Sorority recruitment is the strangest experience I have ever had. There is literally nothing in the world like it. I was incredibly nervous for rush and had no idea what I was getting myself into; So naturally, I read every single article that has ever been published on going through rush and what I was supposed to do. I was shocked at how many of the articles basically advised me to be nothing like who I really am. So here are some helpful DOs/ DON'Ts for all you PNMs out there who are just as nervous/clueless/horrified of recruitment as I was.

DO:

1. Research the different chapters at your university to make sure you are able to fulfill their individual financial requirements.
2. Follow any given dress code requirements, but don't wear what you think all sorority girls wear. Dress the way you dress. Sororities want to get to know you.
3. Bring extra deodorant, mints, tampons, and makeup to touch up between parties. There is no such thing as being over-prepared.
4. Ask questions you actually want to know the answers to. Don't be afraid to really dig deep.
5. Make notes after each party. After meeting 30 girls from different sororities on a hot August day, everything starts to blur together, so write down what you really think while its fresh in your mind!
6. Have a positive attitude. Rush is really stressful and emotional, but try to stay level headed and reasonable.
7. Be the best version of yourself. You don't have to lie or pretend to be perfect, but treat this like meeting your boyfriend's mom for the first time. Put your best foot forward.
8. Make yourself stand out, but don't come off as braggy or egocentric. I know its a fine line to walk, but you want to give these girls a way to remember you, because they are meeting new girls every round, and its easy to forget people.
9. Eat and stay hydrated. Don't skip breakfast because you want to look that much smaller. Don't be that girl who passes out. Just don't.

DON'T:

1. Talk about mutual friends/acquaintances with the woman who is rushing you. Nothing interesting comes from a conversation about knowing all the same people from the high school you just graduated from.
2. Talk about how much you drink and party. Not cute.
3. Lie. Don't lie about your GPA, your interests, or your accomplishments. This is detrimental in two ways: 1) The truth always comes out and you will look bad, and 2) You are only hurting yourself. You want to be in a sorority that is a good fit for you, not the fake version of you.
4. Talk about how much you loved/hated another sorority you visited. Odds are the members aren't allowed to contribute to that conversation anyway, so just spare yourself the awkward silence.
5. Talk about how much you love your boyfriend/ sleeping around. No one wants to hear about that.
6. Give too much importance to being a legacy. Yes, tradition is absolutely important. But sororities are different from school to school, and making yourself miserable for four years just because your mom was the right fit even though you might not be is not worth it. Your mom will get over it eventually, but you will never get those years back.
7. Ask about how they chose who gets a bid and who doesn't. Thats awkward for everyone. All sororities work differently, and its all under ritual, so even if they wanted to tell you, they couldn't.
8. Talk too much about your experience or opinion of different sororities to your friends who are also rushing. Just because you had a bad experience doesn't mean they did, so don't ruin it for them.
9. Be afraid to ask to go to the bathroom if you are in the middle of the party. It sounds weird, but seriously, you gotta do what you gotta do, whether it happens in their bathroom or in your dress.
10. Don't cuss. Like duh.

Finally,

Don't stress over it too much. It may sound crazy, but recruitment has this crazy way of putting you exactly where you are supposed to be. Trust the system. And trust yourself. Keep an open mind about all the houses, regardless of what their reputations may be. Be true to who you are and represent yourself well. If you do those two things you will be where you should be and you will have the best four years of your life surrounded by amazing women.