My 11 Top Tips and Tricks For Making it Through Recruitment
I won't lie, rush week was one of the most difficult and tiring weeks of my entire life. There was nights of no sleep and early mornings where I have no memory of blowing out my hair and putting on a full face of makeup. That being said, it was one of the best weeks of my life. I got to meet lots of new girls and found my forever home at Gamma Phi Beta. Here are a few tips and tricks that got me through rush week that hopefully can help you make your rush week amazing.
1. Relax and know you are going to find where you belong
Yes, relax this is my number one tip to anyone who is about to head into recruitment. You are going to meet hundreds of people and have hundreds of different conversations while needing to look and sound your best. During this week you need to remember that at the end you are going to end up in the most amazing house where you will most likely find lifelong friends.
I stressed out about my outfits months before I even got to school. Have them picked out before you start rush so you can just throw on your outfit not stress out about it. Your school is most likely going to release a guide on how to dress during the different sets. In my opinion on the most casual day you should be wearing a skirt and some nice sandals even if they say you can wear shorts. It is better to be overdressed than underdressed. Wear your hair in the way that makes you feel the most confident. For makeup keep your makeup simple for the first few sets and you can add in the smokey eyes for pref day if you choose.
3. Follow the rules even if they seems strange
At most schools this means staying away from boys, no drinking, no doing any drugs, and be on time. Take this to heart. There were so many girls that had a wine night or hung out with guys and were caught then were removed from recruitment. Being on time is another major rule that you must follow. If you miss one house or are late there is a good chance you can be kicked out of recruitment. During this week just focus on getting into the house of your dreams you have the rest of the four years to have fun.
4. Know the GPA requirements going in
This is something that will effect many girls. At my school our minimum GPA set by houses is a 3.0 and some houses even have up to a 3.3 requirement. However, girls with below a 3.0 were allowed to rush. Sadly, tons of girls are cut from almost every house after round one solely due to their GPA. This can be disheartening but if your GPA is not in line with what the houses you like are looking for don't be afraid to work hard and re-rush the following year.
5. Take detailed notes as much as you can
After visiting all the houses most of your conversations will turn into a blur. You'll remember some good things but not be able to pin it to a certain house. Make sure you are writing down details about what you talked about and what the girls were wearing that you talked to or even what the inside of the house looked like. These two things will help you remember your conversations and the outfit helps trigger your memory of a certain person or house.
6. Smile even if you think you look weird
This is something that I really did and was met with a lot of positivity. While you don't want to look fake, I know I have RBF(resting bitch face) and it is better to look happy then it is to look like you are upset or uninterested. In the beginning you are only going to be talking for girls for like a minute so you want them to remember you in the best light possible.
7. Bring a pair of flip flops with you
We were just given a ziplock bag when going through recruitment but I did make sure to bring flip flops along with me to every set. No matter how comfy you think your heels are you are going to get sore feet or blisters. By the time I reached bid day my feet were basically being held together by bandaids. Also, if the houses you need to get to are far away you are going to have to run to be on time. It is better to be throwing on your heels last minute then to end up in a boot because you sprained your ankle.
8. Try to eat your meals with girls you are meeting
Recruitment can be such a stressful time that you can feel overwhelmed. Take a night during the week and go get a nice dinner. It will pull you out of the whirlwind that recruitment is and make you feel normal. You are going to meet so many girls during recruitment who may not end up being your BFFs after but it is nice to have a break. Get to know some girls who may even end up in your house!
9. Realize the girls recruiting you are just as nervous as you are
We are just as nervous as you are because we genuinely want every girl who walks through our doors to want to come back.We practice for months and really want the best pledge class possible. If you really are nervous don't be afraid to tell the girls you are talking to that. While its not great to be negative just saying "I am absolutely loving rush week but I am also nervous and honestly me feet hurt." isn't going to hurt you. During one round I was so exhausted and told the girl who I was talking to and we ended up just sitting on her bed and relaxing and having a real conversation.
10. As you get closer to bid day look around at the girls in you RC group
This is the biggest thing I think I should have paid more attention to when going through recruitment. While not in the first set, but especially on preference day you should really pay attention to who is with you going into a house. These are girl are choosing to go back to that house and are also being invited back just like you. These girls are likely going to be in your pledge class if you decide to bid that house. Your pledge class are the girls you are going to spend the most time with and will usually be your best friends. Make sure these are girls you see yourself being surrounded by.
11. Understand that greek life may not be for you
There are tons of reasons why girls don't end up in a house after rush week. GPA, breaking a rule, or not getting into the house they want and dropping. If you get to the end of recruitment and end up not getting into a house or into a house that you like don't feel bad. You have to option to re-rush the next year or greek life in general just may not be for you and thats okay! Your life is not over if you don't get into a house. I knew so many girls my freshman year that either didn't rush or didn't get into a house and they did just as well as the girls in greek life and sometimes better.
At the end of the day, being in a sorority is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I love the life long friends that I have made through Gamma Phi Beta. It has really turned a big school into a home for me and I hope it does for you too! Just understand that at the end of the day recruitment is still supposed to be a fun and happy time. Enjoy every moment you can! Good luck!
Love always,
H 💕
Yes, relax this is my number one tip to anyone who is about to head into recruitment. You are going to meet hundreds of people and have hundreds of different conversations while needing to look and sound your best. During this week you need to remember that at the end you are going to end up in the most amazing house where you will most likely find lifelong friends.
2. Have your outfits, hair, and makeup planned out ahead of time
I stressed out about my outfits months before I even got to school. Have them picked out before you start rush so you can just throw on your outfit not stress out about it. Your school is most likely going to release a guide on how to dress during the different sets. In my opinion on the most casual day you should be wearing a skirt and some nice sandals even if they say you can wear shorts. It is better to be overdressed than underdressed. Wear your hair in the way that makes you feel the most confident. For makeup keep your makeup simple for the first few sets and you can add in the smokey eyes for pref day if you choose.
3. Follow the rules even if they seems strange
At most schools this means staying away from boys, no drinking, no doing any drugs, and be on time. Take this to heart. There were so many girls that had a wine night or hung out with guys and were caught then were removed from recruitment. Being on time is another major rule that you must follow. If you miss one house or are late there is a good chance you can be kicked out of recruitment. During this week just focus on getting into the house of your dreams you have the rest of the four years to have fun.
4. Know the GPA requirements going in
This is something that will effect many girls. At my school our minimum GPA set by houses is a 3.0 and some houses even have up to a 3.3 requirement. However, girls with below a 3.0 were allowed to rush. Sadly, tons of girls are cut from almost every house after round one solely due to their GPA. This can be disheartening but if your GPA is not in line with what the houses you like are looking for don't be afraid to work hard and re-rush the following year.
5. Take detailed notes as much as you can
After visiting all the houses most of your conversations will turn into a blur. You'll remember some good things but not be able to pin it to a certain house. Make sure you are writing down details about what you talked about and what the girls were wearing that you talked to or even what the inside of the house looked like. These two things will help you remember your conversations and the outfit helps trigger your memory of a certain person or house.
6. Smile even if you think you look weird
This is something that I really did and was met with a lot of positivity. While you don't want to look fake, I know I have RBF(resting bitch face) and it is better to look happy then it is to look like you are upset or uninterested. In the beginning you are only going to be talking for girls for like a minute so you want them to remember you in the best light possible.
7. Bring a pair of flip flops with you
We were just given a ziplock bag when going through recruitment but I did make sure to bring flip flops along with me to every set. No matter how comfy you think your heels are you are going to get sore feet or blisters. By the time I reached bid day my feet were basically being held together by bandaids. Also, if the houses you need to get to are far away you are going to have to run to be on time. It is better to be throwing on your heels last minute then to end up in a boot because you sprained your ankle.
8. Try to eat your meals with girls you are meeting
Recruitment can be such a stressful time that you can feel overwhelmed. Take a night during the week and go get a nice dinner. It will pull you out of the whirlwind that recruitment is and make you feel normal. You are going to meet so many girls during recruitment who may not end up being your BFFs after but it is nice to have a break. Get to know some girls who may even end up in your house!
9. Realize the girls recruiting you are just as nervous as you are
We are just as nervous as you are because we genuinely want every girl who walks through our doors to want to come back.We practice for months and really want the best pledge class possible. If you really are nervous don't be afraid to tell the girls you are talking to that. While its not great to be negative just saying "I am absolutely loving rush week but I am also nervous and honestly me feet hurt." isn't going to hurt you. During one round I was so exhausted and told the girl who I was talking to and we ended up just sitting on her bed and relaxing and having a real conversation.
10. As you get closer to bid day look around at the girls in you RC group
This is the biggest thing I think I should have paid more attention to when going through recruitment. While not in the first set, but especially on preference day you should really pay attention to who is with you going into a house. These are girl are choosing to go back to that house and are also being invited back just like you. These girls are likely going to be in your pledge class if you decide to bid that house. Your pledge class are the girls you are going to spend the most time with and will usually be your best friends. Make sure these are girls you see yourself being surrounded by.
11. Understand that greek life may not be for you
There are tons of reasons why girls don't end up in a house after rush week. GPA, breaking a rule, or not getting into the house they want and dropping. If you get to the end of recruitment and end up not getting into a house or into a house that you like don't feel bad. You have to option to re-rush the next year or greek life in general just may not be for you and thats okay! Your life is not over if you don't get into a house. I knew so many girls my freshman year that either didn't rush or didn't get into a house and they did just as well as the girls in greek life and sometimes better.
At the end of the day, being in a sorority is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I love the life long friends that I have made through Gamma Phi Beta. It has really turned a big school into a home for me and I hope it does for you too! Just understand that at the end of the day recruitment is still supposed to be a fun and happy time. Enjoy every moment you can! Good luck!
Love always,
H 💕
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