While signing up for sorority recruitment at GW, I wasn't sure what to expect. All I had ever known about sororities came from inaccurate representations in the media and horror stories from the more extreme schools in the South. Safe to say, I had a few fears when entering the process, but in general, I was excited to hopefully finish recruitment with a new family I could rely on.
Since Greek life makes up only a small percent of campus, finding online advice for recruitment at GW was few and far between. Many articles prepared me for a long, grueling process that involved standing in the sun and navigating sorority housing, however, seeing as recruitment takes place in January at GW, this wasn't exactly helpful. In actuality, during recruitment, I waited in Betts Theatre with 600 other girls all waiting to find our homes on campus.
Each day PNMs, or potential new members, would be given a schedule of sororities to visit within Marvin Center. From there, we would enter different rooms depending on which sorority we were seeing and while each one was different, one thing remained the same- the chanting. While overwhelming at first, I can guarantee that by the end of recruitment you will know every chant and they will be impossible to forget.
As the days continued, the number of houses PNMs would visit would begin to decrease which was the main source of my anxiety as PNMs aren't allowed to know their schedule until arriving at Marvin and handing over their phone for the remainder of the day. I was always nervous to see my schedule as I feared that I would not be asked back to my top choice sororities.
Luckily, I was mostly happy with the houses I continued to go back to each night. I found myself excited to have longer conversations with girls I could really see myself forming friendships with. The key to keeping sane throughout recruitment is knowing that when you're dropped from a certain sorority, it's never because there is a problem with you.
The sisters know who would fit in their sorority and while a PNM can connect with one sister, she may not fit in with the majority of the other girls. It's important to know that while it may hurt to be dropped from a sorority you like, there are most likely others who want to see you back.
Recruitment is definitely difficult, I'm not going to lie. Feelings will be hurt and some girls will drop out of the process, but it's important to keep an open mind. After being in Marvin for days and wondering if time was even real at some points, it all becomes worth it once you make it to Bid day. Bid day was one of the most amazing experiences for me. I can't even describe the feeling of running into the arms of the girls you will soon call family as they cheer and sing.
I was lucky enough to run home to Phi Sigma Sigma! While I have only been apart of Phi Sig for a few weeks, all of the girls have made me feel so welcome and loved. For anyone questioning if they should go through recruitment, whether here or at GW, I highly recommend it as it is one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had the pleasure of having.
