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Old 12-01-2015, 04:42 PM
southerngirl8 southerngirl8 is offline
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a {SWEET} fall 2015 recruitment story

My sweet & sour sorority recruitment story. (as told by fruits)

Hey y’all! I actually went through recruitment back in September of this year, (2015) but I wrote down all of my experiences and thought I would share them with everyone. I love reading other people’s recruitment stories so why not contribute?

My school has 7 panhellenic sororities. For reference, I’m in the south but my school is not a hugely Greek school. It’s public and about 30% are Greek, if not less. I’m a freshman with a 3.2 high school GPA, great SAT’s, and I would say my looks are right in the middle. I do stay up to date with brands and such though, so I definitely wore my fair share of Kenda Scott, James Avery, Tory Burch, Jack Rogers, etc. No Lilly Pulitzer though - not a huge fan. I curled my hair and did full make-up everyday and heels everyday but the first, as well.


These are the sororities…. (in no order)
Strawberry
Peach
Apple
Grape
Blueberry
Orange
Raspberry

I had 4 rec letters, one for Strawberry , Peach (a chapter alum for this one, big deal here!), Blueberry, and Orange. I could have gotten rec letters for Apple and Grape, but from what I had heard from people who had gone through recruitment and were in these sororities/ other sororities, rec letters were absolutely not needed in Apple and Grape and would legitimately not help me. So I didn’t bother with those. I couldn’t find a rec letter for Raspberry for the life of me, so I just hoped they liked me a little extra to make up for it!


ORIENTATION (day 0?)
So today we all just sat down in a huge auditorium (not in the event center) and we watched a virtual house tour of all the houses. To be completely honest, I have my heart set on Orange. I have a close friend in the house, multiple girls from my high school are in this chapter, and I just love everything about them. I paid the most attention to their video and their president, and everyone else seemed to a little bit too. (**** added after recruitment: This was very stupid looking back. DO NOT GO IN LIKE THIS.) I also had my eye on two others, specifically Blueberry. I thought they were all so classy and their house was absolutely stunning, but I don’t know anyone in it. I was interested in one other sorority, Strawberry . I have a close friend in Strawberry , but they seem really really popular among the other PNM’s and that scares me a little. Orange seems like it may have less competition and I don’t know how I feel. I could especially see myself in those three though, as my FIRST IMPRESSION. I am open to all of them though.
I guess Orange, Blueberry, and Strawberry are considered “top tier,” Raspberry and Peach “middle” and Apple and Grape “bottom”. It was interesting to find out what the general consensus was. I will give a disclaimer: I will not pay attention to tiers from this point on (now that I know what they are.) I have an open mind, and ratings are based off of what I think my own connection with the chapter is like, not what everyone else thinks.



INTRODUCTION (day 1)
So day 1, we have all 7 sorority parties. After round 4, we have lunch that they provide for us. Our recruitment is actually in an event center, with each sorority having a large room that they decorate. The set up was like...



I know it looks weird hahaha. The hallway was kind of like a U in a way, but only some of the rooms were being used (the blank spaces have rooms in them.) Basically, Strawberry was on the total opposite side of anything else because that’s just how it worked out I guess. This is important because with all of the houses on the right side, you can hear all 4 houses start screaming when they get the “knock knock” on their door. With Strawberry and Grape to an extent, you could just hear them (which I thought was a positive effect.)

Anywho, onto day 1.

So my first round was with Grape. I liked them. I’m still so in love with Orange from the get-go… but I did do my best with conversations in this house because I wanted to maximize my options. They were kind of… I don’t know, talking to the few girls I did wasn’t great. I’m keeping my mind open but I could not see myself here. I had to ask the girls questions instead of the other way around. Rating: 5/10

Alright, second round. Strawberry . Everyone else loves them, so I’ll give them a solid chance….
And……...
I looooved their songs, chants, the way they looked (pretty diverse in my opinion), their outfits, their attitudes, their decorations. I loved loved loved them. The first girl who I talked to was actually a girl I knew from before! She’s a junior and I was so excited to get to talk to her. We are friends on facebook, snapchat, etc so she knows I have a long term boyfriend and she does as well. So she brought something up about their philanthropy and I remembered something really relevant about my boyfriend and I told her. It wasn’t a stupid story that I brought up to be like “I HAVE A BOYFRIEND YAY!” it was actually relevant, I swear! But.... I found out AFTERWARDS about the “no bible, boys, Barack, or booze” rule…. so I messed that one up. Luckily she was cool about it and we even talked about it a little, but afterwards when I found out about the rule I was absolutely mortified. I am pretty certain I ruined my chances with that house, even though I looooooved everyone and everything about it. I still have my hopes up for Orange, though……. Rating: 10/10 !!!!!! sad though because I may have messed up… we’ll see tomorrow. Could absolutely see myself here if Orange doesn’t pan out.


Third house of the day was Peach. To be honest, I don’t have much to say. I was still set on Orange and I had just come out of Strawberry which was wonderful, but the girls I talked to in Peach were very nice. That’s honestly just what it was: nice. Nothing incredibly special, but I did enjoy talking to them. Not sure how I would do here, but I’m sure I would be very happy. They are very insistent on good grades though and that may not be my strong suit. Rating: 7/10.

Fourth house of the day was Blueberry. People seem to love this house, Strawberry , and Orange the most. I liked this house very much and the conversations were good. They were all absolutely drop dead gorgeous, and everyone was really nervous before we went into their room. I had a conversation about pottery barn… for half an hour. I didn’t know how to change it. Besides the slightly awkward conversation, I liked them a lot! Very good option for me, hopefully. Rating: 8.5/10

Fifth house… oh man Apple. This one was a struggle. So like I said earlier, we had lunch after the 4th round. It was these gross sandwich things and salad, which I ate all of because I was absolutely starving. Unfortunately, they made me nauseous. Like, “oh my god I’m going to throw up” nauseous. I didn’t actually throw up but man I felt bad. That, along with this was the only house in which they made us stand (usually we got little chairs or something) made me not remember very much about the house. I was probably awful to talk to but I powered through, even with a member who wouldn’t stop asking where her “bump group” was. Afterwards, I found out that in this house if they don’t want to talk to you anymore, they put their hands behind their backs. She did that. The whole time. No one came. It was weird.
Bad experience. Rating: 4/10.

Sixth house… is… Orange!!!!! I was sooooo excited to go in. I was literally shaking when we snaked outside of their door, and I hoped that my close friend had me as her partner-thing. Unfortunately she didn’t, and I barely saw but a glimpse of her. Oh well! This is also the sixth round so everyone is getting tired. The girl who had me was insanely sweaty and out of breath. She had to stop talking a few times to take a breath and wipe her forehead. I felt really bad and offered to go get her water or something but she just waved it off. This was kind of terrifying honestly. I reaaaaally wanted this house and the convo was a little… off. Makes me nervous. Still have my heart set on them though… so I guess rating: 9/10 to a 10/10? 9.5 works.

Seventh house! God I was so tired. Don’t remember this house very well, but I did like them. This was Raspberry and my member person who I talked to was a girl from my high school. I absolutely love her to pieces, and I could totally see being her little . This is the one I don’t have a rec letter for, but from what I can tell recs don’t matter because people say they’re “middle tier.” I loved all the girls in Raspberry and their decorations, outfits, etc were super cute. Could for sure see myself here, but I may put Strawberry , Orange, and maaaaybe Blueberry ahead of them. 8/10!

Alright, so it’s the end of the first day. We get to rank 6 houses as “1,” and 1 house as “2,”.

Orange 1
Peach 1
Strawberry 1
Blueberry 1
Raspberry 1
Apple 1
Grape 2







Philanthropy Day (day 2)

Alright, I got my schedule back. And I’m sad. I actually didn’t cry, but mostly because I didn’t want to mess up my makeup. Orange cut me… so I still had almost a full schedule because Grape and Apple asked for me back. Orange cut me because grades. They supposedly auto-cut everyone below a 3.25 high school GPA….. I was so close!!!! I had no chance to begin with. They’re 2nd in grades and this year they want to be first, so the cuts were based 100% off of grades and not on anything else. Blueberry cut me as well, for which I am not sure. Didn’t much matter to me, honestly… I didn’t like them too much anyway.
I do feel very lucky to have almost a full schedule (5/7 houses, and 6 houses possible for this round). Very few people do, and I am happy with what I have. Just gotta keep a smile on for the rest of the houses…

Also I can’t believe Strawberry didn’t cut me for the “boyfriend” story!!!!!!!! Thank. Freaking. GOD. I can’t believe I nearly blew it, but the girl rushing me must not have thought it was a faux pas. Thank god.

So. New plan!!!! I am hoping for Strawberry or Raspberry now. I honestly loved them at first and I let Orange cloud my judgement and now I’m going with just what my instincts are saying from the actual recruitment parties. I would love to be in Peach as well. I didn’t write too much here… I was really bummed from Orange cutting me.

Party 1 was with Raspberry . Their philanthropy was wonderful and I can really see how connected these girls are with it. It was a beautiful presentation and I cried during it. It was for sure a tear jerker. 9/10

Party 2 was with Apple. The girl I talked to actually bad mouthed the other sororities, and asked if I had a full schedule and with who. I thought this was a no-no… so I kind of avoided the questions. Very weird. I have friends in this sorority though so I’m not sure. 6/10

Party 3 was with Strawberry . Again, they are so carefree and charming and adorable and ugh I love them. I incidentally had jewelry with their mascot (didn’t even think about it, I wear it everyday) and one of the girls noticed! Absolutely adore everyone I talked to, the atmosphere, their philanthropy…. everything was incredibly. Hoping and praying I end up here… 10/10

Party 4 was with Grape. I looove their philanthropy, but the conversations were awkward again. Their philanthropy is incredible though, so that’s something to think about. I just didn’t click well…. 5/10

Party 5 was with Peach. They were all very sweet, and I could see myself here. Maybe not as much as Raspberry or Strawberry , but I would be happy here. Their philanthropy was very interesting as well and I could see myself being very involved with it. 8/10

So we were asked to rank four houses as 1, one house as 2 and one house as 3. I had 5 instead of 6 houses, so I just did 1’s and a 2.

Peach 1
Apple 1
Raspberry 1
Strawberry 1
Grape 2

Let’s see how tomorrow goes….








Skit day (DAY 3)

AHHHHHHHH I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday started in tears and I am so lucky that today started with my grabbing my Recruitment Counselor into a giant hug. She saw my schedule before me, and looked at me with a huge smile saying “you’ll be happy, you have a full schedule!!!”

I have Strawberry , Apple, Raspberry , and Peach!!!! My top 4 from yesterday! I’ve realized overnight that I reallllly want Strawberry . I’m keeping an open mind but I’m hoping that things go according to what I want them to…

Party 1 was with Strawberry ! Loved their skit to pieces, loved them, they had these adorable dresses on and they were all so sweet and welcoming. I even found out one of the active members spent the summer where I lived for 8 years and we had a LOT in common. I’m thinking this place could be my home. I really, really hope they love me as much as I love them. I also talked to a girl who I really liked and could see her as my future big……….. here’s hoping. 10/10 of course

Party 2 was with Raspberry . Loved them! Not as much as Strawberry but I could see myself here. Their skit wasn’t quite as good as Strawberry ’s but it was still funny and cute. Definitely #2 in my book.

Party 3 was with Apple. Again… meh. Their skit was disorganized and not well practiced. Their room was a little dark and gloomy. I got a bad impression today but I could still be happy here, I’m sure.

Party 4 was with Peach. Loved their skit to death, and they are all so talented! They had singers, dancers, everything. I would say they’re tied with Raspberry for #2 right now.

I feel so darn lucky that I would be 100% in ¾ of the houses I have left. I would accept a bid from Apple as well but I’d have to think long and hard about it. The other 3 would be a no brainer if any of them wanted me!

We have pref tomorrow, and we get to take 2 houses. So after considering it long and hard, I decided to cut Peach and Apple. My heart broke a little to cut Peach because I did really enjoy their company, but the grades being SUPER important made me prefer Raspberry .

Strawberry 1
Raspberry 1
Peach 2
Apple 3


Let’s see how tomorrow goes!










Pref night (day 4)

I showed up to the auditorium (not at the event center anymore, we’re going to their houses now! Finally…) and I was so nervous. I was actually shaking and I couldn’t stay still until I got my schedule 30 minutes after I got there. My recruitment counselor saw my schedule, looked at me with a little smirk and said “Good luck, hun.” I was so confused until I saw…..

Strawberry and Raspberry !!!!!!! Another full schedule, with my top 2 houses!

I again ran and gave her a hug and had to go to the bathroom to fix my make-up. From what everyone else told me, people rarely get cut after pref night so I was close to being in the clear. However, about 20% do get cut pref night supposedly so I wasn’t exactly as well off as I thought.

I had Raspberry first, which is important because it influenced my decision in a way. I went to their house, which is a mansion basically, and I went through pref. They told some stories that made the actives cry and one story especially hit home. I definitely cried too, not even ashamed. Is crying a good sign? Not sure… I think so? The girl who preffed me I’d had in an earlier round, and she was so sweet. I know this is the round where we are supposed to say either “I’m torn,” “I want to be here,” or “I’d like to be somewhere else.” At this house, I said “I’m torn” but I also said I would absolutely love to be in Raspberry . I was still pretty set on Strawberry though.

Next party was obviously…. Strawberry ! We went to their house and their house is a little smaller so the room was ridiculously hot. Also, the girl who preffed me I hadn’t met before and she was a tiny bit awkward. I think we just didn’t have much in common, but it was a little scary for me that the girl who may or may not decide my fate in the house was a complete stranger. Their pref night was beautiful and I did enjoy it.

Now here's for the hard part. I was done with parties by 10:00, but I didn't put in my answer until nearly 1 am. I honestly was so torn. I loved Strawberry of course but I cried at Raspberry 's. It took me a few hours to realize that just because I cried from a tearjerk story doesn't mean I like it more. I was absolutely torn after pref and I honestly just had to realize that I'd loved Strawberry the whole week, so I couldn't base it just off of pref. It was an incredibly hard decision for me and a few tears were shed.

Strawberry 1
Raspberry 2

I figured if Strawberry cut me and I ended up in Raspberry , that's fate and that's where I'm meant to be. I feel so freaking lucky that I had two pref houses I loved. A few girls I know suicided and that terrifies me. I'm so happy I ended up with two I would be totally happy in.

Let's see how tomorrow goes.











BID DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (day 5)

GOD I was so nervous. I got there and was shaking when I had to sit on my envelope. I'm happy I didn't get the "you didn't get a bid" call earlier in the day. I sat down on my envelope and we waited for like 30 minutes (gosh it was tense in there) and finally the count down began... and I opened up my envelope...


I WAS OFFERED A BID BY Strawberry !!!!!!

My favorite since day 1 (kind of!!!!) I could not be happier with how this ended up!!! Cried of happiness.


~~~~~***~~~~~
It's been 3 months (recruitment was September) and I could not be happier. I do see Orange's walking around sometimes and feel a little sad but I know I'm where I'm meant to be. Strawberry is where I found my home and I love it here. I was initiated last week and my big is the girl I said I could see being my big on day 3. I am incredibly happy I had a good ending because many girls in my new member class have dropped already and lots of girls didn't get bids. I'm so happy I ended up here!!!!!!! If you're a PNM reading this, KEEP AN OPEN MIND! I had my heart set on Orange but I ended up where I belonged and I've been changed for the better because of it. The funny thing is that many people consider Strawberry to be "higher ranked" than Orange. Either way, I'm happier here than I would have been there. So yay! Happy ending!!!


(p.s. I'm a delta zeta )

Last edited by southerngirl8; 12-01-2015 at 11:43 PM.
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  #2  
Old 12-01-2015, 05:04 PM
clemsongirl clemsongirl is offline
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Congratulations! Loved your story and that you learned to keep an open mind, and that you posted it all at once
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Old 12-01-2015, 05:09 PM
southerngirl8 southerngirl8 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clemsongirl View Post
Congratulations! Loved your story and that you learned to keep an open mind, and that you posted it all at once
Thank you so much! I wasn't sure if I should post it all at once but I'm glad I did. It's a little easier to understand
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Old 12-01-2015, 06:42 PM
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honeychile honeychile is offline
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Congratulations! Great story, great outcome! It's the Berries!!
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Old 12-01-2015, 09:08 PM
chi-o_cat chi-o_cat is offline
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Thanks for sharing your story! I really like the diagram of the layout of the recruitment area.

Last edited by chi-o_cat; 12-02-2015 at 08:18 AM.
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Old 12-01-2015, 09:36 PM
DZ_Turtle86 DZ_Turtle86 is offline
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YAY! Congratulations and welcome to the family!
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Old 12-01-2015, 09:55 PM
Sciencewoman Sciencewoman is offline
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Congratulations on joining Delta Zeta! Thanks for sharing your story!
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Old 12-01-2015, 10:53 PM
LIXO LIXO is offline
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Great rush story! So happy for you
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Old 12-02-2015, 02:50 PM
Alpha O Alpha O is offline
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Congratulations on Delta Zeta!

Thanks for sharing your story with us and I'm glad that you ended up where you are happy.
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Old 01-10-2016, 01:06 AM
Wynter Wynter is offline
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Thanks for posting it all at once, it was really fun to read! I'm so glad everything worked out and you found your home in DZ Congrats!
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Old 01-21-2018, 01:47 AM
southerngirl8 southerngirl8 is offline
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Oh wow...

Do y’all want an update?

I posted this over two years ago. I joined 2.5 years ago. I’ve held about six positions in my chapter, including the exec board, since I wrote this. DZ is my home and I fall in love with it more and more everyday. I graduate in a year and I am so proud of what I have accomplished and the memories I’ve made with my sisters. I teared up reading this again because it breaks my heart what has happened. If y’all recognize the school I go to by the description I gave, you’ll know why.

Still crying. I want to go back to this semester when I posted this. Who would’ve thought those were the best times of my life?
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Old 01-21-2018, 08:33 AM
FSUZeta FSUZeta is offline
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I haven't a clue where you go to college. Thank you for updating. I am so happy that you are so happy in Delta Zeta. The best is yet to come (the alumnae world).
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Old 05-16-2020, 10:07 AM
southerngirl8 southerngirl8 is offline
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I’m baaackkk!!!!

5 years later - WOW. I’m an alumna now and have been since May 2019. Guess I can spill the beans on the school now...

Texas State University.

We had some pretty horrible tragedies back to back during my years as an active member and it was really, really tough to go through. My heart still goes out to the chapters affected. However, it’s been years and years now and everyone has moved on. But I still remember.

Still thinking of our sweet girl J and the ADPi chapter affected. I may not have been an ADPi but WLFJ, too. ❤️
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Old 05-16-2020, 11:30 AM
SWTXBelle SWTXBelle is offline
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I actually guessed you were at my alma mater! My son will be there in the fall - well, God willing and they have the campus open.

My heart was absolutely broken by that tragedy, and I so feel for the parents of that sweet A D Pi. My hope and prayer is that all of the TX State Greek organizations have learned and nothing like that can ever happen again.
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Old 05-16-2020, 11:36 AM
SWTXBelle SWTXBelle is offline
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I actually guessed you were at my alma mater! My son will be there in the fall - well, God willing and they have the campus open.

My heart was absolutely broken by that tragedy, and the loss of a Sigma Chi (fun fact - I was given a badge replica by the Grand Praetor of Sigma Chi for my help establishing the Theta Tau chaper) and I so feel for the parents of that sweet A D Pi. My hope and prayer is that all of the TX State Greek organizations have learned and nothing like that can ever happen again.
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