Dear potential new members,
Sorority recruitment is an experience that is practically impossible to understand if you have not gone through it. I wanted to write this to (hopefully) ease some of your worries because you are about to find a home of loving supporting women, and that is such an exciting thing! I hope you can take away some easy, practical tips from this letter, but I also want to share some wisdom I’ve learned both from my experience and from my sisters.
First up, I want you to think of every stereotype, opinion or idea you have of sororities from your mind or others’, and throw it out the window. Any premonition about sorority life is just going to hurt your experience. Maybe this idea is about a specific sorority or greek life in general, but you must keep an open mind in order to succeed.
On that same note, I guarantee that anyone who speaks negatively about sororities has no clue the love, honor and support that goes into sisterhood. These people do not recognize the drive, intelligence and grace that sorority women possess, and they probably never will. The only thing you can do is ignore them and trust that you are about to join an amazing sisterhood.
Similarly, do not let anyone influence your decisions throughout this journey. Start with an open mind and end with one. You should absolutely talk through your feelings with your loved ones, but at the end of the day only you will know where you belong.
Next, let me tell you… we are so, so, SO nervous, too. We spend so much time preparing to meet you, and we are thrilled you have signed up to be on this crazy ride. I’m sure you’re scared that we won’t love you, but we are terrified that YOU won’t love US!
On that note, try to remember that we want to impress you just as much, if not more, than you want to impress us. However, the only way this will work is if we both agree to be 100% ourselves. You will impress us by being your true, amazing, real self, and we promise to do the same.
Another important piece of advice I can give you is that all of us sorority women want you to find a home where you feel comfortable and supported. If you fall in love with more than one chapter, go with the one where you get that warm fuzzy feeling. Do not be worried about disappointing the other one, we want you to find your home in this process. At the end of the day, there are so many amazing chapters, and we are all panhellenic sisters!
Now for some easy/practical tips that you may think are obvious, but they will completely change your experience.
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Bring band aids! You may think your shoes are comfy, but you will still get a blister, you can thank me later.
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Ask for help. This process is SO confusing, but your recruitment counselors are there to help you with everything, so use them!
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Pack lots of cough drops and mints. Your throat is going to hurt from all the talking, and you will be grateful that you don’t have to worry about your breath.
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SLEEP!!! If there were ever a weekend where 8+ hours are necessary, this is it. Please, PLEASE take care of your body. Lots of girls get sick every year, and while you will still find your home with a stuffy nose, it probably won’t be as much fun.
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Eat whenever you can. Bring high protein snacks like nuts or granola bars for between the rounds because you will be surprised at how hungry you’ll be.
I’ll stop mothering you now, but seriously, take care of yourself. Recruitment is emotionally AND physically stressful. However, it has the best ending. You are about to meet the women that will both lift you up and make you laugh so hard you pee. I know it sounds cheesy, but you will grow into the woman you are supposed to be alongside your sisters. I can honestly say I have met my best friends in my sorority, and they will be with me for life. I am so thrilled for you to start your journey!
All my love,
A Sorority Woman