" If you’re considering going through sorority recruitment, I highly encourage you to. My letters have turned me into a better version of myself, and they opened the door for so many more opportunities. It’s nothing like I expected, but it’s everything that I was looking for. "
At Ball State University, there are ten Panhellenic sororities. The first round consists of two days in which Potential New Members meet each sorority (five sororities on Day 1 and five sororities on Day 2). Because we don’t have sorority houses in Muncie, sorority women take over the Student Center on campus and each chapter is assigned a room to host their events in. After the second day, I had a good feeling about where I belonged. But would the sororities that I liked, like my back? We were asked to choose our top 6 sororities that we felt we meshed well with. I could barely sleep that night, I was so excited to return back to my favorite chapters for second rounds.
I came back to second rounds to find that one of my favorite sororities did not invite me back. My Pi Chi ensured all of us that this is just part of the process, and that it wasn’t meant to be. During Second Rounds, we visited up to six sororities. As I met more women from each chapter, it became clear to me which sororities I belonged in. I knew I had found two potential homes and I excitedly scribbled down their names at the end of the day.
I went into Preference rounds the next afternoon with a giant smile. I went to my two favorite sororities for the last time, and found that making a decision was very hard. I connected with the girls in both sororities in different ways. In one, I cried along with the seniors. In the other, I laughed with the girls. At the end of the rounds, I was asked to order the two sororities; my favorite and my second favorite. If the first sorority asks you back, you will become a new member. If the first does not ask you back, but the second does, you will become a new member to that chapter. After much thought, I ranked my two choices and felt completely sure about where I belonged.
A year ago, I went through sorority recruitment at Ball State University in hopes of finding my future home. I came from a farm town in Illinois about 5 hours away, and the only things I knew about Greek Life had come from ‘Legally Blonde’ and the tv series ‘Greek’. No one in my family had ever gone Greek, so I didn’t know what to expect. My freshman year roommate and I signed up for recruitment during Welcome Week and went to as many events as possible in order to learn about Ball State’s Greek Life and the different sororities.. A few weeks later, I was paired with my three Pi Chis (a Pi Chi is a sorority woman who disaffiliates with her chapter for several months in order to guide you through the recruitment process completely unbiased) and was told all about the recruitment process.
After getting about 0 hours of sleep that night, Bid Day was FINALLY here (which sorority girls call “Christmas” because it’s one of the most exciting days of being in a sorority.) I was handed my bid and screamed in excitement when I saw that my first choice sorority welcomed me back to be one of their sisters. I jumped up and down with the girls who are now my pledge class sisters. We then ran into the loving arms of the older members and were given gifts; a letter-stitched tote, a t-shirt, and various other goodies! If that wasn’t enough, we spent the night surrounded by our new sisters and ate pizza, took too many pictures, and followed each other on Instagram. I realized that I had made the best decision and I finally had a place to call my “home away from home”.
If you’re considering going through sorority recruitment, I highly encourage you to. My letters have turned me into a better version of myself, and they opened the door for so many more opportunities. It’s nothing like I expected, but it’s everything that I was looking for.
Alpha Love,
Kellyn McMullan