Sorority recruitment can be a crazy experience. You basically spend a week running from house to house hoping to find one that is a good fit for you at the end of the week. Looking back as a recruiter there are so many things I wish I had known and done during recruitment to make the week easier on myself so here are some of my recommendations.
1. Don't feel intimidated
Not gonna lie, having 150 women dressed in the same outfit scream a door chant at you is really terrifying the first time it happens. But don't worry, these women were at some point in the exact same spot as you are and everyone thinks door chants are at least a little weird.
2. Don't listen to what other people say about houses
Many of the rumors you hear about houses and pretty outlandish and the vast majority of them are also untrue. Additionally, everybody has a different opinion about each house but their opinions should not matter to you. What should matter to you is the conversations and experiences you have at that house during recruitment.
3. Trust your Rho Gamma
I cannot stress this enough: just trust your Rho Gam, there is a reason they were selected to fulfill this position.
4. Bring a water bottle
When I went through recruitment it was over 100 degrees. Every. Single. Day. Make sure you have a cold water bottle to keep yourself hydrated and cool.
5. Pack some snacks
The first few days of recruitment are pretty long and you usually only get a short lunch during the day, so I recommend bringing some to stay energized.
6. Wear comfortable shoes
Nothing is worse than having to run across the hills of Greek row in a super cute but horribly uncomfortable pair of heals. While I still recommend wearing some cute shoes, make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes that you can hustle in.
7. Take lots of notes
Write down everything you remember about the house. The outfits they were wearing, the names of the girls you talked to, the conversations you had with them, their values as a house, any likes or dislikes, the list goes on. Writing everything you can remember down will help jog your memory later when you have to pref houses.
8. Wear LOTS of deodorant
There's a good chance it's gong to be pretty hot during recruitment so wear lots of deodorant and maybe even pack some in your bag to use throughout the day.
9. Don't be scared to ask questions
Recruiters loves it when PNMs ask questions because it lets us tell you more about the organizations we love so feel free to ask away!
10. Be yourself
As cliché as it sounds, remember to be yourself during recruitment. The only way to you're going to find a house that is a good fit for you is to be your honest, unapologetic self during recruitment.
11. Trust the system
Not trusting the system during recruitment was the biggest mistake I made. I ended up dropping out of recruitment only to end up joining one of the last houses I had before I dropped. While you may be frustrated during recruitment because a house you loved dropped you, remember that everything happens for a reason and you'll probably end up joining a house that you'll love even more.