Grey's Anatomy Recruitment Story

[blue11]

I’ve lurked on this website for months in preparation and excitement for my own recruitment experience. Now that I’ve gone through recruitment and found a home, I’m excited to share with you all!

Some back story: I’m the first in my family to attend an university, so obviously the first to rush. I knew the general idea of how recruitment worked through some older friends who had gone greek at their universities, but I spent countless hours first semester freshman year researching and reading different articles and posts on this website. My school goes through deferred recruitment, so the entire first semester is dedicated to informal rush events called mixers. They were held in the evening and each sorority had a different week and day. At my school, we’re encouraged to meet as many girls as we could and to let those friendship grow naturally. I loved this because I got a better idea of what each sorority was really like, but it became frustrating because as the semester went on, I began to fall in love with a particular sorority! Every mixer I went to, I felt like these girls were friends that I had known for life. Their philanthropy was also very close to my heart and was very closely related to the career I intend to go into, so I’m obviously very passionate about it. I knew from reading about recruitment that I needed to keep an open mind, which although I had a specific group that I really loved, I also had a few others that I had made very strong connections with and would love to be a part of and I plan to enter recruitment excited to get to know every chapter! Going into recruitment however, the ones I was most interested in were Christina, Derek, Izzie, Meredith, and George.

I decided to theme my recruitment story after Grey’s Anatomy because its my favorite of all shows.

Bailey
Karev
Christina
Derek
Meredith
Webber
Izzie
George

I have the first two parties all typed up and working on the rest, so I'll post those soon and hopefully the rest tomorrow on my lunch break!! Recruitment was such a great experience and I am so glad I chose to go through it and stick with it! I can't wait to share my experiences with you all!!

[blue11]

**Side note - I found it SO hard to be brief in my descriptions of some of my experiences…I’ve italicized some of the main points/feelings in each party because I realize that not everybody is going to want to read a novel about my recruitment week. I apologize, I tried to cut down as much as I could!!

My first party was Meredith and I was SUPER excited to go here because I had such a great time at their mixers in the fall, but I was very nervous since it was my first party and I didn’t know what to expect. The girl that picked me up at the door was honestly my favorite person to talk to out of the whole day. We got along so well and had so much in common and the conversation just went so naturally that we talked the entire time and it went by so fast. She introduced me to a few other girls and her big, who was also super sweet!! She also told me a little about their philanthropy, because it was so closely related to my major. I honestly didn't want to leave this party, and I was really praying that I’d get to go back!

Next was my group’s turn to be in the break room, and that break felt like forever because after I had been to one party and I knew what to expect, I just wanted to go to them all! The first day was honestly so much fun.

Next, we went to Derek. They passed me around a lot in that room but it was so fun to meet so many people….they’re all kind of a blur but all of my conversations were great and I really enjoyed myself!

After Derek we went to George. I’m going to go ahead and lump Webber in with George because they were really similar experiences…the girls I got to talk to in these chapters were super sweet and the conversations were great and so were their songs, but neither really stood out to me like some of the others did. I wouldn’t mind going back to either but I didn’t leave really excited about them as I did for Meredith and Derek.

We took a lunch break after George and then on to Bailey. Just being completely honest here - I didn’t really love this chapter but I think it was just the girl I talked to the majority of the time. It just kinda seemed like she had a checklist of questions to ask me and the conversation didn’t really flow…she would just ask me a question, I would answer, and then she would quickly ask me another, completely non-related question. Granted, this could be the way they were told to talk to us, but it just really didn’t seem natural and it was kind of awkward. Plus, she asked me a kinda personal question that was really uncomfortable for me to answer in a good way. I ended up just being very vague and kinda lying, because the answer to that question for me is so complicated and not a “rush” conversation, but I honestly was caught off guard and didn’t really know what to say!! The second girl I talked to was really nice though and the conversation flowed so much better…I wasn’t super excited about this house.

Next was Christina….I loved these girls and my time in this chapter so much!!! The girl that picked me up participated in the same activity as I did in high school so we really bonded over that, and the girl I was passed onto next I had actually met before at a mixer!! It was really good to talk to her and she remembered a lot of little things we had talked about before and asked me how they went, which really stood out to me because you meet so many girls at those events. I got passed on to really nice girls and clicked with them all. I was sad to leave here too…

After that, we went to Karev, then Izzie, then Webber. This was towards the end of the day so they honestly just all kind of blur together at this point…Webber was the party that shocked me the most. Going into recruitment, I kinda listened to tent talk about this chapter and never thought I would ever even enjoy myself here but I really did. I didn’t know if I would end up fitting in here, but I was willing to find out. I also enjoyed myself in Karev and Izzie.

The day was SO long and by party #6 I was really regretting not listening to some of the advice I read on here about bringing something to write notes on and jotting your thoughts about each party, because they were all starting to kind of blend together!! But my recruitment group counselors told us not to bring anything, so I didn’t…but definitely wish I would have.
I definitely knew I really wanted to go back to Meredith, Derek, Christina, Izzie, and Karev. I wasn’t really feeling Bailey today, so I knew I wouldn’t put them in my top 6. I was having a really hard time choosing between George and Webber because they were really equal experiences to me. I decided to rank George #1 and Bailey #2 for my bottom two and knew I would be happy going back to either George or Webber.

[hockeyfan]

I love this! I am currently going through recruitment myself so it's super cool to read someone else's experience! I also ended up being very vague and lying at a party because a rusher asked me a question about an off-limits topic and I didn't know how to answer it without saying something inappropriate! Yikes.

Also, personally speaking, I want to read as much as you feel like saying! I would TOTALLY read a novel about your recruitment experience. So I wouldn't worry about going on for too long.

[blue11]

Originally Posted by hockeyfan

I love this! I am currently going through recruitment myself so it's super cool to read someone else's experience! I also ended up being very vague and lying at a party because a rusher asked me a question about an off-limits topic and I didn't know how to answer it without saying something inappropriate! Yikes.

Also, personally speaking, I want to read as much as you feel like saying! I would TOTALLY read a novel about your recruitment experience. So I wouldn't worry about going on for too long.

I hope you're having a great recruitment!! Thank you so much for reading...that rusher's question made me so uncomfortable, I'm sorry you had to go through the same thing!

[blue11]

Day three came and wow I didn’t sleep at all the night before…one of my really close friends had gotten a call that night and my heart was so broken for her mixed with all of my nerves… I slept maybe an hour and a half. But I got up, got ready, and went to the meeting place. Today is sisterhood day, and we could attend up to 4 parties…
I got my schedule and it read: Karev, Meredith, Christina, George!!! I was so excited!!! I almost ran to the place recruitment was being held because I was just so, so, SO excited. This week had been so eye-opening, fun, and rewarding and it was getting closer to the end and I was pumped to go back to the chapters I had such a great time in the day before!

Karev- this party lacked a little for me. I didn’t connect with the girls I was talking to today as well as I did in the days past, but I still thought maybe there was something there for me.

Meredith - the second girl I talked to in this room was so awesome!! We had so much in common and I really enjoyed talking to her. The rest of the party went well, but I didn’t get super overwhelmed with emotions as I did before. I still think this is my favorite.

Christina - I wish I could put into words how loved and cared for I felt here. So many girls came up to me just to tell me that they had heard so much about me and were praying for me and they had been so excited to me. It was really the last girl I spoke to that told me she wanted to skip the typical “rush” conversations and just take some time to really get to know me and my heart. She encouraged me and told me a lot about her experiences. I had such a good day here and I left feeling TORN…I loved both Meredith and Christina so much.

Last party of the day was George. I was picked up by the philanthropy chair (which was super exciting because, if you can’t tell, philanthropy and service is a big deal to me and I definitely would want to eventually pursue a leadership position in that) and we had such great conversations. I got to talk to several more girls including the girl I spoke to on the first day. Overall, it was a really good time. I didn’t know if it necessarily was where I belonged, but I really enjoyed myself.

At the end of the day, I put Meredith and Christina on my “preference list.” I was torn all night long about how I would ever decide if I were to be invited back to both the next day. I loved them both so much…

[OrangeJacket]

Can't wait to hear your results, blue11. Check out GirlinSpace's story--I have a feeling you two might go to the same college. But, I might be totally wrong too!

[blue11]

Day 2 is philanthropy day (and in hindsight…by far my FAVORITE day!!)
We went to meet with our groups and waited for what felt like FOREVER for our schedules. Finally, they called my name and I got my paper, stopped and said a brief prayer, and then opened it. On this day, you can be invited back to a maximum of 6 parties and I was invited back to…
Karev, Bailey, Meredith, Christina, Webber, and George
My initial thoughts were: “Yay Meredith and yay a full schedule!!!” then I realized Derek and Izzie weren’t on my list. Not gonna lie, for a split second, it really hurt. I thought I made really great connections in those rooms, not only during the first day, but in the first semester as well. I had to remind myself that so many things go into a chapter’s recruitment beyond just the girls I had connections with and that I still had my top two favorites (Meredith and Christina) and plus I got to go back to both George and Webber! This was a relief because I was worried I made the wrong choice in picking Webber over George…it didn’t end up mattering anyway!

Onto the parties…
First was Karev - the room was decorated beautifully and I really enjoyed the setup today. We were led into the room then sat down in a chair where we then got to talk to an active for a few minutes before their video was shown. Their video was really touching and I felt that it highlighted their sisterhood and passion for their philanthropy so well. After the video, I got to talk to several more active members and they were all so great. This chapter really shocked me, I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did.

Next I went to Bailey, trying to keep as open of a mind as possible even after yesterday’s rough experience. The setup was the same as in Karev’s party, and their video was really great. After the video ended (this video felt a lot shorter than the others…), we talked to some actives. I talked to 3 girls here. The first girl and I shared the same passion for traveling and it was really great getting to trade stories about that, although I felt that whenever I would ask questions about their philanthropy, she would avoid them and jump back to talking about one of her study abroad trips. The second girl was really hard to talk to…again, just like yesterday, it just seemed forced and like a checklist of questions. I didn’t really feel like she was listening to my answers, just asking each question then waiting for me to stop talking and then answering the next. It was a little uncomfortable. The last girl shared my major and I really enjoyed talking to her. Still wasn’t a chapter I was super excited about but I was open-minded to the possibility…

I was SO excited to go back to Meredith next. A really good friend of mine picked me up at the door and this was the first time I got that little feeling in my stomach that just made me think that this was right. I could go on and on about this party forever because their philanthropy is my passion and their video actually made me a little emotional and I met so many great girls and had amazing conversations but it would end up a novel, so I’ll spare y’all. I didn’t want to leave here.

Lunch break and then Christina. This was one of the only parties we had to sit on the floor in, instead of chairs for the video. I did really enjoy that the girl we were with right before the video (I had gotten passed off a few times before we started the video) sat down next to you during the video and got to explain to you their experiences with each event that was shown and tell you some of their stories from their time as a Christina. Funny, kinda embarrassing story though…when we stood up after the video was over to start our conversations again, not only my foot but my whole leg was asleep!! I had such a hard time getting up without any feeling in my left foot, and totally struggled to walk for a few minutes. Luckily, the girl I was talking to was super sweet about it and laughed it off with me. The rest of the party was great and I really felt such genuine love from each girl I talked to here. I didn’t want to leave this party either.

Webber was next. Their video was so fun and they were having so much fun while it was playing. However, the conversation wasn’t great. The girl I was talking to seemed SO disinterested, kept looking around, and I felt like the conversation was so one-sided…me talking, her nodding, me trying to ask questions to get the conversation going, her answering really short…ugh it was so awful! I was really counting down the minutes until I got to leave!

My last party of the day was George. I was so thankful that although the cuts from Derek and Izzie hurt, I was able to go back here because I had such a great day here! I wish I could describe to you what their party was themed like but it would totally give away the sorority, but it was seriously awesome. I got paired up with some of the sweetest girls and their passion about their philanthropy really touched me. I really enjoyed my time in George.

My decision was easier today. I knew without a doubt that I wanted to go back to Meredith, Christina, George, and Karev. I just had such a great time there. I ranked Webber as 1 and Bailey as 2 for my “regrets.”

[blue11]

Originally Posted by OrangeJacket

Can't wait to hear your results, blue11. Check out GirlinSpace's story--I have a feeling you two might go to the same college. But, I might be totally wrong too!

I just read hers... I think we do too. I'll have to message her to find out!

[FSUZeta]

Can't wait for an update!

[blue11]

Sorry for the delay...I meant to post my last (and final) update last night but I got home super late from our sisterhood event. My bad

Pref day came. I felt such a peace when I woke up this morning - I didn’t have any idea what that peace meant, but I had prayed the night before for a peace of mind and thats what I had. After getting ready, lots of pictures in our pretty dresses, and braving the BELOW FREEZING temperatures to our meeting place, I met my recruitment group counselors to get our *final* schedules. I got my list and it read………
Meredith!!!!

I can’t really explain to you my emotions in that moment. I prayed to God for peace and clarity, and that I would end up in the place He had for me, and I was BEYOND excited that I was going back to my absolute favorite on preference day. But it still kinda hurt getting dropped from Christina. I was also super nervous about not getting a bid at all, since I only was going to one pref day party. I said a prayer and handed it all back over to God, telling myself that worrying would not help me. The excitement came back to me and I was so anxious to go back to Meredith. I had a two hour break before it was time though…

It was finally my turn and I was shaking walking in. I sat down with one of my really good friends and got to talk for a few minutes before the ceremony started. The ceremony was so beautiful and they made it really special for us PNMs. I became very emotional during parts of it. I got to sit and talk to one of my friends about what the chapter meant to her and what it could possibly mean to me. It was a very touching experience and every little detail was perfect. I walked out knowing that even if I would've had gone back to Christina, this is where I belonged.

So the wait began. At my school, our recruitment counselors call around 8-10pm that night if we didn't receive a bid. I waited very nervously to see if I would get a call. I was so nervous because although I had some I was interested in coming into the process, I really just wanted to be a part of any sorority. I had heard such amazing things about the sisterhood and opportunities and it was something I wanted to be a part of so bad.

10pm came and still no call from my recruitment counselor. I decided to wait it out until 11 before I got too excited. No call ever came.

The next morning was a whirlwind of emotions. I knew which sorority I would be receiving a bid from, so I didn't have the nerves like some of my friends, but I was very anxious to run home to my new sisters!!
I was the last group to open our bid cards, and afterwards the celebration began! Just in this first week of being in a sorority alone has been so great and I've been shown so much love. I've met amazing people and I'm enjoying myself so much. I can't wait to see what the next few years hold for me as a......



Kappa Alpha Theta!!!

[TLLK]

Congratulations on receiving your bid from Theta!

[IrishLake]

Originally Posted by blue11

I was the last group to open our bid cards, and afterwards the celebration began! Just in this first week of being in a sorority alone has been so great and I've been shown so much love. I've met amazing people and I'm enjoying myself so much. I can't wait to see what the next few years hold for me as a......



Kappa Alpha Theta!!!

Wonderful! Congratulations and welcome to our sisterhood!

[AZTheta]

"Remember the black and gold dear, remember the kites we fly..."

Congratulations!

[GirlinSpace]

Congrats, Blue11!

[OrangeJacket]

Congratulations on Theta, Blue11. I've always loved the Thetas I known (one of whom is my sister in law and another was a bridesmaid in my wedding).

Alpha Phi