A Very Sunny Recruitment.

[SoCalGreek11]

Ok so this is a very late post and recruitment has come and gone, but i loved reading other people's stories and I thought I should share mine. I just recently transferred from a Southern California Community College to a GIANT University and I found it very hard to make friends, despite being surrounded by people. My mother, my father, and my grandfather were all greek so obviously when I transferred my parents assumed I was going to go greek as well, and it was a great opportunity to meet people. My mother had spent the entire summer going over what to say or do at recruitment and how to dress (classy and polished), so I was ready and prepared to rush.

There are 11 NPH sororities on campus, and I thought I'd stick with my California Theme:
Palm Tree
Sunglasses
Bikini
Wave
Surfboard
Sand Crab
Sand
Sunshine
Sailboat
Flip Flops
Towel

I apologize if I got a little unimaginative with the names.
So First Day rolls around and we visit all 11 houses for 15 minutes. It was super stressful, but from looking around campus i had seen which houses I wanted to be it. My mother was a towel so I was really hoping to do well there.

1. First was Sunshine. The girls were absolutely beautiful and they were so friendly. They really did well with recruitment. Both the girl and I had matching sandals so we talked about shopping for a little bit and then got through all the basic questions. I talked to three girls there, and each girl never repeated the same question and the conversation flowed so well. It was a great start to recruitment.
2.Next was Palm Tree. Now I had gotten a really good recommendation from there and I was looking forward to meeting them, but I was so disappointed. Every single girl in there with the exception for a few was blonde and tanned and so done up I felt like walking through a doll exhibit. The conversation was so forced it seemed fake and the girls I talked to did not seem interested to talk to me at all. I felt like I was just being passed off from one to other, and I wasn't the only one who felt that way. My whole recruitment group walked out of there unhappy.
3. Surfboard- I didn't know what to say about these girls. They were a fairly new chapter so they were very small. I didn't click with the first girl but the second girl was so funny! I didn't feel at home yet but I liked them.
4. Sailboat- Now my roommate was an ex-sailboat and I loved her. She is very funny and she was excited for me to go through recruitment. She loved being greek but she couldn't afford it. The girl I talked to was super nice and I loved all the things she was getting to do because of her sorority. I couldn't wait to go back there.
5.Sunglasses- The girls were a little awkward, but hey, i'm awkward too so it felt right. I got a little irritated because the second girl I talked to kept asking me questions about the dorms but I was a junior so I didn't have an answer for them and politely reminded her I was an upper classmen. Overall, funny and somewhere I could fit in.
6.Sand- They were a super small group so we had to go 2pnms for every 1 active. She was super nervous and it was hard to connect to the girl because there were three of us. Not many people wanted to go back to them because they were just so excited they made us uncomfortable.
7. Sand Crab- They were some of the nicest girls on the planet and the girl i talked to had my major. They were just a very small house and look like they were in danger of closing. I didn't see myself as one but they were just so kind that I wouldn't mind seeing them again.
8. Towel- I was so excited to see this house, not only because they were my legacy house but because I saw them around campus and they were genuinely nice. The girls were beautiful, they had a high gpa, and I was hooked. But when I started talking to the girls I had seen that I had nothing in common with them. They were still friendly.
9.Bikini- Everyone was excited to go to this house. I knew someone in the house and she seemed very nice. However, the girl I talked to stated how close the house is (which I love) but that she only hangs out with them. It made the other houses seem like second class, and I didn't like that.
10. Wave- by now I had been getting tired and i think it showed. It was 8:30 pm and I had been there all day. The girl I talked to was a transfer from the other state school so she didn't have a lot to say as far as the sorority because she had only been there for a few weeks.
11. Flip Flops- I was so tired that I didn't want to go to the last house. But the girl I got to talk to was exactly like me. She was a transfer student from southern california too, and she had a very blunt and witty personality like mine. We talked about everything from santa monica to classes. I fell in love with her and it made me excited to go back the next day.

I put these as my top houses:
Flip Flops
Wave
Bikini
Towel
Sand Crab
Sunglasses
Surfboard
Sunshine
Sailboat

Bottom:
Sand
Palm Tree

[scrapcat]

Great story so far! Can't wait to see what happens.

[Mevara]

I <3 So Cal Stories.

[SoCalGreek11]

Day 2 we were allowed 9 houses. I was hoping I had not gotten dropped from my favorites. I got my schedule back:

Sand Crab
Sand
Towel
Sunshine
Flip Flops

I was super disappointed that I did not get the full 9, but my top 3 were still there along with two I didn't like so much. Just as long as I didn't get dropped from the others, I would get in the house I wanted.

1.Flip Flops-I was so excited to see them again. The girl I talked to this time was Vp Philanthropy and I loved what she had to say. Seeing her excited about community service made me excited and I loved everyone I met. I could see myself getting along with everyone and finding real sisterhood there.
2. Sand Crab- Again, I loved them, but they were just not my fit. I didn't click with them. I could see myself being friends with them, but from how my mother talks of sisterhood, I couldn't see myself gain that experience from them.
3. Sand-Again they grabbed two girls for every one active. I Liked the girl this time, but I didn't feel connected to them in any way.
4. Towel- The girls i talked to this time were wonderful. They seemed to genuinely like talking to me and I them. I really got to understand how they felt about their sorority and I liked what I saw.
5.Sunshine-They again blew me out of the water. They were just so friendly and happy to see people. They showed a cute little video about themselves and I watched how they interacted with one another. The house seemed like a great place to be and I was so happy to see them again. Great ending.

That night:
Sunshine
Towel
Sand
Sand Crabs
Flip Flops

and because I didn't have to drop one I kept them all.


That night I couldn't sleep cause I was so excited to see Sunshine and Flip Flops again. When I got my schedule the next morning my heart dropped. I had one house:

Sand Crabs

I couldn't believe I was dropped from all the other houses. I mean, I know it is hard for juniors to be placed into houses and especially one with not a high grade point average, but I thought I would for sure I would find a house. And I loved Sand Crabs but they were not the house for me. But I was determined to not get discouraged so I went to the house that day. They were all kind but I still didn't feel connected. I was trying so hard to find one, but it didn't fit me.

I talked to my Rho Chi and she suggested that I withdraw and try COB, which I did but never heard back from other houses. I was so upset because unlike other girls who withdrew, this was my only chance to find a house. I was contacted about starting a charter for another sorority in January so I decided that this semester I would focus on grades and try informal recruitment in the spring or start a new charter in january.

However, a month and a half later I received an email. Some of the houses did not meet quota and they were holding a second informal Fall recruitment. The houses were Sand Crabs, Sand, and Surfboard. I didn't feel connected with any of those houses during formal recruitment, but I was still struggling with making friends so I decided to go and try to gain a second opinion.

The way it worked was that I had 3 hours to go to either of the three houses during my free time and come and go as I please. I liked how casual it was this time around and I felt more comfortable. I didn't want to go back to Sand Crabs, because I did not feel like we fit, so I first went to Sand. The girl and I had a conversation about everything. I loved the way it flowed naturally and it was awesome just to talk to somebody about the house in a less stressful setting. I stayed there for about an hour and then moved my way to Surfboard. The first girl I talked to I didn't click with, but she introduced me to some of her sisters and I fell I love with the house. They were all dedicated to their sorority and loved each other, something I wanted from a sorority all along (growing up my "aunt robin" was actually my mother's little sis. They remained best friends this whole time). It's so amazing that one girl I met the first day of recruitment tainted how I saw these girls. If you didn't guess, I stayed the entire rest of the time there. I clicked with them so much, I knew that I would find a home there. I filled out my bid sheet that night:

1. Sufboard
2. Sand

The next morning I picked up my bid....











































































































.....




and it said Surfboard...






..........































which means I now "live with purpose"










































aka Alpha Gamma Delta!!!
I have the best sisters anyone could ask for. I feel so at home here, I instantly gained people who understand me and are the most down to earth people I know. I love my sisters and I love my house. It goes to show that everything happens for a reason.

[AXOrushadvisor]

Congrats on AGD!!

This is a PAC 12 school just not in Cali.

[etadrisophila]

Wonderful story, wonderful outcome! Congratulations!

[squirrel_love]

congrats on joining the nut house!!!

[Benzgirl]

Yay!!! Happy to call you a sister.

[FSUZeta]

how wonderful!!! and, by the way, this florida beach girl loved your theme!

[AZTheta]

Great theme, and I know you're not where I am in the Pac12, but I suspect you're fairly close! Loved your ending, and hope that you enjoy a lifetime of membership.

[AlwaysSAI]

yay! An Alpha Gam story!

Welcome to the sisterhood! Red and buff roses to you!

[ASUADPi]

Congratulations on AGD. I think I actually know what school you are at. If I am right, yeah me. LOL.

Enjoy your membership!

[AGDAlum]

Welcome to our circle of sisterhood!

(I think I've guessed your school.)