It’s finally here... that time of year we’ve all been waiting for!

It’s sorority recruitment season!

Summer’s end is fast approaching and the new school year is just around the corner. This means that it’s finally sorority recruitment time. It’s the moment that every chapter on campus has been preparing for and that every potential new member has been anxiously awaiting.

It’s no secret that when you attend an SEC school, like the University of Tennessee, sorority recruitment can seem pretty intimidating. Recruitment is like a sparkling mirage of heels, dresses, and hair spray. I remember when I went through recruitment like it was yesterday. I was ridiculously nervous before each round, I wore a little too much perfume, and I could hardly walk in my heels. Looking back, there is a seemingly endless list of things I wish I knew before I went through the recruitment process. Now that I’m on the other side of it all, I have a few practical pieces of advice to share with all of the girls that are about to embark on the journey of sorority recruitment.

1. The sorority members are more nervous than you are.

They are more nervous than the girls going through recruitment. Literally. It may seem like the sorority members are all sitting there with fake smiles silently judging you, but honestly they’re more worried about what you think about them. They want all of the girls coming through recruitment to like our sorority; they want YOU to pick THEM! Each girl feels just as awkward and nervous as anyone else.

2. Be yourself.

I know this sounds cheesy, and you’ve all heard it before, but it’s important. When I went through recruitment, during the first round I wore a floral silk Lily Pulitzer blouse with hot pink J. Crew shorts, and that would have been fine except for the fact that I am not preppy... AT ALL. I dressed like that because I thought that was what sororities wanted to see, but it isn’t. Every sorority is different, but each and every one of them wants to see the most authentic version of you. If you’re a hipster, be a hipster. If you’re girly, then be girly. If you want to wear a neon yellow dress with bright blue heels, then go ahead and do it! If you don’t act like yourself then you may end up in a chapter that isn’t a good fit for you.

3. Do not listen to your friends.

This may come across as a little harsh, or somewhat surprising, but it is extremely important not to take your friend’s opinion of any of the sororities into consideration during recruitment. You may be head-over-heels in love with a certain sorority, but your best friend telling you that she doesn’t like that sorority could unknowingly make you may feel differently. It is extremely easy to allow your opinion to be swayed based on the opinions of your friends. Trust me, relying solely on the way YOU feel will greatly improve your entire recruitment experience.

4. Have fun!

Again, this sounds super cheesy, I know. Having fun is something that girls often forget to do while they are going through recruitment. They tend to get wrapped up in the hype of it all and let their anxiety ruin the experience. It is so important to remember that it is suppose to be fun! The purpose of this experience is solely to help you find your perfect fit - the best sorority for YOU - and I have no doubt that you will make lifelong friendships because of it. Therefore, I urge you all to be excited, have fun, and enjoy the ride!