Hollywood has over-glamourized and overdramatized the inner workings of sorority life for ages. Yes, there are girls who are just as perky as Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods (myself included!), and yes, there are girls who are just as chill as Amanda Bynes’s Sydney White. While movies do provide some insight to what to expect during the recruitment process, not all of it is truth. Luckily, Her Campus is here to help the incoming freshman navigate the ins-and-outs of life during rush as a potential new member!
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Recruitment can be very intimidating, especially for a girl without any Greek family members. It’s a very eye-opening, emotionally taxing experience that at times feels like a roller coaster. The recruitment process is different to each university, designed by that school’s Panhellenic council to allow future sorority girls the best chance at finding their match.
Auburn Panhellenic requires potential new members (PNMs) to visit each sorority the first two days of rush. Naturally, there are going to be certain girls you connect with better than others, but my advice to you is not to write any sorority off immediately just because you didn’t have the best experience! Your Pi Chi will tell you that every sisterhood at Auburn has something great to offer, and she is not lying. First impressions can be very tough on both ends—while you’re in your parties, remember to look around the room, get a feel of the vibe that the sisterhood portrays. Ultimately, don’t base your like or dislike of a certain sorority off one girl. Each sorority is a mix of all personalities, so keep as open a mind as possible!
Round two of recruitment also takes two days. This is where the cuts start and the tears begin to flow. The biggest piece of advice you are going to need for recruitment is this: although it’s easy to question why a chapter didn’t like you enough to keep you around, DON’T. Dwelling on why one sorority cut you will automatically put you in a bad mood, and that will cause you to lose focus on making connections at the parties that you do have. The reason you’ve been invited back to those sororities is that the sisters see something in you they would love to have in their sorority! Try your absolute hardest to focus on the positives of your party list from this point on.
Round three is where things start to get serious. More cuts have been made, and you’re starting to develop more of a relationship with the sororities that have invited you back. Even if that relationship may not be a happy one on your end, remember to make the most of each moment. Luckily, this round only takes one day and is actually very fun! The sisters of the chapters you were invited back to perform a skit to show off their accomplishments and talents. It’s a little more formal, but that’s only because the real decision takes place the next day.
The sixth and final day of recruitment at Auburn is by far the most serious. Preference Day is the day you decide which sorority you would love to be a sister of. You’ll have the opportunity to visit up to three chapters that have invited you back the whole week, and you’ll be introduced to their genuine sisterhood. The sisters may (and probably will) cry on this day, as it is filled with speeches, songs, and a recitation of what it means to be in a sorority. This is the day you should really be evaluating everything that happened during your recruitment experience. Ask yourself this: “If I open up my bid tomorrow and see this chapter’s name on it, would I walk up to the president and immediately turn it in?” If your answer is yes, it’s worth taking a risk and not putting them on your pref list. If your answer is no, give it chance. As cheesy as it sounds, you really will end up where you’re supposed to be!
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
• One of the most important things to remember about recruitment is that it’s different for everyone. There may be girls in your Pi Chi group who fall in love with one sorority and obsess over them the whole week, and actually get a bid from them. But just because it happens that way for another girl doesn’t mean it will for you. Don’t base your experience off of someone else’s. Focus on making the most out of what you have and it will all be worth it in the end.
• The sisters are just as nervous as you! Most of the girls you’ll talk to are sophomores, meaning they were in your shoes just one year ago! They’ve all been through the process and they know just how emotional it is. So, don’t be intimidated by the girls—their aim is to make you feel as comfortable as possible, and to help you place yourself in their sorority.
• Be yourself!! I can’t stress enough the importance of being true to who you are. The whole point of recruitment is to help you find a home away from home in a sisterhood of girls who are like you. If you try to be someone you’re not just to fit into a certain sorority, you will regret it. Be as honest as you can—obviously, don’t share your whole life story or details you’d share with your best friend. The girls you’re talking to need to get the best feel of your personality as they can in the short time they get to talk to you. Because of that, you need to be as real as you can be!
• Every member of Panhellenic will tell you that you end up in the sorority you’re supposed to be in. At the time it may seem like they’re just trying to comfort you, but they are being totally honest. So if you do get dropped from a chapter you really loved, try your best not to sweat it. After all, you never know what’s waiting for you around the corner!