Rushing as a Sophomore
 

I go to a small-medium sized southern school (Wake Forest), and we have deferred rush. Due to many circumstances last semester, Formal recruitment did not work out as I'd hoped.

Many (most) of my friends joined sororities, and I'd still like to be a part of my school's greek system. We have both fall (informal) rush and formal rush in the spring. I know that informal rush is a lot less, well, formal (duh) than formal recruitment, but I am also aware that there are fewer spots in each sorority, making it a much more competitive process.

I am faced with two options--fall recruitment and spring recruitment. I would rather do formal recruitment in the spring because I feel as if I would have a better chance at getting one of the houses I want in the Spring. I also would like to use this semester to meet more people and bring my GPA up a few points. However, I'm not sure on Wake's general opinion on sophomores rushing in the Spring. Does anyone know if this is looked down upon? Would I need more recs this year?
I'm a little embarassed to go through formal recruitment again--I know it sounds stupid, but rush was pretty difficult last spring and I just want some input on it before I decide either way.

Any advice from anyone would be much appreciated:) Thank you so much!

Did you drop out or were you cut from all the groups?

If you are already thinking of the "houses you want" at a competitive campus like WFU, you most likely will not have a successful recruitment - fall OR spring.

If you have close friends in sororities, let them know that you're rushing.

i dropped out of the rush process because i was cut from all sororities except 1, and i truly felt uncomfortable at that house. i did not accept a bid or go to pref night. i didn't mean to state that i already have "favorite houses," there is really just one house where i felt extremely uncomfortable and the rest i am happy to keep an open mind about. i have had a few of my upperclassmen friends say that i should rush again, but i know i need to take what they say with a grain of salt. there were a lot of factors that went into why i was cut from some places. i didn't take the time to get to know the sororities last year as i should have, or work extremely hard on my gpa. that is what i was hoping to do this semester.
thanks for your input!

Well, then I don't feel sorry for you. You had the opportunity to join one and you turned it down. Just think, that ONE chapter you turned down (most likely do to be ranked lower) is ranked very high at other universities. If only one sorority wanted you---what makes you think that you deserve a better sorority the next time around? If you didn't have a good GPA and didn't care enough to get to know the sororities (especially the ONE you thought you were too good for), then I don't feel sorry for you. Going Greek at ANY school is an honor.

I just wanted to add that ALL of the NPCs have "higher-ranked" and "lower-ranked" chapters but, my belief remains the same---EVERY NPC has something to offer.

Yes, but how do you really feel?:p Not that I disagree...

Hahahah, that's why I like you DubaiSis. It could be ANY NPC that she turned down and I still feel like some of these girls who go through recruitment and think they are "too good" for whatever GLO--should really be ashamed of themselves. I am only talking about NPC and not NPHC because they have a different way of joining but, I still think highly of the NPHC, as well. Everyone needs to stop with this, "I didn't feel a connection" b.s. they hand out. We are all intelligent people on this forum. You don't think we can read between the lines? If only ONE chapter called you back--I'm thinking it's not because you "couldn't feel a connection" but, you chose to not return because they weren't popular enough for you.

I just want to say that the only reason I came onto this website was for constructive advice on what I should do about my rushing situation. als465, I find your post incredibly assumptive and hurtful. In fact, the sorority I was left with was not one which I deemed "not good enough" in any way--I actually have many friends in that sorority--rather, I did not want to invest time and money (as every sorority requires) in a sorority that did not absolutely make my heart sing, and I do not regret my decision at all--if given the same situation again, I would have done the same thing.
Thank you for your input, but I believe I will be seeking advice on the subject from other sources. Best wishes.

Could you do both? Could you do fall informal and if you end up with a bid to a group, you could join and if you don't, you could do formal in the spring? I would get recs in both situations because why not?

It didn't make your heart "sing" and that's why you didn't choose to take a bid? I still don't buy it. You have tons of friends in that sorority yet, it wasn't for you? Yeah, it still sounds like the "popularity" factor was what made you choose to not accept a bid. I still don't feel sorry for you.

Here is some constructive advice: Don't whine and cry on an internet forum when you didn't get a bid to a sorority that didn't make your heart "sing" when there are tons of qualified PNMs that are coming on here to share that they weren't even given a bid to anywhere. Those are the girls I feel sorry for! There are tons of women who would have jumped at the chance you had. You chose not to take it and now come on GC to whine that your heart didn't "sing" or something.

If you choose to go somewhere else to talk about how bummed out you are that (while other girls are heartbroken they didn't get a bid ANYWHERE) you only got a bid to ONE sorority that didn't make your heart "sing"--then, that's fine with me! Please, go do that!

Read the first post. She didn't whine or complain or bash anyone at all. And it doesn't matter if she was dropped by every sorority or refused to join every sorority except one, she can still rerush if she wants to. She made the decision best for herself and I for one am glad she gave that spot to a girl who really appreciated it. She could have infused her question with past bitterness and immaturity, but she didn't. And she never asked anyone to feel sorry for her.

+1

We all know it's a "mutual" selection process. Mutual means both of them have to have the desire to continue.

I have to agree here. First off, she didn't receive a bid from the one house (sounds like she got invited to pref and did not go, which I would have advised her to attend just to make sure her mind was made up). Second, had she gone to pref and signed the card (ostensibly they have guaranteed placement, though I don't know for sure) she would have been bound for one year to that house that she was more than unsure about. Thus, she wouldn't be able to go through informal right now.

Furthermore, by withdrawing, she freed up a slot for someone that house did make her "heart sing". I really see nothing wrong with any of it.

OP - I say go for informal and just see what happens!

My information comes second hand from my cousin who an alum of Wake and a sorority member.

She said that some sophmores do receive bids every year, but not all who register will be placed. The sophmores who do get bids are usually well known by the sisters in that group specifically, have stellar grades and are very involved with the school and have not rushed previously. The ones who have rushed previously tend to be scrutinized a little more. It's not impossible, but you have to be the all around total package and be willing to take the invites/bid you are given and roll with it and make the best of your particular situation.

Will you also get mad when they give you their opinion as well? You asked for it, and got it, so don't be mad. Not everyone is going to give you a lollipop when you are sad. Go through informal and if it doesn't work out, give formal another shot. You turned down the one sorority that was willing to give you a chance and that is not easily forgotten. They probably won't give you a chance again. You can't be picky when your chances are slim.

thank you everyone for your input! MaggieXi, your post was especially helpful. I'm still yet undecided on whether I will do formal or informal recruitment, because I would really like to bump up my GPA before rushing again. I have a couple weeks to decide, though. And, Optimusprime, I must add that I am not at all angry at anyone's opinions--I just wanted to make it clear that I wasn't a) being whiny and looking down upon organizations or b) asking anyone to feel sorry for me in the first place. Just wanted to see if anyone knew the formal rush climate for a sophomore. thanks again everyone for your input! hope you all have a great year!

Actually, they might have dumped her ass after pref. You never know what a group's (or chapter's) membership selection procedures are. She didn't turn down a bid, she quit 2 steps before getting there. If she had truly turned down a bid, half of her question would be moot since she couldn't rerush till next spring anyway.

Pref invite =/= bid

My mistake, it just seemed as if you were getting huffy. I just wanted to add if you really want to make yourself seem like you've been putting in an effort, maybe try to get involved on campus. Try to join an organization and maybe that'll help a little. Good luck to you.

I like how randoms like sock-puppet Splash and shirley1929 (both posters I'm not even sure if they are even Greek) want to play the tiniest violin for someone because her heart didn't "sing" when she chose not to even show up to pref for a sorority at Wake Forest. Boo-Hoo!

33girl, you do have a point. I realize that membership selection is different for every GLO but, what I am trying to say is that she chose not to even go to preference because she probably thought she was "above" it or something. The truth is, I'm annoyed by all of these "boo hoo, I was sacked/ let go from recruitment" posts from ungrateful PNMs and their heli-moms.

In case you are a new poster and you weren't aware--let me break it down for you: I DON'T SYMPATHIZE with girls who don't have a valid excuse for dropping out of recruitment (family emergency, getting deployed to the Middle East, sickness, etc.) and then come to GC to cry about not finding a home.

my sentiments exactly!

She wasn't complaining about anything. She didn't ask for sympathy and she certainly wasn't crying to us about it. I don't feel sorry for her either, because there's nothing to feel sorry for. She owns and doesn't regret her decision. She was completely political in her first post, simply saying recruitment didn't work out and then spoke solely of re-rushing. There was nothing wrong with her post.

Your situation sounds EXACTLY like mine. I'm a sophomore and rushed formal rush(it's spring for me) but it didn't work out. (I was having medical problems, and was NOT emotionally ready to face rush, even though I thought I was.) I wanted to drop out, but my rush leader persuaded me not to, and I didn't get a bid anyways.

So, I know I'm hoping to do fall rush, in order to get as much time in greek life as I can, but I don't know which houses are doing it (houses can choose if they do informal rush or not.) I don't want to do spring/formal rush again because a) once is enough lol b) I don't want to feel awkward over the fact that I already did it c) I'm nervous about being one of only a few sophomores out of hundreds of freshman.

So I'm kinda in the same boat as you I guess! Would you rather do formal or informal rush?

(P.S. One of my best friends goes to Wake!)

hi Redlipstick,
i haven't yet decided. i have a few weeks to make up my mind, and i'm sure i will be on the fence until the last minute. i know that bids for sophomores are extremely hard to come by at my school during formal recruitment in the spring. but my gpa is less than a 3.0 right now, not very much less, but it's not where i want it to be and while it reflects the work i did last year, it doesn't reflect how much i really care about school. i know that this semester my gpa will increase greatly, so i'd really like to wait until spring rush to go through recruitment again. but, ultimately, i think i'm just going to see what the rush climate is like once i get to school and decide from there. good luck with whatever you decide!!

I graduated from Wake a few years ago.
Sophomore rush changed a lot when I was there.
Remember that not all the chapters will be giving out bid depending on how many spots they have open.
Your GPA may hurt your chances and might have been the reason you did not get invited back to certain chapters during spring recruitment. When you talk to the sisters stress how you are working to improve your GPA and that academics are important to you.
Go in and be yourself. Spring recruitment can be difficult because these women meet so many PNM it's hard to stick out. Let the real you shine and show these women what makes you unique and what you can offer their chapter.
If you have friends in the sororities, let them know you are rushing. Most bids in the fall are given to girls that have friends/connections in the chapter. Try to see if you can get lunch/dinner/coffee with them and some of their sisters before fall rush starts. Same goes for if you are going to rush in the spring again.
If sisters ask if you rushed in the Spring, be tactful of what you say. If you tell them you only got 1 invite and you didn't like the chapter, it's not going to sound good. Sorority women know each other and being negative about a chapter will not help your odds.

If you want more advice you can PM me.

Wake Forest had fall bid day on Friday. Did you go through or are you waiting for the spring?