Disclaimer: To protect the houses involved, their names have been protected. It’s not about which house did / said what, but the rush experience as a whole.
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Let me just start this off with saying that I appreciate and fully support Greek life, particularly sororities. I know so many strong, brilliant, and beautiful women who have formed lifelong connections and created extraordinary memories, some of which may never have happened if it wasn’t for sisterhood. No, I don’t think sororities ‘buy friendship’ or that they’re ‘fake’.
With that being said, here is my story on why I rushed and did not pledge.
Why I Rushed:
During my freshman year, many of my friends joined Greek life and said it was the best decision they’ve ever made. From getting fancy for date parties to the excitement of big-little week and bonding with sisters from all different backgrounds. Being a sorority girl sounded like the dreamy, Pinterest-worthy college experience I wanted to take part in. Because freshman me had a hard time finding a strong circle of friends in college to be my partners in crime, there was no reasons for me not rush as a sophomore.
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My Rush Experience:
During the first few days of rush, I quickly began to understand why I was always told “you just know which houses you like”. Even though I talked with up to 5 girls per house and only had 20 minute conversations at longest, walking out of each house I immediately knew where it fell on my House preference simply based on the connections I felt with the sisters.
In terms of ranking houses and getting invited back / dropped, I had what we call a “full schedule” meaning I was went to the max number of parties each day of rush. Going into Pref night, I had a strong idea of my top house as I connected with the sisters in House A since day one and really enjoyed the warm hugs and genuine conversations each day. I knew in my heart House A was the right one for me and was confident they felt the same connection too—that is, until Pref night.
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Why I Didn’t Pledge:
You know in Mean Girls when Cady sees Aaron kissing Regina and runs out of the Halloween party feeling like her heart had dropped to her butt? That is how I felt finding out House A had not invited me back, meaning I was out of the running for a bid. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful to be invited back to Houses B and C and was comforted by countless girls telling me that they would die to be invited back to a “top house”. After fixing my runny mascara and strapping my heels back on, I went to both Pref Parties in hopes of realizing the system was right and House B or C were really meant for me.
Going into each party, I remembered the one tip my best friend had for rush: don’t just pay attention to the sisters in the house, but the girls who were invited back, as well. These are the types of girls who were the house wants and are your potential sisters. Standing outside the houses, I just couldn’t see myself calling the girls I was standing with my sisters. Throughout the night, nothing quite measured up to how happy and at home I felt at House A. It was because of this I dropped after Pref Night.
Was it rough not getting invited back? You bet. Did it suck seeing all my rush friend’s post-bid day and big-little photos? Absolutely. But am I glad to have at least experienced rush? More than anything.
In retrospect, I think Greek life a great opportunity for many girls, but not necessarily the best fit for every girl. If I had pledged, I would not only be joining a house I had doubts about, but taking on a huge time commitment as well. Saying no to Greek life meant I was able to fill my time with other priorities that matter more to me such as quality time with my boyfriend, being an RA, and working a second job. With all that free time, I was able to focus on myself, eventually becoming capable of earning big name internships that I never would have never even considered possible. In those respects, I’ve come to see that sorority life just wasn’t a good fit for me, but I’m glad it is for thousands of ladies. Thanks to rush, I got a taste of sisterhood, and can fully understand why it’s perfect for some girls. In fact, I’m more than open to talk about my rush experiences in hopes of helping other girls find their perfect house.
In the end, I am so grateful for my rush experience as I learned when one door closes, another one cracks open.