Recruitment season is approaching and everyone is getting prepared. Incoming freshmen are searching their closets for the right outfits, trying new looks with makeup, and practicing how to walk in their cutest heels. Upperclassmen who are already in a sorority are practicing chants and sharpening their small talk.
There's no better season than recruitment season. Everyone is thrilled to get to know other girls at their school during the process and hoping to end up with some amazing, life-long friendships. That's the goal of recruitment, making friendships that are worthwhile. That's why sororities have the recruitment process in the first place. It's their way of making sure the right girls are included in their circle of friendship.
It's about finding the people who make life better and who make the chapter better. There's a lot of misconceptions about recruitment, but the truth is the selection process is all about finding girls who will add to the value of the chapter and grow to be role models within their community. We're looking for the next leaders of our sorority.
The value we seek comes from girls who are unique and fully themselves. There's no reason to hide who you are to fit in. You might realize that you belong to a chapter that you didn't think was the right fit in the beginning, and that's okay. The important part is to let loose and have fun with recruitment. If you're enjoying it, the sorority members will notice. Your excitement might rub off on them and get you that highly-coveted bid.
There will be moments of awkward silence or slip ups in the conversation, but don't let that discourage you. I had those moments, and I ended up finding the perfect home in a sorority that was just as quirky as I am. Because I was just being myself, I fit in perfectly after recruitment ended and really found my home.
What else can you expect from this mysterious process? Well, it's quite loud inside those houses. Of course, it is when there are twenty to sixty girls all chatting in the same room. If you have to lean in to hear the girl speaking, by all means, do it!
It's so awkward to have to repeat yourself to someone who isn't actively trying to listen. Sitting there with a confused look on your face because you can't hear what was said just makes you seem uninterested. We know it's loud. It isn't weird to try and hear who you're talking to, it's just normal.
Also, for those new people coming through, we might forget your name. And we're super sorry about it. We promise we'll remember your face and what you said, but when a name is only said once in the beginning, it's hard to recall it a day later. It doesn't mean we didn't like you or that we didn't care about the conversation. It's just a little human error.
You might find a girl in a house that you absolutely love. You guys will completely hit it off and you'll feel totally sure of your bid from that house. But, then it doesn't come. This doesn't mean that girl was being two-faced. The ranking process is done by a computer and if the other girls didn't match with you as well, you may not get the best response.
You can still communicate with this girl after recruitment. Making friends is not exclusively limited to the sorority members you join. The beauty of recruitment is all of the friends you make outside of your new home. It's something that you all share. A process that's the same for all future members.
Recruitment is going to be so exciting. I hope you really take it in and soak up all that it has to offer you. Whatever you do, don't be too nervous and don't be too afraid to be the wonderful person you are. Your home is waiting, and it can't find you if you try to disguise yourself.
