Sorority Recruitment as told by Bridesmaids
So here’s the thing, it’s no secret that sorority formal recruitment is kind of horrible for everyone: the potential new member (PNM) and the sorority sister. After being on both sides of recruitment, I can honestly say that both sides have their ups and downs. Let’s face it; in order to get through recruitment, you need to take some time to just laugh about the awkwardness of it all. And if you haven’t been through recruitment yet, don’t worry—once you find your home and go through recruitment, you’ll completely understand and think it’s hilarious, too.
The PNM side:
1. You walk into the first house of the week and try to play it cool, but you end up just acting super weird.
You can feel the nerves throughout your whole body and you say to yourself, “play it cool, just act normal.” Suddenly you’re doing some strut you’ve never done before with a strange look on your face and you later realize you didn’t act normal at all.
2. You thought everything went so well and then you find out about the sororities that “dropped” you.
I’m not going to lie to you; this part of recruitment actually really sucks. You’re going to have a million thoughts going through your head about what went wrong, but just remember, as cheesy as it sounds, it all works out just how it is supposed to.
3. You meet a sorority sister that you really hit it off with and it’s almost better than love at first sight.
So you were feeling down at the beginning of the day and then you walk into a house and when you least expect it, you meet a girl that you just don’t want to stop talking to. Which, believe me, is something special during recruitment, considering you’re talking for almost 6 hours straight and would give anything just to be mute for a whole day.
4. You come home day after day and are exhausted from standing in heels and talking non-stop and you just want to collapse on the first soft surface you see.
Recruitment is extremely tiring. It’s an emotional roller coaster, physically draining and can also be nerve-racking at times. You’ll just want to go home and jump in bed at the end of each day.
5. The day is FINALLY here: you’ve found your home and suddenly you feel a huge sense of relief and excitement.
After a week of stressing over nothing, a bid from your new sisterhood feels like the best thing in the world. (P.s. – it basically is).
The Sister side:
1. You have to endure uncomfortably awkward conversations each day.
When you talk to so many girls in one day, chances are you’re going to have a few weird conversations; and being the sorority sister, you are the one who is expected to keep the conversation flowing. But sometimes it’s just… too hard.
2. You end up having the exact same conversation like 10 times, but every single time you have to pretend you’ve never heard it before.
“I LOVE watching Netflix!!” ”Oh, you doooo??”
3. You have to be at the sorority house at 7:30 AM every morning, so you slowly start forgetting about personal hygiene. Hey, your sisters won’t judge you as long as you don’t smell, right?
Those early mornings are killer and all you want to do is roll out of bed and get to the house ASAP so you don’t get yelled at. Everything is so rushed, you only have time for the basics, a.k.a shaving the legs can wait.
4. You finally meet your Rush Crush.
As soon as you start talking, you’re instantly thinking “Omg, I need her in my life.” She’s adorable, yet just as weird as you, what more could you ask for? You don’t want to stop talking to her, but you know you eventually have to. Ugh, sigh.
5. You pref your Rush Crush and then find out she didn’t accept the bid from your sorority.
Wait…. what just happened? You thought everything went perfectly and then you find out that she liked someone else better? Whatever.
Seriously, though, this article may make recruitment seem like a joke, but everything you go through during that week is truly worth it once you’re surrounded by a group of girls that you’ll end up calling your very best friends.