Recruitment is such a fun way to start off the school year- you meet brand new friends going through exactly what you are, you look pretty, and you talk to really cool girls. It's hot and it's humid, but who cares. This process is meant to be fun, it's meant to allow you to show off your personality to strangers in hopes of finding like-minded people. We dress to impress. We talk of a resume no one cares about. And we cover our feet in bandaids from high heel blisters. It's the most beautiful time of the year.

I spent 2 weeks in Europe and 5 weeks at camp before recruitment leaving most of my recruitment planning and outfit design to my wonderful mom. She helped get everything together because I only had a few days before move in to figure out everything else. For most, this is a time of choosing your style, how you choose to express yourself while remaining functional, but to me, it was a time of being stressed over what would fit and what I needed to iron. I loved what I wore during rush even if it wasn't my own choosing. My mom did great on this one.

Secure the Bag:

Bring a small purse or cross body bag to hold all the essentials. Pack a fan that runs on batteries or plugs in your phone to cool you down when you're standing with the sun in your face on the sidewalk. Bring a pack of mints. Gum makes you look rude and you don't have the ability to pop it in and out at every house. Take a mint or two and suck on them while you wait in line before walking into what could be YOUR sorority house. Bring moleskin- it helps blisters in a way that bandaids could never. Brint a little body spray to cover up how sweaty you feel- and probably smell. Bring a lipstick and maybe a mirror to reapply. Oil blotting sheets or powder is great if you have oily skin to prevent your makeup from breaking apart. You also are going to need a place to keep your index cards, so keep a pen, a few extra just in case, and organize them to your schedule!

Round One:

Round Two:

Dress it up a little more and be prepared to run. This round is when you start narrowing down what is right for you. AKA- you won't be going in a circle, you will be sprinting from house to house. Wear comfortable shoes, be even more prepared for heat, and have pieces you can talk about. This round is all about philanthropy, it's cool to be able to talk about what's important to you, what you care about, what hits close to home, and what you're passionate about helping. This does not mean you should memorize your resume and spend the entire time talking about community service like its an interview. People want to get to know you- they already have your resume. Get to know them, show them what you care about and not what your mom forced you to sign up for.

I wore a gingham dress that I got from Venice, Italy. This worked as a conversation piece to talk about traveling and bond over something that interested me.

On the next day, I wore a red ruffle dress that allowed me to talk about gamedays, football, and my love for the dawgs. This helped me to facilitate conversations.

Round Three:

House tours baby!!!! This round, you will be walking up and down stairs, so it might be time to leave your high heels at home and stick to platforms. You get to wear a t-shirt!!!!!!! This is a comfy round, but even more important to show who you are. Think about if you could be getting dressed in one of these rooms one day. Throw on fun pants, a cute skirt, dress it up with a bracelet or fun jewelry. Everyone will be looking the same, so you need to focus on standing out with what you say. Don't make anything up to try to impress them, but if they're impressing you, communicate that. You want to leave an impression. Be intentional.

I wore a bralette, a white denim skirt that matched, a necklace with my zodiac sign, and Alex and Ani bracelets for important moments of my life!

Round Four:

Prefs!!!! This is when you have your top sororities in the lineup. This is when you choose your favorite and begin to finish up deciding where you see yourself fitting in. You won't be walking near as much, so wear a nice pair of heels. Where a black dress that is flattering. Everyone will be in black attire, for the most part, so make your conversation stand out more than how high your heels are that you can barely walk in. Focus on where you want to be and why. This isn't about labels or Greek alphabets- it's about finding a place where you will fit in most so they can support you the most. Trust the process.

I wore a detailed black dress with Tiffany and Co jewelry and ruffle black heels. I wore my hair down and straight and focused on getting deeper with who I was talking to. No one cares where you got your dress, they care about who you are- the dress details can come later.

Bid Day:

Wear a white dress. Pack clothes to change into- you won't want to be sweating to death on the long with your bid day shirt over your dress. Bring shorts and a sports bra and go nuts!!! You made it!

I wore an off the shoulder white dress and FaceTimed my family when I flipped over my card!

The truth of the matter is, what you wear doesn't matter as much as who you are. Dress yourself in your values. Be clothed in your personality. Slip on your smile. Buckle your best self and do the damn thing. This isn't about who owns a real Gucci belt or if you can pronounce the knock-off designer brand you're wearing. This is about who you are. Be the truest form of yourself because in the first time in a while, no one cares who you were in high school. They want to see who you are now, and they want to see if you would be happy there if you would fit in, if you would find friends, if you would be supported, if you would be loved, and if you're dropped- they know you'll find that somewhere else. And you will.