Hmmm, I've been trying to think of how I could best describe some situations I've seen. On the one hand, it's difficult when a rushee turns up her nose at numerous chapters because they aren't cool enough for her. Sometimes these chapters are just newer or smaller or don't have all the Miss University candidates but they're good, strong sororities.

On the other hand, I have seen (and I'm sure several other seasoned Greeks have too) some really sorry groups, both fraternities and sororities. It may be due to lousy grades, not caring about the group, a cheap reputation, group drug use, extremely low morale--more often a combination--and even the most naive rushee thinks,"I do not care to go down with that ship." Almost every group I've described was gone from their campus in 1-2 years.

What has got to be hard for a rushee is to be told,"You didn't get a bid from your top 2 but this group you (and almost every other rushee) cut the first day wants to give you a snap bid." And it happens! When I rushed, there were 2 groups that asked everybody back every day and no one was interested. One group got 16 new members (quota was 42) and they lost over half before initiation.

I guess that's why I can't decide what I think about this issue...because on the one hand you have rushees who disdain almost every chapter on campus and on the other hand you have groups who have honestly earned the disdain of every chapter on campus.

I have been curious about this. Why would rushees get cut at all before pref day? I think this is severly limiting the women's exposure to the chapters and the chapters' exposure to the women. I think every woman should get to go to every sorority chapter's rush event until pref...Does anyone have a logical explanation as to why cutting would occur before pref day?

Although chapters do choose not to invite back certain rushees, the rushees also cut chapters. In addition, at least 10-20% of registered rushees never show up for the events and a similar figure drops out of recruitment.

Every day of an invitational, the rushees can only attend a specific number of chapters, thereby making the 'cutting' process one of mutual selection. Also, a potential member can only attend 3 preference parties, so it's doubtful that there would be 1400 members going through prefs at the same 3 chapters. Not to say it couldn't happen, but it would be very unusual.

At campuses with extremely large Greek systems (and the new members to prove it), I've heard they sometimes hold pref ceremonies over two days so as not to overwhelm the chapters.

Barb

I go to Indiana University, which has the largest and most competitive rush in the country. There are 19 houses here. Every year about 2000 girls go through rush, while about 800 get bids. Therefore, at IU you are actually a minority if you recieve a bid. Not all Greek systems place nearly all of their rushees.

I have read this figure before and it makes me heartsick!! To think of 1200 girls being miserable...I could just scream. My org had a chapter there for a few years and they closed it because they felt they couldn't compete without having been there 50 years and having the huge house. My take on it? Have several of the nationally smaller sororities come in together (so it's not one org standing alone) and get started and then worry about the houses. I would wager there are women who would like to have the sorority experience, who don't necessarily want to live in that kind of house....well I'm rambling, and I don't know how feasible that would be, but you have to take that first step before you go forward.

Anyhoo - carnation -yes I agree with what you said. There was a sorority I didn't go back to after Meet the Greeks because they had a well-documented reputation for hard hazing (and they were all about 6 feet tall -eeeek). There's a big diff between groups that are legitimately scary, and groups that are full of nice, bright girls, but aren't "top of the top" on campus. The latter was more what I meant.

Someone above mentioned that a Rho Chi has no way of knowing how a girl feels when she is cut. Just because a girl is in a sorority doesn't mean she wasn't cut from other sororities or was offered a snap bid. I know a Rho Chi who was cut altogether before on pref night and was then snap bidded. From what she told me, she knows the crushed self-esteem of being cut first-hand and has been able to help a lot of girls cope. I agree that there should be some kind of program to help girls cope after being cut. I've seen some that didn't recover for weeks.

Well i have something to say about Rho-Chis at my school, actually really only about one- mine!! I was going to go through fall rush, its formal here during that time, anyway i had already turned in my application and everything. Well about two weeks before rush was going to start she started calling me to tell me the dates and what not. She called me a total of two times- and was VERY rude,unfriendly, she basically sounded bored and like i was a waste of her time. I was already uneasy about rushing and she made it worse. I never met her, just talked to her over the phone, and i am not saying that she was trying to be rude or bored- maybe she really sounds like that... i dont know- but it didnt make me feel any better. Well now i am determined to go through spring rush, informal rush since its something i have been thinking about for a long time. I am not sure what will happen, but i am going to give it my best. I found out what sorority she is in, and it is already making me not want to join that one because of her- but i am willing to meet more members in her sorority to see how they are. I regret not rushing just because of my rho-chi and the "attitude" she had, but at the time i was just feeling really uncomfortable even talking her. Plus she had told me once that her and our rush group were all going to go to a football game together before rush started and that later she was going to call me on where to meet. Well she never called me- so i dont know if my group even went. Lastly- when i decided i was not going to rush- i called her and told her that i had changed my mind, and it wasnt a good time for me. Well she wasnt home so i left a message on her machine and asked her to call me back leaving my number. Yes i know that maybe one of her roommates heard it and forgot to save it, but it just adds to my list. On a final note, i am not saying this about all rho chis- just letting you know my experience with mine!

It may have the largest rush, but let me tell you something, "you ain't seen nuthin' 'til you've seen rush at Ole Miss!"

A-men on that!! I went to Delta State, a small school near Ole Miss, and have seen and heard about Rush there. You're right. It is AMAZING.