<p>Good morning all, I have been reading the threads regarding sorority recruitment, and I know how excited everyone is to begin the process. As a member of the Greek community for over 30 years, I wanted to share some information and stress a few points before recruitment begins. I come from a very Greek family with almost all the women pledging at a variety of campuses and over multiple generations. If you and your daughter are the same, than I am not worried about you! It’s the first time rushees and families that this is addressed to. I write many recs each year, so I hear all kinds of outcomes. Many broken hearts don’t have to happen.</p>
<p>First-- Regardless of all the recs, expensive clothes, and preparation, some girls will take hard hits as far as invitations somewhere in the process. The most popular houses will have to release the most girls. So ladies, be prepared for this. It doesn’t mean you are not liked, it means there are a lot of girls who have connections, better grades, etc. Sometime numbers come in to play. Treat each round as if these are the only houses on campus.</p>
<p>Second–Moms, Support your daughters, but let them make the decisions in the process. They may experience rejection for the first time, and you can’t do anything about it other than offer support. The friendships developed as a member of a GLO are for life, and this is your daughters’ decision. BTW, the Rho Chi’s will take the PNM’s cell phones before preference parties begin so Moms and alumns can’t influence the decision making process. This was the longest 4 hours of my life!! At least my DD sent me a text real quick to let me know where she was going.</p>
<p>Third–PNMs should consider every house as a possibility. I can’t stress this enough. Every year I get a tearful phone call from a parent who’s daughter was unhappy after rush only to find out she dropped with 2-3 houses left on her invitation list. How sad for the girl to drop and see her friends having a great time on bid day, and how sad for a chapter to lose a girl who would have been a great addition. Remember, these girls will be life-long friends. Perceived tiers and status, or whatever reason you hear for not pledging will not be an issue after those friendships are formed. If you drop rush, you may never get a bid and have this opportunity again. Never. At Bama it is very hard to get a bid as an upperclassman, unless you have stellar college stats.
If you get a bid to your second, or third choice, don’t ruin the day for the girls who had it as their first choice. Go the the house, meet your pledge sisters, and give the sorority a chance. They saw something in you they liked that the other house didn’t. Or you were simply lower on the bid list. It happens.</p>
<p>and Last–have fun, make friends, you have more control over your rush than you think. If you only choose the perceived top houses each round, you are setting yourself up for disappointment due to numbers alone. Have a “safety” house on your list that you would enjoy going back to and meeting more girls. Prepare some general questions for lags in the conversation… “what’s it like here on game day?”, “What type of sisterhood events are the most fun?” Just don’t ask about parties, boys. etc.</p>
<p>Please come back and post after bid day and let us know how the week went. All the alumae are interested, and hope you find your letters just like we did.
And please keep an open mind to all the possibilities.</p>
But went in with a great attitude and smiled smiled smiled. Prefed Three great houses (the max). So tell your daughters to relax, keep an open mind and all the houses are great. I am very involved as an Alumnae in our home state for my sorority, all of the Alabama houses are amazing, have great national and local support. Can’t go wrong with any choice.</p>