You finally signed up online and committed to participate in sorority recruitment. Perhaps you have even met with your Rho Gamma and received a little bit more information about this whole process. Still completely puzzled about what to expect during the rounds and how to land a bid at the sorority of your dreams? Here is an outline on how you can prepare over winter break and begin recruitment on January 11feeling refreshed, relaxed, and excited.
First week home: Your diet probably consisted exclusively of coffee and takeout over the past week of stressful finals. Spend the first few days home working out and catching up on some much needed sleep. This will help rejuvenate your skin and release pent up muscle tension, leaving you feeling stress-free. Plus, you will feel and look great which will help you go into recruitment with a boost of confidence. Resist the temptation to veg out in front of those Christmas TV specials and eat a fourth helping of dessert, as that will only leaving you feeling tired and gross. You only have one opportunity to make a first impression. With over 600 girls rushing, it is easy to fall through the cracks, so make sure you stand out by being the most confident, awesome girl you can be.
Try this healthy recipe while you’re home for break
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Day after Christmas: Go shopping! Every round of recruitment has a recommended dress code and nothing leaves you feeling confident like an awesome new outfit, especially one that you paid half price for during the post-holiday sales.
The first two days are Open House Rounds, where you will go to every chapter house and meet tons of sisters. Penn Panhellenic Council suggests that a potential new member dresses “as if you are going out to a nice dinner with your boyfriend’s parents.” While that recommendation basically tells you nothing descriptive (what if his parents are ultra conservative? What if you never had a boyfriend?), it does keep the options endless — which is a great chance to flaunt your sense of style! The only mistake that you can make in this round is wearing what you think you should wear instead of an outfit you genuinely love. If flowy dresses are one of your wardrobe staples, don’t hold back and wear pants. The two days of open house are going to be long and draining so definitely wear something you will be comfortable standing in for five hours.
Buy a dress from a designer who promises to donate to charity
The next round is skit round, where each house you return to will perform dances as a way to illustrate the sorority’s personality. While the dress code for this round is the same as the last, approach the outfit choice for this round with the knowledge that you will be sitting on the ground at every house, squished in a room with one hundred girls. Wear something that is easy to move around in and comfortable to sit in but still pertains to your style. Consider pieces like a maxi skirt or sleek high rise pants and avoid short skirts or low rise jeans.  Molly Brauer, a senior in Alpha Chi Omega, says to come back next semester prepared. “You should definitely have enough outfits to choose from. When the day comes, you might not be feeling so hot in a shirt you initially loved and you don’t want to be scrambling twenty minutes before the round starts.”
Show your personality in this season’s funky heels and trendy nailpolishes
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Second week home: It doesn’t matter if you will be spending your break on the beaches of Southern California or in the suburbs of middle America, do tons of fun things. The most important thing you will be doing during rush is talking. Having things to talk about other than how cold it is outside (avoid the weather topic at all costs) will not only help you feel relaxed going into the first few rounds but will also make you stand out. Watch some new movies, visit a friend’s nearby college, figure out where Bradley Cooper is filming and meet him, whatever!  Sorority sisters want to see if you are someone they will want to hang out with for the next four years so work to show them the fun interesting person that you are.
These TV shows make a good icebreaker
New Year’s Day: Make a New Year’s resolution you will actually be able to keep: having a great sorority recruitment experience! Martha Lee, a senior in Sigma Kappa and the sorority’s Vice President of Membership, says the best way to do this “is to know what you want from the sorority experience. Make a list of what you are looking for in a sorority. For example, list your values and interests in order to pinpoint what sorority experience is right for you. When you attend the different recruitment parties, use the conversations you have with the different sorority sisters to determine whether your values align. Also, definitely keep an open mind! Every sorority is wonderful and, at the end of the day, recruitment is all about finding the best fit for you!”
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Day before recruitment starts: Take the time you have before recruitment initiates to stock up on some essentials. Whatever you use to keep your energy levels high, whether it is Red Bull, coffee, or Five Hour Energy, make sure you have a lot and bring it with you. All of your energy will be quickly drained after a few hours of non-stop chit chat and you don’t want to get cut from a house you love because you couldn’t string words together to form a sentence, let alone seem interested in anything but sleeping. Molly also recommends “investing in a good deodorant that works. The rooms will be hot and you will be nervous. After four years, I can say that sweating issues are something you want to prevent.” Your schedule will quickly become jam-packed as classes will also be starting the same day recruitment commences, so get a good night of sleep.
De-stress in one of these yoga classes near campus
January 11: Start recruitment feeling prepared, excited, and completely confident!