āTrust the process.ā
I heard that phrase too many times within one week. Seriously, it drove me crazy! And although it was annoying hearing the words over and over, I needed some wisdom, more than most. You see, this is the story of a girl from Massachusetts of all places who decided to rush at an SEC school. Thankfully it wouldnāt be like those videos I saw on TikTokā¦ or so I thought.
Letās rewind for a minute. During Preview, I attended the UF Sorority & Fraternity Life panel out of pure curiosity. After watching the presentation and speaking to a Preview Staffer involved with UF Panhellenic, I was like Ok, this sounds fun! and officially registered for recruitment.
I quickly transformed into Potential New Member 698 after sending in my headshot, resume, and 90-second introduction video. This was way back in early July when I could hardly contain my excitement about college starting, let alone rushing!
The day finally came when I woke up at 3:00 AM, flew into Jacksonville from Providence, and drove down to Gainesville with my entourage, aka Mom, Dad and Harper (i.e.,my younger sister/best friend). Together, the four of us sped-decorated my dorm so I could head off to the Stephen OāConnell Center for recruitment orientation.
Somehow, there were supposedly 1,760 other girls in the arena with me. Yes, this was an all-time high for PNMs at UF, and no, I did not know any of them. I met my two suitemates briefly a few hours before and encountered some people at Preview who said they were rushing, but I had zero true connections. For once, I felt a tad lost.
Fortunately, thatās what the girls with crazy hats, the Panhellenic Counselors (better known as Pi Chis), are there for. Right from the start, all five of the Group 21 Pi Chis welcomed me and answered my many questions. My nerves soon began to slip away.
The orientation session went exactly as expected, and the next day, preferencing commenced. I trekked 25 minutes from my dorm to Norman Hall where I selected 13 houses and then ranked the remaining five based on how much Iād want to receive an invitation back for Philanthropy Round. Nothing to stress about, right?
Wrong! On Saturday at approximately 6:30 AM, Iām straightening my hair, assuming I have to make it to Sorority Row by 8:00 AM. My phone rings. A Pi Chi is calling. Cue the panic.
When I pick up my phone, my heart rate skyrockets. Ahh, Iām getting dropped!
Thank goodness that was not the case. However, I woke up to a different not-so-great call; my first party was scheduled at 5:50 PM, so I didnāt have to get to Row until 5:20 PM. I woke up early for nothing, and there was no point in going back to bed with a full face of makeup on.Ā
Many hours and a much-needed Chick-fil-A visit later, I made my way to Row and received my paper schedule. This was the moment of truth. I knew there was no way to get the maximum 13 houses back since less than 10 party slots remained, but I had a decent feeling Iād get maybe seven or so invites back.
I received three invites. My stomach dropped. Never has my confidence been rattled this much before, coming from someone who wrote her college essay about not having rejection define her! Getting cut from 15 houses solely based on my application made me believe my rush experience was now going to be a rocky one.
But wait, thatās no way to put it! Instead, I rewired my brain. Three houses genuinely saw something in me, and getting cut from the other 15 would make it easier to find my place. I had solid conversations at my first two houses, but when I stepped foot in my third and final house, something clicked instantly. Ellie, the girl I talked with at first during the Philanthropy Round, was also an out-of-state student and provided me with all the comfort in the world.Ā
After Philanthropy came Sisterhood, and I survived to see the day when I moved on. I did get dropped from two houses going into Sisterhood, which initially felt like a punch to the gut, but my eyes lit up as soon as I received my schedule from my Pi Chis; the house I had the magical connection with still believed in me.
This time around, I got the opportunity to talk to Alexis, a literal ray of sunshine. She did an amazing job providing information about her sororityās sisterhood. I could feel my excitement rising once she mentioned an overnight trip to Charleston, South Carolina planned for next month. These experiences were exactly what I wanted in a sisterhood!
Around 10:30 PM that night, my phone received another Pi Chi call. Assuming the worst, my heart rate shot up again. Thank goodness the call started with āThis is a good call!ā and I could sleep in peace. Phew!
Going into Preference Round the next day, I still feared getting the axe, though my worries disappeared the moment I found out who was going to pref me: Ellie. Tears of uncertainty from before now became happy tears as I told her how my rush experience changed for the better upon visiting her sorority. I canāt disclose details about the visit since the secretive nature of sorority rituals makes them so special, but I will say that I was deeply moved.
This was it. If I donāt get a call, Iām in. My Pi Chis reassured me that I would 100% know if I was cut from my last house before midnight. Instead of a call, I got a text. Could this be the end?Ā
Worried as can be, I opened up my messages app. The Pi Chis just wanted to let me know how all the calls had already gone out, which could only mean one thingā¦
Iām going Sigma Kappa!Ā
Bid Day rocked. Thereās simply no other way to put it. After opening up my bid, I boarded the bus to Row and ran home! Our theme was āMC ā24 Makes the Whole Place Shimmerā and drew inspiration from āBejeweledā by Taylor Swift. I took at least 100 photos, enjoyed the all-you-can-eat pasta bar, and, best of all, met some future sisters.Ā
Rushing a sorority is as stressful as it appears on social media; there were tears and many restless nights. Despite spending one week in a semi-nightmare, Iām so proud to call the Beta Tau chapter of Sigma Kappa my new home. We recently had our Charleston overnight trip, and I had a blast. I look forward to making many more memories with my sisters and seeing the process from the recruiter side next year, too!
And before closing this out, I must give one last shoutout to my Pi Chis. Thank you Camden N., ET, Maggie T., Natalie W., and Riley B. for the hugs and support. I hope to pay it forward by being a Pi Chi in two years, and I guess ātrusting the processā really paid off after all.Ā