As someone who was on the exact opposite side of the author of this article, I can relate to this so much. I began rushing last year but decided to drop because there were so many things I wanted to be a part of and I was terrified that being in a sorority would take up too much of my time, but decided that this year, as a sophomore, joining a sorority was something I really wanted to do. I have friends in sororities from other organizations, and the whole time they were telling me “It’s better to rush as a sophomore, you can get into a top tier sorority because they have a quota to fill of upper classmen.” So of course, I was excited, and totally prepared. I had the dresses, the shoes, the accessories, the makeup, everything. I was confident and comfortable and not nervous at all like I was the year before, and I became best friends with one of my Pi Chis and would text her each night about my favorite houses.
During Round 3, I was only called back to 5 sororities, and I found out that my 4 all time favorites had dropped me. I was devastated, but my Pi Chi told me to trust in the system, and so I did, and had an amazing time at every single sorority I returned to. I told her how I felt after each one, she helped me rank them that night, and I went home feeling amazing and knowing exactly which one I belonged in, making plans to go get my makeup done at Sephora the next day for Prefs.
I got a call from my Pi Chi at 11pm, and I thought that it was just her checking in with me, but it turned out that I had been dropped from all 5 houses and was released from recruitment. I was absolutely devastated and didn’t understand what was happening. I thought I had absolutely hit it off with every house, and that I would be called back to my top 3 because of how well I got on with the girls. I had already started seeing them as my family, as my sisters, and it was ripped away from me in an instant. I called my mother crying for 20 minutes because I just didn’t understand how that could of happened. Also didn’t help that my twin sister hadn’t been dropped from recruitment, either. I saw all I had hoped for for my sophomore year just fall away. I had planned the whole year around being in a sorority, and now it was gone.
I met up with my Pi Chi the next day for coffee and she apologized profusely, ragging on the very system she and the other Pi Chis had wanted me to trust. She told me that they all hated the system, that they enjoyed spring rush so much more, and that all of my Pi Chis were absolutely shocked that I had been dropped because they thought for sure I would make it into any house I had wanted. Overall, it was great to be able to sit with her a realize that being dropped had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the ridiculous formal recruitment system that had arisen out of necessity as opposed to effectiveness. When you have 1700 PNMs vying for the same sororities, a numbers game seems like a logical option, but to those who fall through the cracks it’s the most heartbreaking situation. I’m still unhappy with the outcome of fall recruitment, but I made some really awesome friends either way (meeting up with my pi chi tomorrow to chill! So excited). Ultimately, I’m not giving up on a sorority, and intend to rush in the Spring and join a sorority that is going to be new to campus for fall recruitment next year. Hopefully I’ll be able to take what I learned as a PNM who was dropped by the system and, as a charter member for this sorority on campus, affect a positive change in our recruitment process to make it less stressful and more enjoyable.
As someone who was on the exact opposite side of the author of this article, I can relate to this so much. I began rushing last year but decided to drop because there were so many things I wanted to be a part of and I was terrified that being in a sorority would take up too much of my time, but decided that this year, as a sophomore, joining a sorority was something I really wanted to do. I have friends in sororities from other organizations, and the whole time they were telling me “It’s better to rush as a sophomore, you can get into a top tier sorority because they have a quota to fill of upper classmen.” So of course, I was excited, and totally prepared. I had the dresses, the shoes, the accessories, the makeup, everything. I was confident and comfortable and not nervous at all like I was the year before, and I became best friends with one of my Pi Chis and would text her each night about my favorite houses.
During Round 3, I was only called back to 5 sororities, and I found out that my 4 all time favorites had dropped me. I was devastated, but my Pi Chi told me to trust in the system, and so I did, and had an amazing time at every single sorority I returned to. I told her how I felt after each one, she helped me rank them that night, and I went home feeling amazing and knowing exactly which one I belonged in, making plans to go get my makeup done at Sephora the next day for Prefs.
I got a call from my Pi Chi at 11pm, and I thought that it was just her checking in with me, but it turned out that I had been dropped from all 5 houses and was released from recruitment. I was absolutely devastated and didn’t understand what was happening. I thought I had absolutely hit it off with every house, and that I would be called back to my top 3 because of how well I got on with the girls. I had already started seeing them as my family, as my sisters, and it was ripped away from me in an instant. I called my mother crying for 20 minutes because I just didn’t understand how that could of happened. Also didn’t help that my twin sister hadn’t been dropped from recruitment, either. I saw all I had hoped for for my sophomore year just fall away. I had planned the whole year around being in a sorority, and now it was gone.
I met up with my Pi Chi the next day for coffee and she apologized profusely, ragging on the very system she and the other Pi Chis had wanted me to trust. She told me that they all hated the system, that they enjoyed spring rush so much more, and that all of my Pi Chis were absolutely shocked that I had been dropped because they thought for sure I would make it into any house I had wanted. Overall, it was great to be able to sit with her a realize that being dropped had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the ridiculous formal recruitment system that had arisen out of necessity as opposed to effectiveness. When you have 1700 PNMs vying for the same sororities, a numbers game seems like a logical option, but to those who fall through the cracks it’s the most heartbreaking situation. I’m still unhappy with the outcome of fall recruitment, but I made some really awesome friends either way (meeting up with my pi chi tomorrow to chill! So excited). Ultimately, I’m not giving up on a sorority, and intend to rush in the Spring and join a sorority that is going to be new to campus for fall recruitment next year. Hopefully I’ll be able to take what I learned as a PNM who was dropped by the system and, as a charter member for this sorority on campus, affect a positive change in our recruitment process to make it less stressful and more enjoyable.