We all know the stereotypes about Greek life, especially sororities. The terrifying videos that circle around Twitter of a bunch of blondes waving and chanting when you open the door. The horror stories of hazing, orange Instagram filters, creepy frat boys. Now, they can be true if you go to school in the South or at a big state school. Luckily, Drexel’s Greek life is not like that. There was no way I was about to rush if it was going to be an absolute nightmare.
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I grew up in a family where most of the women belong to sororities. When I was growing up, I had this idea in my head that I would go to school and eventually belong to a sorority too. I loved the idea of having all these women who you were automatically “sisters” with. So when the time came around, I decided to take the leap.
Ok, I’m going to break down my experience day by day, future PNMs. PNM means Potential New Member, btw. In the end, I’ll include some helpful tips and tricks I learned along the way.
That first recruitment orientation came around and I was a little thrown off guard. We all know Drexel is a PWI (Predominantly White Institution) but the lack of diversity in the room really surprised me. Now, I can say with confidence that I have yet to experience any different treatment because of the way I look or my nationality. It’s surprising to most probably, but the sororities at Drexel really work hard to contradict the negative stereotypes of only accepting tiny, white, blonde girls.
Once I met my Rho Gamma (an unbiased upperclassmen sorority member who is a confidant/leader for the week) and the rest of my group, I instantly felt more comfortable. The girls I met during recruitment were actually amazing and so fun to talk too. I never expected to meet so many women that I instantly connected with. Day 1, which I like to call speed dating, went great. On the first day, you meet all the sororities and talk to different girls for 30 minutes in each house. I absolutely loved this but it can be very overwhelming. Ask your friends and Rho Gammas for talking points and BRING GUM. To be honest, I never expected to enjoy as many houses as I did. Each house treated me with such respect and kindness. Just remember the girls talking to you want you to feel welcome because, at the end of the day, they want the pledges.
Second day rolls around. Now, on this day everyone’s schedule is different. You can be called back to anywhere from 1 to 4 houses. If you don’t get called back to your top, it’s not the end of the world. I always say everything happens for a reason. For obvious reasons, I won’t be disclosing how many I got called back to or what one I ended up in, if I did accept a bid. Here’s something that shocked me. GPA matters A LOT more than you think. Unfortunately, I watched girls around me get dropped from most sororities just because of their GPA. I think that would be my main critique of recruitment. If someone gets dropped from sororities because of GPA and not a personality clash or anything, a Rho Gamma should be allowed to say something. Don’t let the GPA stop you from rushing, though. If you think your grades may be a concern, sit down with someone in a sorority or your Rho Gamma beforehand. I absolutely loved the second day because it gave me the clarification I needed to narrow my choices.
IT’S PREF DAY. BEST DAY EVER. Can you tell I loved Pref day? Ok, so Pref Day aka Preference Day is the last round of interviews. You either go to one or two houses. This day solidified my decision. My experience was honestly life-changing. I sound so so cheesy, I kind of hate myself. The moment I stepped into an unnamed sorority house, I knew. I had a whole “Come to Jesus” moment even though I’m not religious, lol. Pref Day is so special for most PNMs. so just go into it expecting a magical ceremony and amazing connections.
When Bid Day rolls around, you look around yourself and see a bunch of anxious, but excited, girls. We had to sit on our envelopes for an hour (I think!) before we could open them. The nervous excitement you will feel on this day is UNREAL. When that moment comes around to open that manila envelope, you know your college experience is about to change. I screamed when I saw the letters on the card. Now, what follows from here is a bunch of screaming, crying, running to your new sisters, and a whole lotta photos.
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If you are lucky enough to find your place among a sorority, you are blessed. Being part of a sisterhood is epic, to say the least. If throughout this process, you drop because something isn’t fitting, that’s completely fine too. To any freshman who dropped out: try again as a sophomore. This year, pledge classes are almost half and half, freshman vs. sophomore.
It probably was obvious, but yes I did accept the bid from my sorority. Yes, I am slightly obsessed. Yes, I added my letters in my Instagram bio immediately. So my review might be biased, BUT, sororities are just that, b****.
Here are some tips that hopefully help you along the way.
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Dress to impress. Don’t go outside of your comfort zone though. Keep your outfits to your style. Usually, your outfits are supposed to get cuter throughout the week so don’t go all out for the first day.
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BRING SNACKS and water. Do not be that girl who passes out.
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Try not to listen to all the rumors. Girls can be nasty and the rumors usually aren’t true.
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Go into recruitment with an open mind.
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Be open to other sororities that maybe your friends aren’t as into. Plus, if you end up somewhere different than your good friends, you’ll make so many more anyway because you won’t have that group already.
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Go to your Rho Gamma for everything. They have so much advice at their disposal.