A Decade Old SEC Sorority Recruitment Tale!

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Hello! I’ve been reading Greekchat for the last few weeks now and after reading a handful of 2011 recruitment stories from women who are disappointed with their invitations or who decide to withdraw from the process, I wanted to post my vintage (ten-ish years old) rush story. I kept a diary during undergrad that I came across while cleaning recently, and that’s what got me looking up Greekchat in the first place! I kept pretty detailed records of my thoughts and impressions during recruitment, so hopefully I can provide a detailed account of my recruitment experience that will inspire PNMs to stick with the process, even when they are feeling heartbroken or disappointed!

A bit of background: This story is around a decade old, and is based at an southern school with a strong greek system. At the time of my recruitment, there are 15 chapters on my campus, and all chapters have their own houses. The comments here are taken straight from my notes, so bear in mind that they are the verbatim thoughts of an 18-year old PNM and are not the way I'd phrase or interpret things now as an older, more seasoned Panhellenic alumna!

I’ve nicknamed the 15 chapters after characters from the greatest television show of our times, The O.C. (Mostly season one, of course, but I couldn’t resist throwing in Taylor Townsend.)

Summer
Marissa
Seth
Ryan
Taylor
Kirsten
Sandy
Jimmy
Caitlyn
Julie
Theresa
Luke
Caleb
Haley
Anna

Let’s begin!

***
During the summer before my freshman year, I decided that I wanted to do something that no woman in my family had done before me: join a sorority. I was the first woman in my family to go to college - my mom had not, and neither of my grandmothers had, either. Unfortunately, as a result, I was woefully unprepared for recruitment. (Note: Watching Legally Blonde does not constitute preparation for recruitment.) Great grades, lots of activities, but no recs and no legacy chapters. Essentially, I had no idea what I was getting into - a recipe for disaster at an SEC school with a competitive system. I scoured the chapter websites before recruitment and decided that based on that alone, combined with the published panhellenic GPA rankings, I wanted Julie, Anna, or Sandy.

I woke up at 6:30 am, got ready, and arrived on the first day to Round One sitting under the tent at Summer, nervous and completely perplexed by the process of Panhellenic recruitment. At each chapter, women would pour out of the house with military precision, standing at attention on the steps or porch, while a woman (usually the recruitment chair, also wearing a stopwatch) would step to the front and welcome the PNMs. I felt like I wasn't part of reality anymore. Stopwatches? Really? But such is recruitment at a large southern university. The members would “rush” the tent, select a PNM from underneath, and usher her into the house.

My first day began at Summer. My thoughts: “Nice house, though a bit of a walk. The girls were OK, but the one who rushed me had a tongue piercing I think, which struck me as odd. Gorgeous house inside. I left with a somewhat ‘blah’ feeling.”

I then proceeded to Marissa. “The house itself is not as nice inside, and the girls are friendly but I don’t feel like it is genuine. I connected with the second girl I met at this chapter but am not sure it is for me.”

After this, it was on to Seth. For some reason (that I no longer remember!) I was initially not expecting to like Seth. “I’m shocked, but it is very high up on my list! I didn’t click perfectly with the girl who rushed me, as she seemed more athletic and I’m fairly clumsy, but she introduced me around to the chapter president and to women who are heavily involved in student government, which felt very special! The house had a grand piano, which is a nice perk I wouldn’t mind having around! I’m really hoping to be asked back.”

The next house was Ryan. To preface, through my Googling, I’d come upon a news story about Ryan that made me nervous about the chapter (hazing/initiation process). The chapter at my university was only mentioned in passing in the article, but it still made me apprehensive. As luck would have it, I fell head-over-heels with this chapter. “I was hoping to hate it, and I fell completely in love. The girl who rushed me was sweet and involved in Student Government - something I’d like to do as well. Then she bumped me to someone who is a musical theater buff like me and we talked about performing 42nd Street. It felt right. It felt like home. I got a big case of ‘I NEED TO BE HERE!’.”

Up next was Taylor, which I did not know much about before recruitment except that one of their prominent alums was my idol. As luck would have it, I did not like this chapter at all. “I wanted to love it, I really did. But it was incredibly blah. Long, awkward pauses. The girl I was passed off to was the social chair and she did not have much to talk about. I just did not like it at all.”

Next, Kirsten. “I had no idea what to expect, and the girl who rushed me was very nice, very genuine. I hope to get asked back here, but it wasn’t a perfect click like at Ryan.”

The next house, Sandy, was one that had been on my “watch list” based on the website and chapter GPA. “WOWOWOWOW! Just when I thought it had been sealed that Ryan was my favorite, Sandy gave them a run for their money. Cute house, and every girl was ‘super-perfect-friendly-can-I-be-like-you-please’ type girls. Intimidating! The girl who rushed me talked about how involved they are on campus, and oozed genuine happiness. The house radiated class, character, and general sweetness.”

I then made a note that I think a lot of women going through recruitment may identify with: “Ryan is the place where I fit in perfectly now, as I am. Sandy is where I want to fit in perfectly. Does that make sense?”

Finally I visited Jimmy: “I don’t think I fit here. The girls were nice to me but at one point politics came up indirectly. The girl brought something up a bit controversial and I had to bite my tongue. I am pretty sure this chapter is not for me.”

I had a break that evening and then came back for Day 2 of Round One.

First up that day, Caitlyn! “I’ll be honest, I had not heard good things about this chapter. I know I shouldn’t listen to what other people say, but even though this chapter had a beautiful house, I didn’t expect it to go well. I was pretty wrong! Of course I really liked it. The girls were sweet and nothing felt like an act. The house also seemed to have flexible membership options in terms of living in the house and getting the meal plan, which appeals to me since I don’t live that close to the row.”

Then, Julie! Julie was one of the houses I was initially interested in (GPA and website). “I badly wanted this to click, but it felt a bit like an act. I’d heard wonderful things about Julie. I know they have a lot of involved sisters and are a strong chapter, so I’m really hoping to be asked back.”

Up next was Theresa. “I adored it, but I think that my hair color means I won’t be invited back. It seems crazy, and I thought it was just gossip, but after going through the house and seeing the sisters there, I’m stunned! The whole thing was very professional, though, and you could just tell that this chapter really has its act together.”

The next chapter was Luke. “I kind of tripped on a rock on my way out of this chapter. Oddly enough, that was a bit symbolic of how the party went. The girl didn’t seem interested in me, and I couldn’t keep the conversation going. I wound up asking about their crest, which given her reaction I am now assuming is a thing you are NOT supposed to ask about. I probably won’t get asked back here, but I felt blah about it, so it won’t hurt my feelings badly.”

Then, onward to Caleb! “When the girls come out at other houses, it feels very polished. Put together. I didn’t get that here. It didn’t seem like they’d fully polished their recruitment operation. I don’t know if that matters much, but it felt a bit like the opposite of Sandy. The impression it left me with wasn’t great but I’m open to meeting more of these women because I feel ridiculous judging ANYONE as a potential sister based on their ability to form a line of perfectly-postured women on a sidewalk on a summer afternoon.”

We took a lunch break and then there were two more!

At Haley, I “got a real ‘party-girl’ vibe from the house which didn’t really mesh with me. I know they’re very involved in other campus activities and have a good GPA, so I’m willing to give it another shot if they’ll have me.”

Then there was Anna, the last of my pre-rush “preferred” houses based on website and GPA. “I got a great feeling. I felt like the girls were all just like me, like me-sitting-around-with-my-friends mode, while Sandy is like me-but-more-put-together-and-confident mode and while Ryan is like me-in-super-overachiever-mode. I loved it! Really want to be invited back.


At the end of Round One, I was exhausted, nervous, and already a bit disheartened. I had met so many women that I loved, and so many chapters that I was excited about. I couldn’t believe that with only 20 minutes per chapter, I already had to make a judgment! My favorites were Anna, Sandy, and Ryan in no particular order. Women are allowed up to 10 parties for round 2, so I ranked the following five chapters as my “bottom” chapters, though I was just hoping to have a shot at going back to as many as possible to get another look.

(in order, from “most preferred” to “least preferred” of my bottom chapters)

1. Caitlyn
2. Marissa
3. Taylor
4. Jimmy
5. Caleb

Stay tuned for Round 2 & 3...