Coming into my second semester, I was so nervous to go through the recruitment process. I didn't know what to expect and I had heard so many different stereotypes about the 4 exhausting days of speed dating with girls. Now, when I look back, I question why I freaked out so much in the beginning because it was a fun process for me. I mean who knew it would be so tiring to talk to girls all day, but I was able to meet some really cool girls and was able to get a feel for what sorority I wanted to be apart of and wanted to represent. So here are some tips on how to conquer sorority recruitment like I did:
1. Grades do MATTER.
Thankfully, I finished the semester off really well so I didn't have to worry as much about my grades but sororities look very extensively into your grade point average and if you do not meet the requirement, chances are you will be dropped after day one of recruitment unfortunately. Most sororities have a GPA of 2.5 or higher. So, if you decided not to rush or were dropped this semester for your grades, kill this semester and really focus on your grades so you can rush again and not have to worry about being dropped for your grades.
2. Be yourself.
This is one of the most important things to do during the recruitment process. These girls are trying to find girls they think would fit into their chapter and are similar, yet bring a diverse atmosphere to the sorority. They want to get to know you for who you are because if you pretend to be someone you aren't, you will also be with girls that you are not like and you will have to continue to pretend. Just be you. If you don't wear makeup usually, don't wear makeup. Dress how you would usually dress for the certain event. That's the best version of yourself as KJ McNamara told us the day before recruitment started.
3. Don't be discouraged if you get dropped.
I know it probably feels super sucky to get your schedule for the day and see that one of the sororities dropped you, but honestly we can't take it personally. These girls switch off after talking to each of us for 5-10 minutes and they couldn't possibly be able to obtain every little fact about you. If you're lucky, you'll connect with the girls you talk to and if not, that's okay too because there is someone out there that you have connected to and who wants you, regardless if you realize it or not.
4. Keep an open mind.
There are all these stereotypes that surround the sorority realm regarding who the best sorority is based on their popular name or their success at other schools. The best decision I made in this process was keeping an open mind. I wanted to go into each chapter, being open to learning about their sisterhood, philanthropy, and their true identities. I believe that keeping an open mind led me to my chapter and where I belong. So keep an open mind and follow the chapter that speaks to you.
5. Avoid the 5 B's in your conversations.
Most of the time, you can just talk about anything that is apart of your life and makes you "you" BUT.... there are 5 categories that you should avoid. Boys, Ballot, Bank Account, Booze, and Bible. These topics are all prone to disagreement and just for the sake of wanting to impress rather than distress, don't talk about them.
6. Take care of yourself during this process.
Not gonna lie, but this process takes ALL the life out of you. By the end of the day, your voice will be scratchy, you will exhausted from walking all day from chapter to chapter around school, and you will have massive headaches from the lack of food you ate because you were so nervous. DON'T FORGET TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Go to bed early, eat nutritious meals, bandage your blisters that are covering your feet from your new heels you bought just for recruitment..YOU ARE IMPORTANT.
Overall, I feel that I am one of the few who really enjoyed the recruitment process. These are ways that the process can feel the same for you. As I followed my own advice, I ended up in the chapter for me and I wouldn't change it for the world. Don't stress; you'll end up where you're supposed to be.
