to the 175+ girls who dropped out of recruitment

To the 175+ girls who dropped out of recruitment, I was once you too. I went into SMU knowing a few girls from my high school who were in a “top” sorority, and was given verbal bids by them I had nothing to worry about. My freshman year I went through rush, and was devastated to find they had dropped me on Pref. Even though I had houses left on my list, I dropped out of recruitment because I felt like I was too good for the houses I had left.

I rushed again sophomore year again promised by this same “top” sorority that it would all work out. Again, on Pref I was dropped and was devastated. I ended up joining a “lower” tier sorority since I thought I would transfer schools anyway. Deciding I had nothing to loose I pledged, and it was one of the best decisions I made in college.

Every sorority at SMU has mixers, big/little, philanthropy, and sisterhoods full of amazing women. I’ll be real, my only complaint about joining a “lower” tier sorority was not having as many mixers as my upper tier friends. But whenever I wanted to go out and their wasn’t a mixer, a group of all my friends would just go to Barely or Uptown and have a great night. In addition, after sophomore year no girls in ANY sororities really go to mixers since upperclassmen would rather be at bars anyway. At Home Bar Thursdays we’re all mustangs together.

It’s true we need another house on campus, but until every sorority is consistently making quota (45-60 girls depending on the year) a new sorority will not be added to campus. In addition, while there is a formal process for picking a new sorority on campus it will 90% be ADPi as they have been trying to get back on campus for DECADES, as well as Kathy Bates was a member while she attended SMU.

To the girls who dropped out, trust me I understand it sucks! You feel like you did something wrong or for some reason you’re not good enough, but honestly once you’re on the other side you realize it’s not you, but a numbers game. Each sorority can only take so many girls and even if you’re in the top 100 girls they want on their list, it's still crazy hard to get a bid. There is a reason SMU is one of the top ten most competitive sorority rushes in the country. SMU has so many triple in house legacies, people’s sisters or cousins within the house, that unless you have a relative at SMU it’s very hard to get the bid of your choice.

I encourage all girls to truly give every house on this campus a chance. If you want to truly be apart of a sorority with sisterhood, philanthropies, and even parties, EVERY house on this campus will give you it. If all you care about is status, then you are not joining a sorority for the right reasons and is probably why you were dropped in the first place. Every sorority wants girls to like them for who they are, not because of their sororities name. In addition, if anyone at SMU ever thinks they are better than you because of their sorority or talks down to you, all it is doing is expressing their own insecurities and has nothing to do with you.

At the end of the day your letters don’t define you, YOU DEFINE YOUR LETTERS.