Cut by All but 2 houses after Round 1....
 

DD went through recruitment recently as a freshman, having dreamed of being in a sorority since about the age of 10, with the thought ever stronger, every year. It was something I was not familiar with, I never went Greek nor rushed when I went to college, I was already a busy Mama with her big brother :)
Anyway, DD seemed pretty sure of what goes on during recruitment, so my basic research prior to rush week, netted me a boatload of fashion tips, and Ta-Da...wardrobe assembled....during shopping DD would say, "we don't have to get all of that", when looking at necklaces, earrings etc...I only have to be me Mom, and you know I hate that stuff....O-KAYYY....my goal, I let her know was for her to have what she needed for each round, so she wouldn't stress about what to wear, and could relax and just be herself....(we did not buy any jewelry):(
So to take a moment, my DD is/was a 3.65 gpa, National Honor Society student, she was a cheerleader, the homecoming queen, the "package" so to speak, but 98% of the girls in recruitment are the "package" too! She is sweet, sincere, funny, loyal, and extremely down to earth...jeez...what's not to love???;) She also has a lot of anxiety about meeting new people, or talking to anyone she doesn't know....had spent a week on campus and only made 2 or 3 connections....she calls me frequently, we have always been close, but at this point I am worried she is leaning on me a little, but I am just going to keep an eye on it ...hmmmm and she wants to WHAT???? Go through recruitment???? Ik...my stress was over the moon

I don't understand this post.

I don't either.

This is why I don't drink boxed wine.

So, she went to the first nights meeting, and listened to orientation, received her LARGE tshirt..(which you can only roll the sleeves, not cut or knot the bottom..it tucked to her knees in her pants lol) and proceeded to several of the houses that night...really liked one, and liked the other...next morning up bright and early, she was off for a very long day to finish round one.
She texted me between houses, little blurbs....abc was SO SWEET!!!, DEF's house was BEAUTIFUL...they are number 1, omg I loved loved loved the girls in XYZ, as well as a few houses that conversation lagged, or she didn't feel really comfortable even if the conversation was good...JKL was really nice, but I don't see myself there, when asked to explain it later that night she said I don't know how to explain it about ones she ranked bottom 3, she just said she knew she wouldn't fit in right with the girls....and she is very much not a superiority princess...I just said ok...round 2 let's see what you get back...her hopes were for in order
DEF
XYZ
LMN
JKL
the rest fall wherever, as the title of the thread says it all:)
Round 2
She has picked out her outfit, I have picked up her laundry :) and she texts me that she ONLY GOT 2 HOUSES BACK!!!!
Hmm..well...wow...did not see it coming from the way she talked about round 1, so I ask...which ones DD?
XYZ
JKL
ok, I tell her, thinking fast here, you got 2 of your favorites back
But I didn't get my number 1 DEF
Think about it honey...you gushed about DEFs HOUSE, you didn't gush about conversations with the girls..
Nooooo....I really liked them....
Well, you have 2 back, you actually are going to be able to really focus on the girls in those houses, and finding personal connections with them...they wanted you back! And they were amongst your top choices so that's a good thing....
Mom...you know this means even my bottom 3 didn't invite me back, or they would have come back on my list...(no flies on this child)
That doesn't matter love, you didn't feel comfortable there anyway...
But still...
No but stills, think of it this way...all of these girls have to go back with full dance cards, and make rankings and decisions that could eliminate them from where they want to be, you don't have to stress over tjose choices, you just have to hold on to your houses till Preference round
But I wanted to make those choices...that's why they call it mutual selection (insert sarcasm and sadness all in one)
I know love, you just remember that the 2 on your list ARE by mutual selection

My DD then went through round 3, and fell more in love with XYZ, but still liked JKL, she had great conversations with the girls at XYZ, about anything and everything from their philanthropy to roller coasters and you name it in between, she said she left the house really happy, JKL was good, but she was now heart set on XYZ.....Preference day came, with many calls to me that morning, and finally I got the call...she got back
XYZ
JKL
I felt like I could breathe a little...
She went to both parties, loved them both, but was heart set on XYZ
Bid day came and she received no call,
She texted me when she had her envelope while they were all waiting to open them...she could see right through it
XYZ!
Excited for her, relieved, happy she has found her home and family....it was the first night she did not call and talk to me or text me after one photo sent, since she got on campus...
As a mom, this has been very stressful, watching her go through it, it still amazes me that a girl who can be so hesitant sometimes was so ready to go through this adventure
My worries for her being dropped were largely abated when I stumbled on this thread, trying to understand the recruitment process...I can only say to the lovely ladies here, Thanks for having provided such a wealth of information....it helped me steer her when doubts arose, and the only thing I had wished I had found was something that matched my search lol...cut by all but 2 houses...so i put it in the title...
Lessons learned....
Be yourself
Mutual selection is a pretty interesting process, I actually think she might have had it easy the way it unfolded in the end
Take a backseat as a Mom, and trust your child to navigate...they can do it!
Listen to the advice found on the GC, much of it was invaluable for the blind going into it
Thank You Ladies!

Glad she found her home with XYZ. :) Do you mind letting use know who the XYZs are? :D

Chi O!
Apologies for the title....(guide was a bad word choice, and although it is edited, I still see it on the thread list, but not in post when you click in...sigh)
What I wanted to convey was that nothing is over until the final day, and that sometimes, early cuts are actually a blessing, making SOME of the process better, while some of the angst may seem worse
You just have to remain positive, and let your personality shine through :)

That makes me think of a new Kappa Alpha Theta at Auburn who wrote a blog post thanking all the other houses for cutting her because that helped her find her new home. You can use the search feature, probably, and find it. :)

Congrats to your daughter!
I helped a young lady obtain recs for her SEC school. Her situation was similar your daughter. After the first round, she was cut by all but 2. I convinced her to hang in there because ONE IS ALL YOU NEED!

She was only invited to one pref. Needless to say, she is a very happy new member of her sorority

So the lesson learned is: ALL YOU NEED IS ONE! :)

Wonderful -- your daughter found a home at Chi Omega!
Well, I'm all for it!
Congratulations and welcome to the sisterhood!

I wish there was a way to take the horse race aspect out of rush. I contend that the day after rush is over most girls would be perfectly happy in almost any house. But tell them that they day before rush is over and they'd look at you like you have 2 heads. Because what happens next is so so so important to get "right."

So happy to see a Chi Omega ending! Welcoming your DD to the Chi O sisterhood.
It's been 51 years for me. :-)

I agree!! and I also agree that --especially at highly competitive recruitments with new member classes of 100, 150+-- you could literally put different letter shirts on NM classes and never know the difference in personality, looks, activities or grades.

Congrats OP to your Chi Omega daughter! Hanging in there is definitely a good idea, as she proved. I hope she loves every minute of a great organization!

It is amazing what a difference a week makes! DD went from keeping to herself, and calling/texting multiple times a day to infrequent, quick hellos, and random texts..not that I don't want to talk to her, I just want her exploring HER world, and making HER memories <3 I think Sisterhood is going to be one of the best things that has happened in her world....what a relief!