The thought of joining a sorority in the spring can be incredibly scary. Joining a pledge class with girls who have already established friendships, wondering how well you will fit in, and even trying to figure out how you can let sororities know that you are an interested candidate for spring recruitment can be daunting. Informal recruitment can be made out to be a secret, taboo topic. Although every house goes about the process differently (some houses don’t even participate), deciding to at least tryout informally rushing could end up being the best idea of your college career.
If you went through formal recruitment in the fall and ended up dropping or not joining a house for whatever reason, the thought of going through the recruitment process yet again seems exhausting - especially when you know it may end in disappointment. I also know girls that did not do formal recruitment at all, joined a house in the spring and loved it.
If you went through the formal recruitment process, you’ll probably be glad to know that spring recruitment is much more laid-back and intimate. Instead of being with a group of 30 girls running from house-to-house, you’ll likely be invited to come over to the chapter house or go to some public venue, like frozen yogurt, to casually talk to a few active members. Recruitment second semester actually comes a lot easier when you’ve had the entire first semester to adjust to campus, join clubs, take a few classes and make friends. In my experience, I ended up receiving an email from the Vice President of Recruitment of a chapter at my school where I knew no one. They extended an invitation to come over to the house to talk and get to know the girls. Honestly, I debated for a while whether or not I should go. I had wanted to join a sorority, make friends and become more involved, but diving into something unknown was scary. It turned out to be the best decision I could have ever made. Upon receiving a bid and going to the house to meet the rest of the chapter, I felt incredibly at home.
A full year after accepting my bid, I can’t imagine life or college without my sorority and the amazing friends I have made because of it. Not only are some of the girls that joined in the spring with me now my very best friends, but girls that joined in the fall also welcomed me with open arms. Although they had already been together for a semester, our new group joined in without skipping a beat. I have made connections with girls that have gone deeper than any friendship I have ever had, become close to girls that have completely different backgrounds and interests than I do and met people that I now cannot live without. Just because you did not join in the fall does not mean that you can’t get the full benefits and experiences of your sorority. I have made connections within my own chapter, and I have also met amazing friends through Greek philanthropy and social events. A process that initially terrified me ended up in me finding my home.
