It’s that time of year again, Collegiettes – Spring semester is finally here, and you know what that means, sorority recruitment is right around the corner!
Some of you, myself included, may have just finished the recruitment process, but others may be gearing up and preparing to go through it very soon.
Recruitment can be intimidating to say the least – especially when you don’t know anyone who’s gone through the process, and have literally no idea what to expect (aka me last week). But despite all the nerves, recruitment weekend is one of the most exciting and promising experiences you’ll ever be given the chance to participate in – this I promise.
Just the thought of being surrounded by so many amazing girls, all brought together by the desire to find their forever home, fills me with a joy I can’t even begin to describe. Each and every sorority is filled with beautiful, intelligent, and welcoming girls who want nothing more than to take you under their wing and show you the world of opportunities that they have in store for you.
However, with this being said, meeting so many girls and hearing so many touching testimonies about each sisterhood can make it extremely hard to discern which sorority is The One for you.
Prior to going through recruitment, I had a vague idea of where I wanted to be, but nothing was set in stone. The first day was a blur, I was sent to meet all five of the sororities established on my college’s campus, and when I say I was tired at the end of the day, I mean I was exhausted. I made my selections, ranking all five in order from my first choice to my last, and went to sleep without a second thought.
Coming back the second day, I was excited to see that all four of the sororities I had chosen had chosen me back. Now, this is the general consensus on the second day; some girls may experience a small hiccup where their least favorite sorority invited them back – but that’s not uncommon. The best piece of advice my Rho Gammas had given me was to “trust the process.” But in all honesty, I had no doubt in my mind that I would end up where I wanted to be.
After completing my second day of I knew what I wanted. I confidently selected my top two choices (you only go back to two sororities on the final day) and left without a second thought. That night I weighed both my options in my mind and finally came to a conclusion – I had decided where my new home would be.
Meeting with my Rho Gammas on the final day, I was calm, level-headed and ready – then my world fell apart.
As it so happened, neither of my choices were on my schedule for that final day – I wasn’t going back to any of the sororities I had chosen. I had a knot in my throat, and I could barely speak. My Rho Gammas tentatively asked “Are you okay?” and “Do you want to talk about it?” obviously prepared for the worst. I shook my head quietly and went to take my seat.
All I could think was “how did this happen?” I had had such good conversation with all the girls in both groups and I genuinely didn’t understand why they didn’t want me.
Despite my shock and confusion, I headed to my first pref ceremony anyway, still mulling the whole situation over in my head. It wasn’t until a ran into a friend who was an important part of organizing the recruitment process that it truly hit me – I began to sob.
I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach and I would never be able to catch my breath again.
I know this sounds pretty dramatic, and for that I apologize, but to be so sure of something, to want something so badly, and to suddenly have the ground ripped out from under you is a feeling that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
After about ten minutes I parted ways with my friend and headed to the bathroom to compose myself. I blotted my eyes, fixed my hair, and prayed that no one could tell I’d been crying just minutes before (you could totally tell by the way, a friend told me later that my highlight had dripped down my neck). As I waited silently in line with all the other girls scheduled to attend this particular pref ceremony I began to think.
I was still pretty shook up, but determined to make the most of the cards I had been dealt. I walked through the curtains into the ceremony, and I was left absolutely speechless.
Everything was gorgeous, and more than that each and every girl I came in contact with seemed genuinely excited to see me. Overcome with emotion, I began to cry again, only this time for a very different reason.
I felt at home.
It was in that moment that I realized I ended up exactly where I needed to be. I found a group of girls who loved me before they even knew me. I found a group of girls who would be there for me no matter what. I found a group of girls that I would be proud to call my sisters.
This was the sorority I chose, and thankfully, they also chose me back.
I am now a new member in the sorority of my dreams, and I couldn’t be happier.
I share this story not to scare anyone entertaining the thought of going through recruitment but to let everyone know that you will end up where you belong. Keep an open mind, trust the process, and remember, God doesn’t always give you what you want, but he will always give you what you need.
Formal recruitment is right around the corner, and while this article was written previously and it simply being published again, the link to sign up for Winthrop’s 2019 formal recruitment can be found here!