Originally Posted by newgreekmommy
(Post 2177545)
Where are the Moms of the PNMs? My daughter rushed at Ole Miss last year... and was so worried.
My advise to you moms who may be looking and frustrated that there's no info about RUSH on this page lately...
1. Make sure you have a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express or somewhere... this will give your daughter a place to go as soon as rush is over each day -- or before/between classes. They have to spend the night in the dorm, but they can veg with you, eat and watch TV and not obsess like all the girls in the dorm are doing.
I checked in on Wednesday and my daughter loved having a place to get away, study and relax.
Yes, many moms do spend the whole week. (It's a fun time to meet other moms...)
SOME mom's are CRAZY though... they actually caught a mom who had climbed a tree to listen to the chit chat while the girls were talking on a lawn.
2. Prepare your daughter... if she doesn't have a 3.0, she may be cut from as many as 4 (or more) houses right after round 1 (Chi O, DDD for sure... KD, Kappa usually, Phi Mu and DG may as well). If she doesn't have the 3.0, get her in the right frame of mind NOW to accept it.
3. Remember, they cannot have their phones. They won't call you; they can't. No purses... they usually get a bag from their rush counselor to put a brush, lip gloss, etc in.
4. Clothes:
For Philanthropy round, instead of being just another girl in the rush shirt and nike shorts, suggest she wear ultra-cute shorts and tuck the shirt in. (My daughter had to since she'd ordered a small t-shirt by mistake. She paired it with hot pink J. Crew shorts, gold sandals and a gold belt... the girls told her it made her easy to remember in a sea of Nike.) If your daughter doesn't want to buck the system, have her wear Nike shorts (they MUST be Nike), then go for bright colors or cool patterns.
Skit Round: My daughter wore a nice, lady like Lilly Pulitzer dress with pearls and her hair pulled back off her face.
Pref Round: Black dress... black dress... black dress. Avoid sparkles, sequins and ruffles. Think "classy" and "elegant". And please... long enough so that when the girls are sitting at their feet, they won't see up the dress. (So not short, short!) "Lovely" earrings... pearls, CZ solitare, etc.
5. It is absolutely possible for a girl who doesn't know anyone to get the house she wants! We are from two states away. My daughter pledged Chi O or DDD (not saying which). She was not cut from a single house. She got her top choices every time. She had an amazing rush.
6. DRAMA... there will be tears from girls all around her... and maybe even her. Due to grades and due to girls NOT maximizing their options by listing all houses, many girls were cut or down to 1-2 houses after Philanthropy. THIS seemed to be more an issue for the Mississippi girls since they have firm ideas of what they want.
7. There may be issues outside of your daughter's control. If she thinks something looks wrong on her card, tell her to ask RIGHT AWAY.
A girl on my daughter's hall was a triple legacy.. BIG TIME legacy for one of the top houses. A glitch happened and the house didn't show on her schedule. She didn't go... her sister (an active) called to find out why she didn't show. Since she had missed the house, she wasn't permitted to go... long story.. she pledged elsewhere. Grandma and Mama were not pleased, but the girl had a great year.
8. MAXIMIZE options... tell her to write down every house... don't leave a space open on that form at the end of each night!
9. Out of State? All houses have tons of girls from out-of-state, including Chi O, DDD, etc.
10. Tip for you: A few of us moms parked in the student center parking lot... backed in and facing the road... when our daughters came down the hill on the way to Skit and then on the way to Prefs, they swung by. I took a quick pic of their tiny slip that has their schedule and they were off... 10 seconds... they didn't say a word to us... but we were so happy to know exactly where they were going and when they'd be done.
NOTE: They will not let mom's hang out in the circle or walk on the sidewalk... so my trick may work for you...
Hope it goes well for you... my daughter had an amazing rush, because she knew going in that she would maximize her options so that she would have the best chance for a bid. The "worst" sorority at Ole Miss (let's call it BLANK) is the best at the University in our state. So, in her opinion, even if she pledgedBLANK, she would graduate in a few years and then always be a BLANK. Several girls she met during rush did pledge "BLANK" and they are so happy!
Good luck to all the girls and prayers to the Moms.... I know you'll be worried about your girls during the long rush process!
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