Happy August! I personally hate August, I refer to it as “the begging of the end.” We wait all year long for summer to come and just like that we are caught up in the graduation parties, the summer BBQ’s, and that intense internship we worked so hard for. So now it’s August and friends are getting ready to go back to school, the fall styles are coming out, and slowly but surely the air seems a little more crisp.
Seems pretty depressing, huh? There is one thing that we can get excited about. One thing that may be daunting at first but truly is the best thing ever, and that is sorority recruitment.
If you go to a school like Boston University, recruitment doesn’t come until January but don’t be fooled! Recruitment truly is 365 days a year, whether you are a sister or a potential new member these months leading up to recruitment are crucial for various purposes. If you are a sister, this is the time to really start thinking about your sisterhood and what it means to you. If you wholeheartedly understand what your sorority stands for you will know who you want to be a part of it. For potential new members, use these months to get to know the different sororities on campus, understand their values, get to know the sisters in your classes and at open houses. The friendships you make before recruitment just may turn into longterm sisterhood.
Being a Sigma Kappa alumni (ew!) I definitely have some light to shed on the do’s and don’ts of sorority recruitment. However, this year my own little sister (biological) will be taking the first steps in her own journey to find the perfect sisterhood. Although I want to scream GO SIGMA KAY 24/7 I know this is a personal decision that she must make as I did four years ago.
Here is a quick little guide to survive sorority recruitment!
SORORITY RECRUITMENT GUIDE FOR FRESHMAN
1. Breath: Everything is going to be okay. Sleepless nights, not knowing what to wear, and girls screaming catchy cheers at you can get overwhelming. Laugh it off and just breath. I promise it will end soon!
2. Be yourself: I don’t care if you are the weirdest girl on the planet. You will find a home that accepts you for who you are and will love you more and more with every drop of weirdness. This is probably the most important rule throughout the entire process. If you don’t remain true to yourself you won’t end up where you belong which will be disappointing in the long-run.
3. Make Your Own Decisions: I know its hard. When you are a freshman you cling to that first friend you find and it almost seems vital that you both end up in the same sorority. Remember that just because you may wear different letters on Bid Day doesn’t mean your friendship is over. You need to find the best place for you not the best place for your friends.
4. Listen To Your Heart: Learning the truth about each sororities reputations can be harsh and sometimes may sway our judgement. Don’t think about the parties, the boys, or how pretty all the girls are. Think, who do you want to spend lazy sunday’s with? Who will come running no matter what time of day? Those are your sisters.
5. Have Fun: This whole system seems a little bizarre if you think about it. You put hundreds of girls in a room for five days and somehow you come out with your forever friends but in the end you are just making friends. Whether it be in the sorority that you accept a bid from or the one you got dropped from the first day of recruitment, this is your community now. You will see these people everyday, be respectful because word travels fast when it comes to Greeks!
SORORITY RECRUITMENT GUIDE FOR SISTERS
1. Love Your Sisters: Your tired, your feet hurt, it smells a little weird and all you really want is your bed and some netflix. That doesn’t mean you can start being a bad sister. Recruitment is hands down the most exciting thing that you can do as a sorority sister, you are extending your legacy. You have the responsibility to make sure that these freshman have the same exact experience that you did, if not better. Don’t deprive them of that just because you are tired. The potential new members know when you are being fake. Take personal time to think about why you joined, it will make you more excited to help these ladies find their home.
2. Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover: Take the time to get to know every single girl. You never know when you might find your next little, grand little, or great grand little! It’s not about what she look like or what she’s wearing its about her personality, her passion, and her values. Don’t just ask the easy questions like, “What’s your major,” ask the ones that she hasn’t heard before. Ask her about her family or high school friends, something that you both can relate to.
3. Be A Friend: We all remember what it felt like day after day walking into the room of intimidating girls. Don’t take advantage of the potential new member, take this moment of vulnerability as an opportunity to be a friend. They will remember how you eased their nerves.
4. Stay Pumped: I know I had the reputation in my sorority to be the “Sigma Kappa Robot.” The girl who no matter how tired I was I would still get exhilarated by just talking about our sisterhood. This is one of the biggest milestones of a woman’s life and you get to be a part of it! Stay pumped it will be more enjoyable for everyone!
5. Stay True To Yourself: This rule goes for both new members and old. You may not love the reputation that your sorority has. You may not love everything about it but what you do love is the people that make you smile everyday. You love the opportunities it brought you. Don’t try to be something your not in hopes of getting more “popular” girls. Staying true to yourself will bring the girls like you, the girls that you will be friends with forever, until you die.
I know this process is extremely overwhelming on both sides. However, I would do ANYTHING to go back and do it all again. The hours of sisterhood bonding, the hours of preparation, the hours of crafting and workshops, the list goes on. This is what makes our organizations different from an ordinary club so we must be proud to carry on our legacies in the way that so many women have before us!
Sorority recruitment is one of my favorite topics of all time! If you couldn’t tell! Whether you are a potential new member or a sister, please feel free to ask my any questions!
Great advice! I know that sorority recruitment can be super overwhelming for me… but I actually ended up loving it! Thanks for sharing your advice! At my school, we do fall recruitment, so it starts 2 weeks after school starts. It all moves so fast! The first four weeks of the quarter are just jam-packed!
xo,
Zoe
La Vie en Zoe
Helpful post! Thanks for sharing it.