When participating in rush at JMU, there are many things you need to know. One of the most important things to know is what to wear and when! Although rush can be stressful, figuring out what to wear doesn’t have to be!
There are a total of 4 rounds during Sorority Recruitment at James Madison University. These rounds are Open-house Round, Philanthropy Round, Sisterhood Round, and Preference. During each of these rounds, there is a different expectation for how you should dress when visiting the houses. Here are some suggestions for what to wear for each round!
Open House Round is the most casual when it comes to clothing. For the past few years, JMU has had their Open-house round be virtual, so clothing isn’t a huge worry. You can choose to wear a cute top or comfy sweatshirt in your video, it doesn’t matter!
Philanthropy Round is more of a casual round, too. You will be given a shirt to wear, so that takes some of the stress off! You just have to pair the shirt with any bottoms of your choice. You can wear a cute skirt, shorts, jeans, or any type of other bottoms. Many of the girls wear platform sandals, but I decided to wear cute sneakers! Either will work. You’re just going to want to make sure you’re comfortable when it comes to shoes because during this round you’ll be walking A LOT. Another important thing to keep in mind about this round is that it’s during the middle of the day so it can get hot! Make sure you look at the weather forecast, so you can dress accordingly.
Sisterhood Round is a fancier. Most girls wear casual dresses, like a sundress. Some girls will wear a more formal dress, but I would say the majority wear something more casual. For shoes, I would suggest platform sandals or heels. Keep in mind you might be visiting up to six houses when you are picking out shoes. Usually, Sisterhood Round is held later at night, so I would advise you to bring a jacket or pullover to wear in between rounds because it gets chilly!
Preference is the final and most important round. This means that you are expected to wear something formal, like a homecoming dress. Most girls stick to fancy short or mid-dresses, which they will pair with heels or platform sandals. This is arguably the most important round during recruitment, so make sure you are feeling your best!
These are all just suggestions. The most important thing when going into sorority recruitment is that you feel comfortable and like yourself in each outfit you wear. Don’t be afraid to stand out with your clothing choices, but also don’t feel like you have to. All that matters is that you feel great in your outfits for each round! Good luck!