6 days. 9 houses. The whirlwind of sorority recruitment at CU Boulder is unlike any other. At a school where sororities are a small percentage of the social scene, you might find yourself thinking “Do I really need this to have fun?” The rarity of having such a small Greek community is that it feels like a family. And trust that it is a family you will want to have. At the end of those 6 days, you will have found people that will be your sisters for a lifetime. Here is our guide to sorority recruitment at The University of Colorado at Boulder!
These will be your river guides throughout recruitment week. Their house affiliations are kept strictly confidential to better aid you in finding your true path, and they actually help. A Lot. They lend an unbiased ear to help you weigh your pros and cons throughout the week and basically dedicate their lives in this short time to helping you find the house that is meant for you! Besides running you from house to house, giving advice, and saving you with mints while in line for the next house (shout out!), your rho gamma and their groups are where you can make a lot of new friendships. It helps that you’re all excited, nervous, and anticipating this wild ride of recruitment; and being so new to campus it enables you to meet a lot of people you may not have met otherwise. Even if you don’t finish the recruitment process, you’ve already met tons of new faces- huge bonus.
*groans * If this motto wasn’t said one hundred times it was said a thousand. And, as much as it pains me to say, it’s so true. Yes it just might be the cheesiest phrase ever, but there is some major truth behind it. Recruitment can be tough. It can be hard to not fall in love with a house, get your hopes up, then not get an invitation back. It gets tiring, it can be draining, and if you get down on yourself it can really take a toll on you. Enter “TPP”, or Trust The Process. No matter what happens, it is meant to be. If a house you want does not ask you back next round, chances are that is not where you are supposed to end up. And that’s ok! Keeping an open mind and trusting the process helps you get the most out of your recruitment experience. There are 9 very different houses at CU, all you have to do is trust that the right one will find their way to you.
The only opinion that matters during this whirlwind experience is yours. It can be hard to not enter this process with predisposed opinions on which are the ‘best’ houses and which have the not-so-prized stigma. Ignore those if it is the only thing you do! You do not want to end up in a house you thought would be best based on the opinion of others, and you do not want to act a superficial way to try and impress the houses deemed “the best.” Just be you. Authentically you. Trust that you know what is best for yourself and the rest will fall into place. It is as simple as that. Look for what each house has to offer, pay attention to the girls and how they interact with each other, dig a little deeper than what is initially offered and try to get a feel for each. Trust that you will be able to feel what house fits and what may not be for you!
The lack of free time to head to the rec center is made up for by how much running takes place during these 6 days. Because there is no designated “sorority row” at CU, the houses are more spread out than you can even imagine. A change of shoes is a great idea, unless you consider yourself a professional at running in heels. House tours can run late, and since you typically have 15 minutes or less to get from House A to House B the mad dash starts as soon as you walk out.
With recruitment comes the standard “interviews” if you will. Each house has anywhere between 1-3 girls that want to get to know you in about 5 minutes or less. These conversations can definitely be awkward at first, and typically help you get a feel for the house and the people in it. The most profound conversations will be the ones that help you pick and choose between houses right until the very end. Talking to overly excited girls all day can be draining and somewhat irritating (exhaustion + over the top excitement is not always the best combination), but it really helps you find the pros and cons of each sorority and what they have to offer. Don’t forget to ask questions! It is your job to ask important questions about their values, philanthropy, sisterhood, why each member wanted to join that particular house, etc.
Bid Day is something you will remember forever. The Glen Miller ballroom is typically where all the girls go to receive their bids from their Rho Gammas. Typically, you have to wait around 30-45 minutes and listen to a speech about how exciting this time is and how much joining a sorority will benefit your life,blah blah blah. Finally, once all has been said and done, you’re allowed to rip open your envelope and RUN outside to find your new sisters waiting to take you to the house. The madness that follows will have you smiling ear to ear, as you are now a part of something bigger than you can imagine. Bid day festivities at the house usually are: a DJ, food, a photo-booth, lots of gear and tons of excitement. It’s a mix of celebrating that rush is over (finally!), meeting all your new sisters, and most importantly, finding the house where you belong.
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