3rd Time's a Charm Recruitment Story

[sunnyday07]

Okay so I've been wanting to share my recruitment story for a while now, but I was waiting for a happy ending and I finally got one! The title is correct, I went through rush 3 times (well sort of) in one year (crazy I know). If you figure out what school I go to, I ask that you please not say for the sake of keeping the integrity of the whole experience...thanks!

So a little bit of background info: In fall of my sophomore year I signed up to rush. I went through the process and absolutely fell in love with a particular house. I was crushed when preference day came and I found out they had dropped me, but I was even more disappointed when I saw that only one house out of a possible two had preffed me. I tried very hard to keep an open mind about the house I had left. I attended there pref. ceremony, but even after a moving ceremony I just could not see myself there. It was nothing personal to the girls they were all great, but I just felt in my heart that it wasn't the right fit for me so I dropped out of recruitment that night.

I left Fall recruitment feeling pretty down, but I managed to convince myself that winter recruitment was just around the corner, and that hopefully I could find my perfect match then. When winter (COB) recruitment came around I was very excited to attend the events. However, after attending just one chapter's dinner event I realized that winter recruitment was a little too laid back and unstructured for me. Also, many of the events of the different houses overlapped, so I didn't understand how that would work. I decided to not go to anymore of the events and just wait around until Spring Recruitment came.

Finally, fast forward to the present spring recruitment was here! I was super excited to go through it and I decided to go into Spring Recruitment with a completely open mind. I decided that no matter what I would finish the process, and give whatever house I was left with at the end a chance. For me it was now or never. You guys can probably imagine my utter dismay when I found out that Spring recruitment was starting on a Sunday, a Sunday that I would happen to be out of town. I could not believe it! I started thinking that maybe this just wasn't meant for me and that I should probably just give up. However, I decided to attend orientation and ask there if it would still be possible for me to go through rush if I missed a day. I was so excited to find out that it was still indeed possible! They just informed me that it was up to the discretion of each house to decide whether they wanted to give me a chance for Round 2. I was totally fine with that because at least it gave me a little hope.

So this is where my Spring Recruitment Story begins. There were 8 sororities participating in Spring Recruitment at my school. I will name them each using characters from Toy Story 3 (obsessed with this movie right now!). So the 8 are:

Woody
Buzz
Jessie
Rex
Lotso
Ken
Big Baby
Barbie

Sorry about the long first post...I just needed to include the background info. Will be posting each round of recruitment soon!

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by sunnyday07

Okay so I've been wanting to share my recruitment story for a while now, but I was waiting for a happy ending and I finally got one! The title is correct, I went through rush 3 times (well sort of) in one year (crazy I know). If you figure out what school I go to, I ask that you please not say for the sake of keeping the integrity of the whole experience...thanks!

So a little bit of background info: In fall of my sophomore year I signed up to rush. I went through the process and absolutely fell in love with a particular house. I was crushed when preference day came and I found out they had dropped me, but I was even more disappointed when I saw that only one house out of a possible two had preffed me. I tried very hard to keep an open mind about the house I had left. I attended there pref. ceremony, but even after a moving ceremony I just could not see myself there. It was nothing personal to the girls they were all great, but I just felt in my heart that it wasn't the right fit for me so I dropped out of recruitment that night.

I left Fall recruitment feeling pretty down, but I managed to convince myself that winter recruitment was just around the corner, and that hopefully I could find my perfect match then. When winter (COB) recruitment came around I was very excited to attend the events. However, after attending just one chapter's dinner event I realized that winter recruitment was a little too laid back and unstructured for me. Also, many of the events of the different houses overlapped, so I didn't understand how that would work. I decided to not go to anymore of the events and just wait around until Spring Recruitment came.

Finally, fast forward to the present spring recruitment was here! I was super excited to go through it and I decided to go into Spring Recruitment with a completely open mind. I decided that no matter what I would finish the process, and give whatever house I was left with at the end a chance. For me it was now or never. You guys can probably imagine my utter dismay when I found out that Spring recruitment was starting on a Sunday, a Sunday that I would happen to be out of town. I could not believe it! I started thinking that maybe this just wasn't meant for me and that I should probably just give up. However, I decided to attend orientation and ask there if it would still be possible for me to go through rush if I missed a day. I was so excited to find out that it was still indeed possible! They just informed me that it was up to the discretion of each house to decide whether they wanted to give me a chance for Round 2. I was totally fine with that because at least it gave me a little hope.

So this is where my Spring Recruitment Story begins. There were 8 sororities participating in Spring Recruitment at my school. I will name them each using characters from Toy Story 3 (obsessed with this movie right now!). So the 8 are:

Woody
Buzz
Jessie
Rex
Lotso
Ken
Big Baby
Barbie

Sorry about the long first post...I just needed to include the background info. Will be posting each round of recruitment soon!

Is Formal Recruitment held during both fall and spring?

[sunnyday07]

Yes pretty much...only a few less houses participate in the spring versus the fall.

[sunnyday07]

Round 1: This day was the open house round where all the girls got to visit all 8 chapters, but as I mentioned I was unable to attend Round one because I was out of town. I was instructed by my Rho Gamma to do some research and let her know my rankings. It would then be up to each house to decide whether or not they wanted to give me a chance during Round 2. Since I had gone through Fall rush I had a bit of an idea which houses I did not feel a connection with (of course a pledge class could change everything), but based on a bit of research and prior experience I ranked the houses as follows:

1. Woody
1. Barbie
1. Buzz
1. Jessie
1. Lotso
2. Ken
3. Rex
4. Big Baby

Now I could only pray that some of the houses would be willing to see me during Round 2. I didn't know what to expect since I had missed the first day and not met any girls. I was very anxious but nonetheless excited to see how it would go! I'll post Round 2 soon!

[FSUZeta]

love the names-that was such a cute movie.

[trojanpride]

Originally Posted by sunnyday07

Since I had gone through Fall rush I had a bit of an idea which houses I did not feel a connection with (of course a pledge class could change everything), but based on a bit of research and prior experience I ranked the houses as follows.

Just curious, what kind of research did you do? Look on their websites? What did your prioritize: their philanthropy, their academics, etc. ?

This is an interesting thread. It's kind of like how guys have to kind of pick ahead of time what frats they want check out because they can't check out all of them.

Anyways, have a great recruitment.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by trojanpride

Just curious, what kind of research did you do? Look on their websites? What did your prioritize: their philanthropy, their academics, etc. ?

This is an interesting thread. It's kind of like how guys have to kind of pick ahead of time what frats they want check out because they can't check out all of them.

Anyways, have a great recruitment.

Actually, no, it's not.

She was pretty much forced to do something that is the exact opposite of how you should approach NPC rush because she wasn't able to make the first round. Also, she's already met all the sororities in fall formal rush, and one sorority she went to COB events for. I'm betting these impressions had much more to do with her ranking than any "research."

Freshman guys go into rush and make decisions without ever having visited many of the chapters.

[sunnyday07]

Originally Posted by trojanpride

Just curious, what kind of research did you do? Look on their websites? What did your prioritize: their philanthropy, their academics, etc. ?

This is an interesting thread. It's kind of like how guys have to kind of pick ahead of time what frats they want check out because they can't check out all of them.

Anyways, have a great recruitment.

I did skim through their websites just to check out their philanthropies (I'm big on community service myself) and read a little about each, but of course all of their sites are going to have great things to say. So, yea 33girl is actually right my rankings were mostly based on my previous impressions of the girls from when I had rushed in the fall.

[APhi4Ever]

Looking forward to hearing more

[DTD Alum]

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

Is Formal Recruitment held during both fall and spring?

I'm not going to say that I definitely know which school this is, but I do know a school that does do rush this way for sororities...formal with all chapters in the fall, semi-organized COB in the winter and then a limited formal in the spring that all but a small handful of houses participate in.

[sunnyday07]

Just to reiterate please if you have an idea of where I go to school don't say, I actually know of many schools that hold recruitment just like my school...anyways thanks for your discretion . Okay so my official first day of recruitment was finally here! I was so excited/nervous/scared to get my schedule. I had no idea whatsoever of what to expect. I thought this could either go really bad or really well. Nonetheless, I kept a positive/open mind as I walked over to our meeting spot. Once I reached our meeting spot I felt a bit awkward as I waited around since all the other girls in my group had already gotten to know each other. However, I quickly befriended one girl and from there I quickly connected with many of the other girls in my group. I felt very comfortable and couldn't help but feel excited at the potential though that these girls could be in my pledge class!

Finally our Rho Gamma passed out our schedules. I was literally shaking as I held mine in my hands. A flurry of thoughts kept racing through my mind: What if only one house invited me back? What if I was left with very little options? All these worries were put to rest, as I looked down at my schedule I was absolutely elated! Out of a possible 5 houses I had been invited back to 4! I was thrilled that these girls actually wanted to get to know me and give me a chance! The 4 houses I was invited back to were:

Ken (The House I had been left with at Pref. in Fall)
Lotso
Woody (This is the House I had fallen in love with during Fall!)
Buzz (Also a House I had really liked!)

Round 2: I can honestly say that I was absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to visit each and every one of these houses. I kept a completely open mind and decided to not hold any prejudgements against any of the houses. It was a new rush experience...I was ready to attend the parties, and more than anything determined to find my new home. For Round 2 some of the Houses did house tours, while others did skits (I'm guessing it was up to each House to decide what they wanted to do). My parties went like this:

Ken: First up was Ken this was the House that had preffed me in the Fall. I kept a completely open mind going in to this party, and thought maybe I'd really make a connection with them this time, and boy was I surprised. The first girl I spoke to I made an instant connection with. We just had so much in common, and she seemed so genuine to me. She took me through a House tour, and the House was beautiful. Afterwards, I spoke to another girl who I honestly had a lot of trouble connecting with. The conversation seemed very dry, and superficial. Nonetheless, I left this party feeling good about this House.

Lotso: Next up was Lotso. The first girl I spoke too was cute, but she just spoke way too fast, and hardly gave me a chance to respond to her comments. She also wouldn't make eye contact with me. I must say that was a bit awkward, but I just attributed that to nervousness. She also led me through a tour of her House, and this House was just okay nothing stood out too much. The second girl I spoke to at this House was nice, but she seemed a bit disinterested in our conversation. She was pretty serious, and I wasn't sure that I was comfortable with that. After leaving this House I didn't feel a strong desire to return, but thought that if fate had it I wouldn't mind giving them another chance.

Woody: My third party of the day was Woody the House I had felt a strong connection with during Fall. I was very excited to go to this party and I must say they did not disappoint! The first girl I spoke to was just wonderful! She was so excited to meet me, and I felt that her high energy matched mines perfectly. We were able to tell stories and joke around without it feeling weird at all. I definitely felt like we made a strong connection. Next, this House did a skit, which was absolutely Hilarious! The girls all had such great sense of humor it was just so cute, I really enjoyed it. It also really showed what a strong sisterhood they had, and the strong love they had for each other. Afterwards I spoke to a second girl who had a very different personality than the first, but regardless we were able to engage in a deep conversation and make a connection. I was glad to see so much diversity. This House also happened to have my favorite philanthropy. I left this party on a cloud, and could completely see myself as a part of this House. My heart was very much hoping to be invite back here.

Buzz: My last party of the day was Buzz. I was tired but still very excited to meet the girls in this House. When I walked in the first thing I noticed was that all the girls were wearing absolutely adorable name tags! I looked around and I could not help but acknowledge how beautiful these girls were. The first girl that picked me up was gorgeous. We sat down and we had a wonderful conversation flowing from one topic to another seamlessly. She was just so real, and I could tell she was just being herself. We shared funny stories, and quickly bonded. This House also did a skit/video show. It was very cute to see all their pictures, and how they have all developed such a strong bond with each other. These girls just really seemed to enjoy each others company, and have a ton of fun together. The second girl I spoke to from this House was very sweet we shared a great conversation, but I felt like I didn't quite fit in here too well. However, I left the House feeling very happy about it, and knowing that I would be thrilled to be invited back.

I met my Rho Gamma, and was told to rank my top 2 Houses, and the rest accordingly. I ranked the Houses as follows:

1. Woody
1. Buzz
2. Ken
3. Lotso

I left satisfied with how the day went, and with my rankings. I could not believe how smoothly everything had gone so far, and how good I was feeling about the process. I felt really confident that I would find my home, and thought that maybe this was meant to be for me after all . The next day was Preference, and I was praying that I would get my top choices, but I knew that no matter which Houses I got I would give them a chance.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for Preference Round y'all! So excited!

[wavycutchip]

What a great story! We watch Toy Story 3 at least once a week at my house Cute movie!

[Katy Q]

Cute idea for names! I love Toy Story. Can't wait to read the rest.

[sunnyday07]

Preference round was here! I was oh so nervous to get my schedule. I had kept my fingers crossed all night hoping to not get that ominous phone call, and I didn't! This meant that at least one House had preffed me. I could not control the whirlwind of thoughts that flooded my mind as I walked across campus in my cocktail dress to meet our Rho Gamma. I kept hoping that I would have two parties for pref. and not just one like previously. I guess part of me just wanted to have the complete experience. However, I decided that no matter what I would attend whichever pref. parties (or party) I was scheduled for and keep an open mind. Still I couldn't help but feel anxious I really hoped that I would be preffed by at lease one of my top choices. Once I arrived at the meeting spot our Rho Gamma's made us sit and painfully wait a while longer to give us our schedules. Finally, I got my schedule...

Preference Round: I had been invited back to:

Ken
Woody

I was absolutely delighted! Not only did I have a full schedule but I had also been invited back to my #1 favorite House! I could not help but smile as I rushed over to my first party .

Ken: My first pref. party was Ken. This is the House that had also preffed me in the fall. As we walked into the House each girl was introduced to the rest of the House by a member that she had spoken to prior in the week. When it was my turn I was paired with a girl that I had not spoken to before pref. Funny thing is that I recognized her from High School and she also recognized me (we had not been friends...just seen each other around). She was a very sweet and soft spoken girl. So soft spoken in fact, that I had trouble hearing her through out our whole conversation. The room was so loud and I was straining to try and catch what she was saying, but she would just not raise her voice. From what I could gather we talked mostly about teachers from our High School. I did ask her a few questions about her sorority, and why she had chosen it but her responses were very nonchalant. She didn't seem too excited about her House or rush for that matter. I just felt like our energy levels did not match. Then, it was time for their ceremony. Now to be honest I was not exactly excited to see this ceremony given that I had already seen it in the Fall (the surprise factor was sort of gone). However, I still found it quite beautiful and many of the sisters cried through out it. I left this House with that same exact feeling I had left it in the Fall. The girls were great and sweet, but something in my heart just told me that I did not belong there.

Woody: I was so excited to attend Woody my second pref. party! We lined up outside the House and each girl was introduced by a sister that she had spoken to before. The sister would also say something special about the girl that she had learned about her throughout the week, which I thought was very sweet! When it was my turn I was introduced and taken into the House by the very first girl I had spoken to. She was so excited to see me, and I was completely stoked to see her! We had a great conversation, and the way she spoke about her House and the bonds she had made really touched me. I then spoke to a second girl that I had not yet talked to. Still we hit it off immediately, we were chatting, laughing, and sharing the best stories! It was just so great! Then, it was time for the ceremony. The ceremony was so beautiful, and the love that the girls had for each other could simply be felt. These girls did not want someone that was like them, they wanted someone that was themselves. When the ceremony ended the girl I had been speaking to led me out, and she shared a few words of what her sorority meant to her, which was very touching. I couldn't help but tell her that I felt very at home there, and that I could see the special bond her and her sisters hold. I left this House just knowing in my heart, my mind, and my soul that I belonged there. I wanted to be a part of Woody so much. I could only hope that the sisters felt the same about me as I felt about them.

I headed over to rank the houses and considered ranking only one (Woody), but I decided to rank both. I really wanted to be a part of a sorority, and I knew for sure that this would be my last time rushing. I did not have to think twice about how to rank the houses. My rankings were:

1. Woody
2. Ken

As I turned in my rankings, I took a second look at the paper just to make sure I had ranked them correctly and turned it in. All I could do now was pray that I would get my top choice! Regardless, the next day I would be a member of a sorority...I couldn't be more thrilled!

[victoriana]

This is getting good! Can't wait to hear where you ended up