I totally hear you Glitter. This type of "competitiveness" is what scares me the most about rush at UA. I know I don't look like some of the girls I've seen in the greek system here, and I certainly don't dress like them (I can only dream of affording a pair of Seven jeans), and I REALLY want to beleive that the stereotypes are wrong and they'll look past all that superficial stuff. I will freely admit to being a clotheshorse and caring about how I look, but my wallet and waist can't compete with a lot of these girls, and even after all the postive things I've heard, there's still a bit of "U of A is pretty competetive" going around, and I know what "competetive" seems to mean.

AZ Pinkiekittie... I totally didn't mean to scare you.. if I did I apologize, I think as long as you are aware that SOME women get chosen for somewhat superficial reasons, you are well ahead and will be able to see through this a find a place that is TRULY right for you, not just right for your image, and you will get into a house with women who DO look at the complete package, because they do exist. :D

Don't worry, you didn't scare me anymore than I already am. Not scared really, just nervous, as we all are. And you're right. They are not all like that, and I'm going into this thinking that none of them are. I'm sure I'll be able to see which house I feel is right for me, and none of that other stuff will matter. But thanks for your concern!!

OK, just had to post here because then we'd have FOUR USC/former USC gals on one thread! Rachel, Bethany, Chloe and Me. GO SC! (and ASU for Rachel now!)

Well, I was going to post about UCLA rush but lauradav and uclagirl explained it perfectly. However, although UCLA rush is somewhat competitive and highly superficial (even in "bad" houses the vast majority of girls are beautiful!!), numbers have been slowly dropping in the past years due to serious anti-Greek mentality through the general student population. Hopefully this year they will see an increase in girls pledging. I know that my chapter has received a greater number of letters of rec. than in years past already and rush is still several weeks away.

EXCUSE ME!!! AHEM!! AHEM!!! HELLOOOOOO?!
What am I....chopped liver??

Just because I am (waaaaaaaaaaaaay) Older than all y'all, don't forget about me -- I AM AN EXTREMELY PROUD GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, CLASS OF 1976!!!!!!! Wahoo!!! Fight on!!!
http://www.usc.edu/assets/img/5207_7.img



And I am a Proud member of our Beta Alpha chapter of Gamma Phi Beta at USC!!! (Here's our house!)
http://www.uscifc.com/photogallery/p...Phi%20Beta.gif



And a proud alumnus of the Trojan Marching Band!! :D
http://www.usc.edu/dept/band/images/splashpage_03.jpg

The only thing I was way back then was several sizes smaller (lol!!!) -- I was no big catch by any means, but I was not EVER relegated to any back room for rush or anything....that being said, though I personally do think there are some sororities at USC who get girls for mainly their looks or money or connections or whatever....

Sorry GPhBLt... did not mean to exclude you!

That makes FIVE USC gals, representing 4 fabulous sororities and one PNM. Check us out, LOL

Um...I really hope you are not referring to my chapter.

Me too. I have met some girls from USC and they are pretty but have great personalities as well! Their smiles are infectious! :D

I like your 'imganinary scale' reference. I can honestly say that I've been guilty of judging a PNM by her cover, but quickly realized that someone who doesn't look like the typical 'sorority girl', can be the best damn sister you've ever had! We had a perfect example! She didn't have 'the look', but she held our schools Panhel pres position for TWO years. Not only that, but she's been one of the most active alumna...I hear about her all the time! More women need to remember, that there is more than what your group looks like from the outside.

aj

Oh heck no!!!! One of my two best friends when I was at SC was a DG and I was devastated when they dropped me right before pref...my other best friend was a Theta and they dropped me the same day as well...:( I was practically ready to jump off the top of Tommy Trojan - lol!

...that being said, I ended up where I was meant to be -- Gamma Phi Beta -- though I truly thought going in I was going to be DG or Theta due both GLO's having my best friends in them...Gamma Phi Beta was my home and it took both my best friends' sororities dropping me to realize that! Ironic twist since I graduated: My biological little sister is a Theta - go figure!

Another Side note of irony: Here in my little town -- Peachtree City, pop. 32,000 -- we are about 20 min drive southwest of Atlanta, off I85, there are two other USC sorority women and both are from the same era as me!! Yes it is ages ago ;) -- one is an ADPi who graduated in 1976 like me and the other is a DG who graduated in 1975....small world eh? :)

I never realized how competitive rush at USC is. I dropped mid to end-rush (right after pref) without even thinking about the competitiveness. I only realized like a year and a half later after watching girls rush and get all dolled up and observing how truly competitive USC rush is. Nonetheless, I definitely got out of it what I needed to....If I hadn't dropped as I did, I would never have gotten to experience Alpha Gamma Gamma or, now that I'm at ASU, Kappa Delta!!!

Thanks to all of the USC Women of Troy for posting about their respective sororities! I know from personal experience that whenever my chapter visited USC for road trips, I was always impressed by the beauty of the houses on Greek Row. Obviously, Stanford has probably the smallest Greek system of the PAC-10 schools (although it wasn't always that way), but if I would have ever transferred to another school, it definitely would have been USC or UCLA. But I had a great Greek experience at Stanford, mainly because for me, Greek life was not the dominant form of entertainment on campus. With all of the different dorms and row houses, there was always a party somewhere!

Props to the USC Song Girls!!!:D

(p.s.: I only hate USC once a year, during football season;) )

Hey IDAHO is a great place...
 

I am PROUD to be a Vandal...

Should I say, Go Irish or how about those Rose Bowls?

USC recruitment is not that formal
 

I beg to differ!!!
USC is actually not like southern schools!!! We have a defrilled recruitment: no skits, few door chants and even...the most sacred of all....there are chapters that wear denim!!! oooooooooooh!!!!
We have a high percentage of PNMs that receive a bid and many women can and do get into chapters without rec letters.
Many people think that we are super formal because we are a traditional school, but our recruitment can't even be compared to SMU or UT.
all I am trying to say is that we shouldnt scare these PNMs over a process that can be super low stress. I personally think that they should just relax and wait till they show up and go through it. Thats all!!