Questions about rush? Ask them anonymously via this form (yes, we now realize the link was broken earlier, but now it is up and running!), and your questions will be answered daily here! But first, check out these 10 tried and true tips from last season’s rush to see if any of your questions have already been answered!
**Editor’s note: This article was originally published last year, so details of interviewees such as class year are different this year.**
So you’re a freshman girl at Sewanee, and this thing called “rush” is coming up in January. If you’re anything like I was freshman year, you have absolutely no idea what this really means. You’ve probably heard things like, “it’s not bad like it is at state school!” or “you have nothing to worry about, it’s so chill!” Still, you’re kind of freaking out. What should you wear? What is this “fall-through” business? Do sororities have a list of girls they already want? Also, what the hell will happen to me on shake day?
No worries, little frosh! We promise, rushing at Sewanee is actually pretty fun. For one, there’s SO MUCH FOOD. And second, stop freaking out. Seriously. I know you want to, but I promise, rushing at Sewanee is chiller than sticking your head out the car window on University Ave in December.
Still not convinced? Check out the list below for answers to some of the questions you might not have even known to ask!
1. What to wear
You may have heard horror stories from your friends at state schools about the dress code requirements they have for rush. Don’t wear red nail polish when you visit a particular house? Go Lilly or go home? Give me a break. If there’s anything Sewanee sororities really could care less about, it’s fashion trends. That being said, at least make an effort to put together a couple of outfits that really show off your style! January isn’t exactly sundress-and-cowboy-boots weather, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try. Some random advice: wear at least one statement piece. It can be cute shoes, a funky sweater, or an interesting hair accessory. My year, I wore a silver necklace with a huge owl on it, and got so many compliments! It was a great conversation starter, and evidently, during bid sessions, people automatically remembered me as “that girl with the awesome necklace!”
2. Be a good conversationalist
The first day of rush is totally overwhelming. You have to go to every single sorority in just one afternoon to meet all of the girls. While this requirement is great because it can introduce you to sororities you may not have had the chance to get to know Advent semester, it can get a little monotonous having to go through the whole “where are you from? what dorm are you living in? what’s your major?” conversation nine times in a row. So, come up with a few more inventive questions beforehand that might stimulate better conversations and make you more memorable! “Ask interesting questions that you can build off!” said Molly Rogers, C’16. “For example, ‘what are you involved in on campus?’ or ‘what do you just LOVE to do?’ These questions are almost guaranteed to find some common ground!”
3. Network! Network! Network!
Throughout Advent semester, you’re likely to have made friends with girls who are already in sororities. When you see them at rush events, go up to them and speak! Even if you only vaguely remember seeing them at ATO some random night, go up and re-introduce yourself: “Hey! I’m Annie. I think we met at Viking a few weeks ago. How have you been?” (Hint: try to address them by name! Each active should be wearing a nametag. According to Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People: “A name is the core part of our identity, and so hearing it validates our existence, which makes us more inclined to feel positively about the person who validated us.”) Actives love when freshmen come up to them and start conversations! Ask them to introduce you to their friends, which they will be more than happy to do. Buddy up with a girl in your Rho Chi group and tag-team to help each other work the room. “Find a friend,” said Alli Smith, C’16. “It makes networking a room much easier and there are far less awkward silences.”
4. Falling through
At the end of final return house, you’ll fill out a pref card listing the top four sororities from which you want a bid, in order from most wanted to least wanted (note: you can put more choices if you wish, but four is the recommended number). Sororities will never see your pref card. The night of bid sessions, each sorority gets together and decides to whom they want to issue bids. If the sorority you listed as your top choice offers you a bid, that is the bid you will receive! If your top choice does not offer you a bid, but your second choice does, you will receive that bid. So on, and so on. If none of the sororities you preffed offer you a bid, you will “fall through” and not be asked to join a sorority. Don’t worry, though. This rarely ever happens!
(Editor’s note: “pick-up” bids do not exist. A common rumor that goes around during rush is that if a girl falls through, she will automatically get her first choice. According to Hagi Bradley, Dean of Greek Life, “that’s not true at all. A person can fall through if, for the women, none of their top four bid them. We don’t force chapters to take anyone they don’t want. It has only happened a few times. That’s why we tell women to spend time and really think about their top four.”)
5. Don’t freak out about falling through!
If that last tip freaked you out, you’re not alone. One of the scariest but least-talked-about aspects of rush is the looming possibility that you won’t get a bid from any sororities. Most rushees go through the same thought process: you go through all of your memories from first semester and try to remember if you pissed any actives off, you scour your Facebook for any possibly incriminating posts, and you start to get paranoid that every little thing you do will surely cost you a bid. STOP WORRYING! Falling through rarely happens, and even when it does, it is not the end of the world. “When I went through freshman rush I got a bid from a place that I didn’t even return house for,” said Jane Moffat, C’16. “I still participated in shake day and went to the first meeting before deciding to drop (it just wasn’t a good fit). This past semester, I did upper class and have never been happier!” Falling through is the last thing you should be worried about during rush. Instead, focus on making good impressions and gearing up for Shake Day!
6. Update your profile picture
This is a more frivolous tip, but definitely useful. At final return house, some sororities ask if they can take pictures of freshmen, just because faces are often better than names at jogging memories during bid sessions. Others pull up girls’ Facebook pictures to help them remember. “My sorority (and therefore presumably others) can look up only a profile picture to see if we recognize someone during bid sessions,” said Lacey Oliver, C’14. “It helps if it’s not of a tree, sunset, or meme.” So, make sure your Facebook profile picture is one that clearly shows your face! (Note: this in NO WAY has anything to do with judging a girl based on her appearance, or anything like that. It is only for face/name recognition!)
7. Be open-minded
Because you’ve already been here an entire semester, it’s likely you already have one or two sororities at the top of your list. However, it’s important to go into each house completely open-minded! “Don’t get set on one sorority, consider them all,” said Sarah Christie, C’16. Go into house visits and try and talk to as many girls as possible. Friend some of their members on Facebook to check out any pictures they might have of sorority events. Going into rush with a clean slate is a great way to ensure you’ll end up exactly where you need to be!
Also, don’t let your friends influence your decision. Perhaps the best thing about Sewanee sororities is that they are so chill – just because your best friend pledges one sorority and you pledge another doesn’t mean you’ll stop being best friends! In fact, having friends in other sororities is an awesome way to expand your Sewanee friend base even further. For example, I probably spend an equal amount of time at about 2 different sorority houses other than my own. Don’t go somewhere just because it’s where other people are going. Dig deep down and choose the srat that’s right for YOU, and I promise you will be so much happier!
8. Don’t appear bored!
Admittedly, it can get pretty monotonous going from house to house and having the same conversations. Still, in order to make good impressions, try not to appear bored or uninterested! “Don’t wear a watch because you’ll be tempted to check the time, and if someone sees you checking the time at their event it could come off as a little rude,” said Alexa Griffin, C’15. Or, if you do wear a watch just to complete your outfit, don’t check it while you’re at house visits! The same principle applies to cell phones. It can be tempting to pull your phone out when the conversation lulls, but instead, direct your energies to find a new person to talk to! According to Kate Snow, C’15, personal presence is key. “That doesn’t just include your outfit, but also posture, eye contact, remembering to smile, and manners/graciousness regardless of which house you are visiting. Just little things that are SO important that people notice, but are easy to forget after a long day of house visits and rush activities.”
9. Let sororities know if you’re interested in them!
During house visits, sororities will often have a list compiled beforehand with the names of girls that have told them they are interested in them. These girls are ones we pay particular attention to and make extra efforts to get to know during formal rush! We try and get to know every single girl that comes through rush, but narrowing down the list to those whom we know are super interested is really helpful. If there are one or two sororities from whom you really, really want a bid, make sure to tell one of their actives! This is helpful during bid sessions, because, in short, we want girls who want us. It helps to know who to keep an eye out for and who has really shown an interest in our sorority, because those are likely the girls who would be a really great fit!
10. Two words: Shake Day.
Rush week culminates on Saturday, January 25th when rushees get their bids. The bid card will have a time and meeting place, and if you accept your bid, you go to the specified location. There you will meet your pledge trainers, who are responsible for making sure your welcome into the sorority is as seamless as possible. The pledge trainers will take the new group of pledges to the sorority house, where Shake Day festivities officially begin! Often described as “the most fun you never want to have again,” Shake Day is the most absurd, happy, and anticipated day of the year. Make sure to dress accordingly! (Hint: your friends at state schools probably wore white dresses on their bid day. Here, we wear combat suits, overalls, camo, spandex, jorts, bandanas, and anything else they happen to be selling at the Goodwill down in Spittsburg). New pledges are the center of attention on Shake Day! Your “shaker”, a sophomore active assigned to you, will make sure you have the best experience possible your first day as a pledge. Shake Day is a day you’re sure to never forget! (or remember…)
Still have questions? You can ask any questions anonymously via this form and they will be responded to on a separate blog post on a daily basis!