I'm a nail biter, too, and for the record, I successfully rushed with my mangled hands. :D

That said, I'm now waitressing for a living. THAT is murder on your nails. But, more importantly, my tips are a result of how I present myself... and clean & hygenic are good things to present.

I ended up getting acrylic nails for the first time EVER after I'd been waitressing for a few months, and love them. I don't have to mess with them for 2 weeks after they're done, and I get mine done short and with rounded tips. I tell myself they look natural.

Getting Nails Done
 

I am going to add my two cents also :) As someone who use to get my nails done on a VERY regular basis (i had them on at one point for an entire year) I am going to have to agree that getting tips or acrylics before Rush would be a bad Idea... unless you had them put on now and let her take the rest of the summer to get use to them. You don't want her to not be able to put her pants on because of her nails and you don't want to end up with a tech that makes them look horrible or doesnt secure them right so they fall off easily....
Your best bet would be to stay natural and just get a french manicure :)

I HATE long nails. I just cannot keep them. They get on my nerves, get in my way, and I always end up scratching my babies at work with them. Therefore, they stay very short. I try to keep them nice looking, I either polish them clear or a natural beige or pink, and try to keep my hands looking nice. If you can't grow nails and don't want to mess with acrylics, just make sure your hand and nails look nice and polished. TAKE CARE OF YOUR CUTICLES so they don't look all torn and mangled. There's a really good Sally Hansen paraffin treatment that you can get for $5 at Wal Mart to take care of your hands, along with some cuticle cream that makes your nails look awesome. Also just keep them filed. Don't go with ragged nails, and that doesn't just apply for rush. Your hands often tell others how well you take care of yourself.

What she said! I started getting them when I waitressed too!
I almost always do sheer frost color

OPI has some good sheer ones
http://www.opi.com/sheer.html

Okay, I dont want to get acrylic nails.

What exactly are tips?? They are just the white tip that they put on your nails right? Well, that sounds like the solar nails I have had put on, put then they also put some other "stuff" on your nail- which is what I dont want.

Now, i dont know what i want to do!:confused:

I don't think you can have one without the other.

Acrylic nails ARE tips -- the tips are applied about halfway up the nail bed. Then you cover the whole nail with liquidy/gel acrylic, which hardens into the nail. That way when you have to redo them, you just repaint the acrylic over the part of the nail that grew out. Eventually the tips grow out and you have acrylic covering your entire nail.

Okay. Let's be blunt. I am from the south and although the University of Houston isn't AS tough as other schools, I happen to know first hand that we noticed things like nails. It had to do with self-respect. If you present yourself for the first time to someone and you DON'T look your best, that makes them wonder how seriously you are taking it. For instance, I would never go into a job interview with scraggly nails or a funky, non-conservative nail color.

That being said, I am not high maintenance. So I prefer clear on the fingers and french, red or a neutral pink (i.e. OPI sweetheart) on the toes. I keep my fingernails just barely past the tips of my fingers so that they look pretty, but breakage is less possible. Shaping is a must!

If she is wreckless with her nails when stressed (I am!) then she may break one at a bad time. So if you MUST, go ahead with the acrylic at a reputable place and keep them at what I like to call "active length". Not too long, just past the fingertip. If they are long they will get in the way as others have said.

Hands and toes will be noticed!
 

My son's babysitter told me that there are members of her sorority who have no problem criticizing a PNM who doesn't have a manicure or pedicure. I know this sounds shallow and maybe that's not a group you would want to be a part of, but this type of thing does get noticed during recruitment.

even though it is important to look your best during rush
 

i dont think houses will cut you if you have a french manicure or a pink and white manicure are the red white and blue stripes on every other hand (though very icky tacky). I wouldnt' stress over what to do witht the nails, but worry on communication skills. When it comes down to it houses are going to pick girls due to there personality and how well they think they are going to fit in...not if their nails match their skirt.

Re: Hands and toes will be noticed!
 

Thank you for posting this. The truth is not always pleasant, so I commend you for posting this and "keeping it real".