Before I share my ending I just wanted to shed some wisdom or advice for anyone who might come across my thread when trying to find out about recruitment at ole miss or any competitive school.

I'm sure this has been said before but I feel like I can't go without saying this,

Don't lose yourself in the process. I know this has probably been said countless times but I can't reiterate enough how important this is. Cuts hurt, bad. Its rejection in its purest form and it stings no matter what. I always saw myself as someone who people loved to be around and I was extremely well liked in high school. When I looked at my invitation card the first day I felt like I wasn't that girl anymore. And after getting another cut I felt like I didn't know myself as well as I thought I had. But please just remember these cuts are not a reflection of who you are. No matter how many houses you get back on your list you are still the same person you where before you started recruitment. My self confidence took a major hit that honestly, I am still recovering from. These cuts can be extremely arbitrary and awfully political and if you're someone like me, recruitment is a numbers game that 9 times out of 10, you will come up short on. Just don't let this process get you down and change who you think you are.

I will step off my soap box now

I'm so glad you stuck it through, even with the harsh cuts. And I think your words of wisdom are very wise indeed.

Can't wait to hear the rest of your story!

{{ Big hug }} for you! You have learned some valuable, if painful, lessons. Please also remember that the chapters that cut you were NOT saying that they didn't like you or that you were not "good enough." I promise, that is not what they thought. They simply could not invite EVERY PNM back and had to make some very hard choices. Rush can get you down. Please get back up and shrug it off!

Can't wait to hear about Pref...... now, please :D

What great advice! Love the recap! Can't wait to see the end!

So Bid Day rolls around and I'm still a little down about Laser Lemon, the cut CUT deep! I made my way over to the grove to receive my bid. After the gamma chi reveal I was handed my bid to.....


JAZZBERRY JAM (will keep actual name private for anonmity)


At that moment it hit me, no I wasn't running home to laser lemon, a group full of girls who were like me but instead I was going somewhere where I was accepted. Jazzberry Jam wanted ME, I was running home to a group who wanted ME in their sisterhood and I couldn't be more excited. I realized I don't need to be surrounded by people similar to me to make good friendships but instead I just needed to be around people who accepted me and wanted to get to know me.

So here's to the most stressful week of my life. Can we start handing out "I Survived Ole Miss Rush" shirts at Bid Day? I think this week warrants one.

All of this can never be said enough.

I know that this was hard (as it is for many girls), but I can promise you this: recruitment is not the last time in your life that you'll feel the pain of rejection. Fortunately for you, you'll be better prepared for it the next time around. You'll be turned down by jobs, you'll be turned down by people you're attracted to, you might even find as time goes on that you're "turned down" by friends that you've known for years. It happens. But there are also so many amazingly great things that happen in between that make up for all the other crap.

I know that the process isn't always an easy one, but I'm sure in 5 years you'll look back on this and actually appreciate the experience. Your "failures" and disappointments will teach you a lot about life and about yourself.

I hope that you found your sorority home! :)

ETA:

Congrats! You truly have a great attitude. I hope that Jazzberry Jam is (perhaps unexpectedly) everything you've ever wanted in a sorority experience! I hear those Ole Miss chapters are pretty awesome ;)

You have an AMAZING attitude. Tell your parents they did a great job raising an empathetic, self-confident young woman.

A couple years from now, it may become apparent that you made far more of a mark in JJ than you could have ever made in LL.

Congratulations on finding your home!!! I hope you'll stick around on GreekChat -- I think you will find many kindred spirits here. :)

What an amazing story; and your insight is remarkable. I wish you many years of happiness in your new home. Please stay with us and share when you can!

LOL, only if you hand them out to all the mothers, too.

My sister and her friends had shirts made when they went through rush in 2000 at Ole Miss that said that! They put all of their favorite sayings from rush week on the shirt. They were really cute.

I'm glad it all worked out for you! I hope you enjoy your new sisterhood and be sure to have lots of fun! Hotty Toddy!

Congratulations! I echo what everyone else has said about your attitude and all the benefits it's going to bring you. You've already done a big part of the growing up that you go to college to achieve. Bravo.

Congratulations-you DID survive! I hope that as the weeks go on, you fall in love with your sorority. Please come back and let us know how things are going.

Congratulations,anonreb, on surviving Ole Miss recruitment and congratulations to Jazzberry Jam who now has an amazingly insightful new sister!

Congratulations to you and Jazzberry Jam!