Going through sorority recruitment is one of the best decisions I've made so far in my college career. I know it sounds cliché, but it is. But maybe not for the reasons you may think of. Going through recruitment, I met one of my best friends at college. Through recruitment, I found what being Greek was truly about. Through recruitment, I felt Panhellenic love between the chapters.
Recently, I have been reflecting on how I felt freshman year, going through recruitment, as I will soon be disaffiliating from my beautiful chapter of sisters so that I may help other young women find their place to call home.
After the craziness of deciding on what chapter I would choose, I called an idea to the front of my mind that had been lurking in the shadows of my brain all through recruitment: I wanted to be a Recruitment Counselor (RC). I didn't know what exactly that entailed, but I knew I wanted to do it. I had such a great experience with the girl who was my RC and I recognized how crucial her role in formal recruitment is. She is there for anyone, to listen and give them advice, trying to help them follow what their heart wants them to do. You will never ever hear a RC say "Go to this sorority, you'll love it." Their advice will be somewhat vague and help you think further to realize what is right for you.
Being disaffiliated from my chapter will be hard, not getting to be with them through the week before school, preparing for New Members (NMs) and bonding; but the rewards will outweigh the sadness. I get to have the honor of getting to know and help a group of potential new members (PNMs) through recruitment. I will get to see them bond with each other and gush over how much they love a sorority, how much they love someone they talked to, or how much they enjoyed a conversation.
There will be many of these good times, but there will also be times to console someone if they were dropped from their top sorority, or they don't think they belong in a sorority. This is where the role of RC comes in. We are there to console them, tell them that everything happens for a reason, yes—you can still be friends with girls in the chapter that dropped you, and most importantly to stick with recruitment because you never know who you could meet tomorrow.
I will say, sorority life may not be for everyone, but I do stand by the promise that you will meet people in recruitment that you might just become best friends with. Whether it's an active member or someone in your recruitment group, meeting people is always a good thing. This is a super good thing for incoming freshman when it comes to getting used to campus. It can be intimidating to walk into a class, or to eat lunch/dinner, or just walking around campus can be scary—but going through recruitment, you will recognize people, smile and even say hello!
Incoming freshman: please go through recruitment, it will be a great opportunity to meet people and maybe join a sorority. And here's a tip you'll hear a lot: BE YOURSELF! All chapters want to see the real you, and trust the chapters if they drop you. They don't drop you because they don't like you, but they can see you doing great things in a different chapter and that you would fit in best in a different chapter.
To my chapter: I love you all and cannot wait until Bid Day so I can be reunited with you! I'm proud to be a Recruitment Counselor for our chapter!
