If anyone told me they weren’t nervous for sorority recruitment I would call them a liar. Especially at a school with a prominent greek community, getting into a good sorority may seem like the most important goal of freshman year. And although the process is stressful, tiring and sometimes upsetting, it is worth it because it leads you to a great group of friends, and it can be made much easier if you keep a few things in mind.
1. Tiers don't matter.
Some sort of imaginary ranking or tier system is inevitable at any school with Greek life, and chances are you will have some knowledge of the way that people on campus view each sorority, but in all honesty that shouldn't affect what sororities you're interested in during recruitment, or how your recruitment experience goes. I know this sounds like something we're all supposed to say to PNMs to make them feel better but don't actually mean, but that's not the case. Every sorority will essentially provide members with a similar experience. Every sorority has events with frats and other sororities, every sorority has opportunities to get involved with a great philanthropy, every sorority has some girls who like to party and some who don't, and in every sorority there will be some girls you absolutely love and some you might not get along with. Judging each sorority by the overall personality of each sorority and feeling you get with them instead of their "tier" really will lead you to the house you fit best. And ruling out certain chapters that you heard they aren't viewed as one of the "best," could prevent you from getting to know some really great girls.
2. Secrecy rules should be more than just suggestions.
Before going through recruitment, everyone is told about how important discretion is during recruitment. They're encouraged to not discuss their experience at different sororities, or how they ranked them with anyone else going through recruitment, and especially not with members already in sororities. Even though everyone hears this rule, since recruitment takes up a lot of your life for about two weeks, it seems hard to avoid talking about it with your friends and other PNM's. But these rules are most definitely put in place for a reason, and following them is definitely not a bad idea. Even if you think you're being objective about each sorority, everyone cares what their friends think and chances are their opinions sometimes affect yours. Just because someone is a great friend doesn't mean you're meant to end up in the same sorority, so avoiding discussing recruitment will be beneficial to both of you.
3. In Rho Gamma we trust.
When I was going through recruitment I remember thinking that everything my Rho Gammas said were cheesy and probably just from a script given to them by Panhellenic, and not their genuine opinions, but I realize now that everything they said to me is exactly the same advice as what I would tell a PNM now. They went through the process so they know exactly how it feels, and most of them will tell you that the reason they decided to be a Rho Gamma is because they're so happy with the sorority they ended up in, that they want to help girls find their home as well, so they obviously did something right during recruitment. Listen to them and trust them cause they are most definitely there to help you.
4. "Business attire" during recruitment is not actually business attire.
Before I went through sorority recruitment, I had rushed for a business fraternity, so I thought I had a pretty good grasp on the concept of business attire, but apparently not for this situation. The first day of philanthropy round I wore black dress pants and a button down with a blazer and a statement necklace and I thought I looked great, only to show up and see that everyone else was wearing basically the same thing they would for preference round except maybe a little longer skirt or a cardigan thrown on top. Apparently a pant suit is not appropriate business attire in sorority world.
5. Current members are trying just as hard to impress you as you are them.
Going through recruitment feels like so much pressure, but what I didn't really understand as a PNM is that the girls already in sororities are under just as much pressure. We're just as excited to have new babies as you are to have a home, and want to get a great pledge class just as much as you want to get into a great sorority (and tbh a lot of members are just as nervous to talk to you as you are to them). Sorority members make it their mission before and during recruitment to make a good impression on potential new members. Knowing this should make the rounds feel a lot more like normal conversations and a lot less like stressful interviews, which hopefully takes some pressure off.
Sorority Recruitment doesn't go as expected for almost anyone: it definitely didn't for me, but looking back now, theres no other sorority I think I would be as happy in as my own. Whatever is meant to be will be; being yourself and keeping these things in mind, is the best way to find your home.
Good luck, we can't wait to meet you!
