Joining a sorority is a lot like adopting a puppy. You find the perfect one. Loyal. Fun. Fits your lifestyle and personality. But the bond of a lifelong friendship takes time to create.

The effort of initiating potential new friendships with, in some cases, 50+ sorority women seems pretty terrifying, especially for women going through recruitment alone.

That’s why many Greek hopefuls venture off to college with their best friends and aspirations of joining the same sorority.

But what if plans change? Expectations don’t work out? What if you went to college with three of your dearest friends dreaming of wearing identical Gamma Gamma Gamma tanks, but you find yourselves being pulled in different directions?

That’s exactly what happened to Sarah, Bridget, Mackenzie and Emily. Four best friends who grew up together, enrolled in college together, went through recruitment together, but ended up in three completely different places.

The foursome opened up to College Lifestyles about the heartache, excitement and realizations that brought them where they are today.

CL: When did you decide to attend the same college and go through sorority recruitment together?

Sarah: We always knew. We had it planned out from the time we were five.

Bridget: Our moms met in college. They were initiated into the same sorority. So I think we hoped to follow in their footsteps.

Mackenzie: To be honest, I was always the odd ball out. I kind of wanted to break away and go somewhere else, but the thought of not seeing my best friends anymore really scared me.

Emily: It seemed like the perfect plan for us. We all grew up together in a small town, went to the same high school, and had the best friendship. We didn’t want that to end.

CL: Take us back to your recruitment process? What happened to change your plan?

Sarah: I’ll never forget the first day of rush. I realized how different each sorority was, and I knew in the back of my mind I couldn’t possibly see all four of us fitting in to the same one. It was just going to be impossible.

Bridget: The four of us are each different in our own ways. Midway through the process I called my girls (we were split up into different rush groups and bunking floors) and started spilling all the details of my week. After each phone call, I think I realized we loved different sororities.

Mackenzie: I saw myself fitting in with a different group than the rest of them. I knew this would be a big decision, and I couldn’t pick a sorority simply based off what my friends wanted.

Emily: On bid day, Sarah and I ended up choosing the same sorority. I couldn’t have been more excited and devastated at the same time. I didn’t know how our friendship would be able to stay the same.

CL: What about now? How has your friendship changed?

Sarah: Is it as close as it was? No. But are we still close? Yes.

Bridget: It’s all about the balance. We still make time to hang out together. We try not to let too much time pass without seeing or calling each other, but we also have a lot of great new friends.

Mackenzie: It’s funny because at the time, we thought our world was ending. We thought we would never see each other again. But that’s just how dramatic teenage girls can be. We’ve matured a lot, and because of that we are able to continue building and maintaining our friendship.

Emily: Sarah and I have loved being in the same sorority, but we’ve also loved making new friends apart from one another. It’s been a really great experience, and it’s important for all girls like us to remember the importance of following your heart during recruitment. Your best friends will always be your best friends no matter which sorority you choose.

There you have it classy, sorority co-eds. From four Greek women who’ve experienced it first hand, joining a different sorority than your best high school bud isn’t the end of the world. In some cases, it may make your friendship even stronger.

Mallory Hatten is a Sorority and Lifestyles writer for College Lifestyles. She is a senior at The University of Southern Mississippi where she studies news-editorial journalism. She loves writing, laughter, reading magazines, and College Lifestyles!