Worried About Rush
 

My university is going to have three days of rush for their four NPC sororities: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4-7. However, I have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays nearly all day because I'm a commuter student and I wanted to limit classes to two days a week. This means I could only make one day of the rush which really concerns me. Do you think it'd be sufficient? Because the next time I'd see the sororities would be for the all-day Saturday event which begins with a preferential and ends with bid day in the evening. Basically I'm nervous that none of the sororities will be able to get to know me and that I won't be able to learn enough about the four sororities in three hours... Like time and financial obligations. I would hate to be brief with the girls, but I also don't think skipping class is an option with physics filling most of the time (I'm a biomedical physics major, pre-med).

Anyway, I know this probably sounds like a bunch of babble but ANY advice would be SO nice! :)

I visted the recruitment site and sent an email through asking about this, but haven't received any response so far.

Yeah, maybe I'll see how the class is going and miss one of the days if possible. I'm at Wayne State if that helps any? I've heard that it's pretty low-key when it comes to Greek Life.

Definitely talk to the Office, and get a hold of one of the main people in charge of recruitment. Sometimes when you have time issues they can help you out a little... and if they have many commuters, they might have a way to help you out!

If its more typical recruitment, I worry that missing whole days will ruin it for you.

One thing you should find out is what Greek life is like there. Schools such as Kettering have a very different greek life because they are on a different system...but, if it is more "typical", then being a commuter might make sorority life difficult on you. Not being there and around the house is hard, and driving out to go to events all the time can be stressful. So, I would definitely find out what its like there and decide if being a commuter will mesh with that okay. Sororities dont consume your whole life, but they are a time commitment, and honestly, you want to have fun and enjoy it all and be there for it!

CALL the Greek Life office....or go by. They are slammed with recruitment issues and probably aren't checking their email a lot.

I was told awhile ago by AGDee who works for WSU's chapter that commuting shouldn't be an issue as Wayne is an urban commuter college. She also told me that the school doesn't have sorority houses so I'm hoping that being a commuter won't make the experience impossibe.

Good! Well, then I would just try to contact someone about the recruitment process and hopefully it will work out for you! Good luck! :)

Thanks!

I'll be honest with you here, one day of recruitment is likely not going to get you a bid because the chapters will have only met you once.

You can talk to your Greek Life office, but honestly, I don't know what they can do for a PNM who would have to miss like 90% of recruitment.

Even if your school is mostly commuter with a laid back recruitment, you probably can't get a bid having only attended one day.

I think it would def. be hard (not impossible though) to get a bid or even invited to pref based on 1 interaction.

You might have a better chance at joining via COR if your campus has informal. That way yu have more than 1 interaction with them.

how many classes would you be missing from 4-7, and isn't there anyone that can help you catch up? and are professors understanding when it comes to recruitment?

Is there a section of the conflicting class that meets earlier in the day or at another time during the week? If there is, see if your prof would let you attend the different session. I had to make a similar arrangement recently (though not recruitment related), and my professor was very understanding and accommodating.

Wayne State has a partially structured recruitment which means that those first three days are open houses. You can come and go as you please, staying at each party for as long as you can. If you can get a two hour block during that time period, you could go to each sorority's event for 30 minutes and be SURE to explain that you have to leave to go to class to whoever you talk with at that party. That way, they won't think that you're just cutting out quickly because you're not interested. Even if you have a break in class from 4-5 and then from 6-7 or something, you could work that in. I would do everything I could to try to make an appearance at all the chapters the first day, Tuesday and the second day, Wednesday. You may decide by Thursday that there is a chapter or two that you don't feel comfortable with and choose to not attend every chapter's event that day. There are no invitation rounds until Prefs, so it is open to anybody until then. Do your best to get to each chapter at least twice before Prefs. So, if there is a chapter you miss on Tuesday, be sure to hit that one Wednesday and Thursday. If there is one that you're very interested in on Wednesday but don't think you'll be able to visit on Thursday, be sure to let them know that too. Communicate with the chapters when you see them so that they know it's not lack of interest, but a class that's keeping you away. I can't emphasize that enough, especially since Prefs are the only invitation round.

Some years, at Wayne, I would suggest that you wait and COB, because some years, all the chapters are doing COB. But this year, only one chapter will probably do COB after formal recruitment, so that's not a good idea this year.

You should also be aware that all of the chapters at Wayne State have their chapter meetings on Tuesday nights. They will work with you though, if you have class on Tuesday night, but for future semesters, you'll want to try to keep Tuesday nights open if you get a bid!

Shoot, even if you can only go to each one for 20 minutes the first night, try to get to all of them. What time, exactly, are your Tuesday classes?

ETA: I used to work with this chapter, as a volunteer alumna, but now I work with chapters in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan, just to clarify. My job that pays my bills is a block from Wayne State so I'm still somewhat close with these women though. I am not involved with them in any official capacity anymore.

Also ETA: This is a commuter school, very few of the members live on/near campus so commuting is most definitely not a problem.