've had so far in college. I met so many girls that were going through rush (and in sororities) that ended up becoming my friends. Although the same questions were asked over and over like "what's your major? what are your hobbies?" etc. you meet people that are far from what you expected.
Formal rush is not for everyone. What ever you do, do not let this effect the way you think of sororities. Formal rush wasn't for me, and it may not be for other people, but the worst thing a girl can do is let her experience with fall rush stand in the way of winter and spring recruitment.
Informal recruitment is very slow and nerve-wracking. I was on my toes from the last two weeks of fall term to the second week of winter term, I think it took about 4 weeks to get my actual bid. Informal recruitment has a lot of similarities to fraternity rush in the sense that you are invited to events to get to really know the sorority sisters and basically just hangout. When I say nerve wracking, I mean that you are sitting one on one with the VP of recruitment, in a coffee shop, without a schedule. I was nervous beyond belief because I didn't want to screw up or become too shy. When you go to the sisterhood events, you are also in a room full of girls who don't exactly know who you are or have a set of questions to ask you. It's up to you to go and talk to them.
Informal recruitment is very personal. You get to know the girls personally and as who you are. You will talk about random things or personal things you share in common. To me, that's what I liked most. I met girls that I wouldn't have seen as my friends. I remember at an event, I was having a "heart-to-heart" with a few of the girls and that's when I knew the house was for me.
No matter what you pick, formal or informal, it will all work out the way it's supposed to. Your Rho Gammas are right, the way you feel is right. Everything does fall the way you want in the end. Trust the process - even if it's not the way you expected. As very cliche as this sounds, you will find the house that's meant to be for you.
