A BSC Retro Recruitment Thread

[wlu]

I've been lurking on here for a while, but I haven't seen a W&L recruitment story. I figured I'd add mine, especially as I haven't posted on GC yet so no one knows which one I'm in!

When I was at Washington and Lee, there were five sororities (Alpha Delta Pi now on campus also):
Chi Omega
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Delta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Pi Beta Phi.

For this story, I'll refer to them as
Kristy
Claudia
Stacey
Mary Anne
Dawn

Rush is delayed until the start of the winter term in January so all fall is spent going on "rush dates" and settling into the rhythm of the school.

I started school off by doing a pre-orientation trip. My pre-orientation trip leaders were a Kristy and a Stacey, and the Kristy lost no time in sharing what she, and most other people considered to be the campus hierarchy with "Claudias and Kristys at the top, but Stacey arguably as good, then Dawns and Mary Annes". I didn't really care what she had to say, other than to think that I probably wouldn't fit in with the Kristys.

Throughout the fall I found myself meeting tons of Mary Annes. I didn't really think of myself as being rushed so much as just having a ton of friends in Mary Anne. I also met a few Staceys. I don't know that I interacted with any Dawns, Kristys, or Claudias. I knew a Claudia from my hometown and when she didn't take me on any rush dates, I figured I wasn't going to be a Claudia. Luckily, my best friends were also friends with all the Mary Annes. Before the winter break, we discussed rush week and how we would probably all join Mary Anne together and that we would probably try and "cut" Claudia/Kristy first.

[Tulip86]

Babysitters Club? Awesome

[wlu]

The first night we went to all five houses.
Dawn: My mom is a Dawn so I definitely was considering this house. I hadn't met any of the girls on campus in the fall, but I had recognized a few from classes. Due to close-mindedness, many PNMs are not interested in Dawn, but I had a great time. I had great conversations all night and had truly meaningful conversations about the sorority and its philanthropy.

Mary Anne: All fall I had become very close with a certain Mary Anne and I was confused when I didn't see her all night- did she not want to come talk to me?!? I knew nothing of bump groups and was disappointed that my best friends in the sorority didn't even say hi. However, I still loved this house and the open house party.

Stacey: One of my favorite upperclassmen, my pre-orientation leader, was a Stacey and she had taken me on a few rush dates in the fall so I was really excited to be at Stacey. I felt the most comfortable at this house all night and thought my conversations really flowed well. I met many new girls and clicked with each one. I left liking Stacey as much as Mary Anne.

Claudia: Claudia was considered to be one of the "top" houses, but I instantly felt uncomfortable. Whereas every house had the sisters wearing matching sorority t-shirts for this round, all the Claudias were wearing different colored name brand shirts. I didn't feel the sorority pride that I felt in the other houses. I left knowing that although most girls would love to join Claudia, I would never feel completely comfortable there.

Kristy: I was prepared for another uncomfortable party like the one at Claudia, but I was pleasantly surprised! Even though the one Kristy I had known made me feel a bit uncomfortable, all the ones I talked to at Open House seemed great. It was the last party and I was exhausted, but I had a ton of fun and was impressed by the enthusiasm. I had entered the week thinking I would try and drop Kristy first since the so-called social hierarchy made them sound elitist, I loved the first round party!

At the end of the night, it was an easy listing for me:
1. Mary Anne
1. Stacey
1. Dawn
1. Kristy
2. Claudia

[southbymidwest]

OK, I'm hooked. Spent many weekends visiting my grandfather in Lexington. Beautiful little town, beautiful campus (W&L, that is. VMI is not so beautiful).

[wlu]

The second night we could go back to a maximum of 4 houses, but our Rho Gams had warned us that many people often only go back to 2 or 3.

I was invited back to:
Kristy
Mary Anne
Dawn

I was ecstatic to see that Kristy had invited me back! I was really glad that I had met many great girls and was going to get a chance to meet more of them! I was pretty disappointed that I didn't get asked back to Stacey after having had such a great night there. Luckily, my friends and I were all asked back to Dawn and Mary Anne together. My best friend was also a Dawn legacy so I know we were considering them both pretty strongly.

Kristy: I was picked up at the door by my pre-orientation trip leader. She was really great, however! I had thought she would think I wouldn't fit in with her sorority, but she was so genuine when she talked with me and sat with me during the skit. WOW. I was SO impressed by the enthusiasm and costumes and songs! I loved Kristy, even if I thought I wouldn't get in, and kept meeting more and more great girls!

Dawn: It was really unfortunate that I went to Dawn right after Kristy. The drop in energy levels was incredibly obvious. Dawn's skit was much more educational about the sorority than entertaining. I enjoyed learning more about my mom's sorority, however. I didn't bond as well with the girls I talked to on this night, but I still liked Dawn.

Mary Anne: This skit was similar to Dawn's. But since I knew so many Mary Annes, it was funny to see my friends in goofy costumes. Although I had entered the week confident that I would probably end up in Mary Anne since I knew SO many of them, I was getting more and more nervous as I kept meeting new ones. What if I didn't know enough sisters to get in? And I still hadn't seen my favorite Mary Anne!

Since I was only asked back to 3 houses, it was easy to rank them all as my number ones.
1. Mary Anne
1. Kristy
1. Dawn
2. Stacey
3. Claudia

[wlu]

I opened up my list of invites to find:
Mary Anne
Kristy
Dawn!

I got all three that I had wanted! I was still amazed that Kristy kept inviting me back. My best friends and I were still all going back to Dawn and Mary Anne together so I couldn't have been happier!

Mary Anne: Every time I came back to this house, I was getting more and more nervous. I hadn't talked to most of my closest friends and hadn't even seen my closest friend once! I kept meeting tons of new girls which shook my confidence about getting in. Luckily, I liked every girl I met. The house just seemed like a comfortable fit.

Dawn: I had been really interested in Dawn because of my mom. I had only applied to schools that had Dawn chapters because I was interested in sharing sorority secrets with my mom. Yet, each night at Dawn seemed less comfortable for me. The conversations I had with girls were forced and awkward. The sisters seemed to make no effort to get to know me, but only wanted to tell me about Dawn. I just wished they would put an effort into getting to know who I was beyond PNM number 5.

Kristy: Unlike the other two houses, each night here was better and better. I was so glad I hadn't written them off before the week began. I kept meeting such wonderful girls and the enthusiasm they had for their sorority really showed. They seemed to really love their pledge classes and really made an effort to get to know me.

At the end of the night, I ultimately decided to list them:
1. Kristy
1. Mary Anne
2. Dawn
3. Stacey
4. Claudia

[wlu]

I opened my invites to find:
Dawn
Mary Anne

I was bummed... I knew I probably wasn't going to get into Kristy, but I had been having a great week there and didn't want it to end. To make matters worse, my best friend was going to Stacey and Mary Anne and had been loving Stacey all week. I really wanted us to end up in the same sorority!

Dawn: The girl who preffed me had been in one of my classes all fall. She started by telling me how she thought I was the perfect fit for Dawn and she could see me in Dawn so well. I know it was a compliment, but I felt hurt by these comments. If I was a perfect fit for Dawn, why didn't she make an effort to talk to me before this week? She continued by telling me that many girls join Dawn who wouldn't normally join a sorority so I wouldn't be alone. It was clear girl didn't know me at all. I wish I had spoken to the girl I met the first night- we really connected! Unfortunately, she seemed to be the only one all week. I left feeling like Dawn hadn't taken the time to get to know me AT ALL.

Mary Anne: I was picked up by my closest friend! She explained that she had been trying to see me all week, but it just hadn't worked out. She introduced me to one of her favorite sisters, a girl who later gave a speech about her experiences in Mary Anne that had me near tears. I looked around the room during the ceremony and realized that I felt comfortable at Mary Anne and had met almost as many new sisters during the week as I had known going into recruitment. However, I also realized that there were a ton of other PNMs who also knew a lot of Mary Annes and that I might not get in.

I think it's pretty obvious who I listed as my number one choice. Ultimately, even though it was also my mom's sorority, I chose not to pref Dawn. I was just so uncomfortable with the assumptions they had been made about me and the lack of effort they seemed to put into knowing me.

In the end...
I got Mary Anne! My best friend ended up preffing Mary Anne and also getting in!

I joined Chi Omega!

[ellebud]

I love a straight forward story! Congratulations!

[KKGCaroline]

Congratulations on Chi O!

Will you be letting us know which code names were for which sorority?

[FSUZeta]

yes. thank you for not stringing this out for weeks and congratulations of your membership in chi omega!!

[twinkle555]

Yay for CHI OMEGA and BSC!!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Tulip86

Babysitters Club? Awesome

Generation gap.

When I read the title of this thread, I went because I thought it stood for Bat Shit Crazy.

Carry on, carry on

ETA:

Originally Posted by wlu

The sisters seemed to make no effort to get to know me, but only wanted to tell me about Dawn. I just wished they would put an effort into getting to know who I was beyond PNM number 5.

This is one of the most eloquent ways to put this that I've ever read. Sorority members, take note!!

[carnation]

I thought that it was going to be a Birmingham Southern College thread.

[FSUZeta]

me too.

[Tulip86]

I only recognized the names