Going through the sorority rush process can be a really intimidating and stressful experience, especially if you don’t know what to expect. One thing that holds true no matter who you talk to, though, is that everyone has a very different rush experience. Hopefully this article will help give you some insight to what the process is like if you are considering going greek!
My unique experience starts off with the fact that I rushed as a sophomore. I decided not to rush as a freshman because I thought it would be a lot to handle coming into college, while trying to adjust to everything else. This is definitely something to consider if you think you will be overwhelmed by a college course load. Something else to consider is if you think that waiting until sophomore year to rush will hurt your chances of getting a bid, this is not the case. Often people hear about how sophomores have a harder time rushing than freshman because some sororities would prefer a longer commitment, or that your freshman year gpa can hinder your chances, but I found that not to be the case. At JMU, the gpa minimum requirement to rush as a sophomore is a 2.5, so as long as you meet this requirement, the majority, if not all sororities, will seriously consider you as a new member.
Aside from rushing as a sophomore, something else that was unique about my experience is that I was going through the rush process alone. I didn’t know anyone who was rushing, which in many ways, can make the process more intimidating. This process is a time full of lots of decision making and self reflection; you really have to think about what you want to get out of the experience, and often it helps to talk things out with a friend thats going through it too. This is why I’m so glad that we get a Rho Gamma, (a sorority member who becomes disaffiliated from her sorority during the rush process to help potential new members find where they are meant to be). All potential new members are also placed into groups with one Rho Gamma, which is a great way to meet other girls also going through the rush process, and to have some support along the way.
Once the rush process actually started, I really had no idea what to expect. The first two days made up what’s called the open house round, which is where you go to every sorority house on the row. This day is filled with a lot of small talk and meeting tons of sisters from every house. By the end of this round, each potential member is supposed to rank the houses from their favorite to least favorite, and the bottom three choices are the houses you would like to not go back to. This is where the decision making comes into play, because it isn’t always easy to decide what houses you really didn’t like, especially since all of the conversations are just made up of small talk and basic get-to-know-you questions. My decisions of what houses to drop during this round were based on sisters in the houses that I didn’t feel similar to, or ones where the vibes just didn’t feel right based on our conversations.
Once the philanthropy round started, it was nerve-wracking to find out what houses I would get invited back to, and which ones I would get cut from. Unfortunately, I got cut from my first choice house. In these situations, you just have to remember that everything happens for a reason. I got to go back to a bunch of other awesome houses that round, as well as others I was not thrilled to go back to, but kept an open mind. The philanthropy round is cool because you get more insight as to what the sorority does to give back to an organization, and it can help you make decisions more easily about what houses you would like to go back to.
After philanthropy round comes the sisterhood round. As the rounds go on, it becomes much easier to make those tough decisions, in my opinion, because you get to see deeper and deeper into what each sorority is really like. The sisterhood round is all about showing each potential new member the bond that the sisters have with one another, and all of the positive aspects that have come with joining their particular sorority and forming those bonds.
The last round, knows as preference night, was my favorite night. Each potential new member goes back to a maximum of two houses this round. This round is very different from the rest because it is a night where everyone gets dressed up, and you get some insight to a ritual that a sorority will do. It’s also the most exciting night of the process because you only go back to houses that really want you to be a new member of their sorority. After this night is over, each potential new member casts a vote of which sorority is their first choice, and which is their second. Then comes bid day! This is of course the most exciting day, where you can finally say you made it through the whole process, and get to call a new place home.
Overall, some takeaways I had from my experience are to expect the unexpected, and just keep going through the process. Even though I did not get to go back to my first choice house after the first round, I can honestly say that my top choice changed by the day. First impressions are not always accurate and it often depends on who you talk to in each house. Another thing about the process is that there may be times where you really hate it, and may even want to withdraw. Unless you are doing this because you believe greek life is not for you, it is best to stick it out and see what happens. You never know how your opinions of houses will change, and it will feel so good to get a bid from a sorority that wants YOU!