Rush...superficial?
 

I have spoke to a number of people about sorority rush and it seems that a lot of people think that it is superficial and looks based, so I am just wondering if that is true from the point of view of those who are actually in the Greek system. I am asking because I am not sure why I hear this since every sorority or fraternity member that I have had the chance to talk to, all seemed very nice and sweet to me.

If it was truly superficial, PNMs would line up and we would pick out based on looks instead of talking to the girls.

It is definately not based on looks, but showing that you care about your appearance means a lot. GPA, community and campus involvement, and your personality mean just as much though.

I look at rush the same way I look at people applying to schools or for a job. Sure, many schools look at the numbers but, they also look at the whole person. If you have school activities, community service, possibly a job while in high school, etc. then you may have a chance of getting into the right school for you! It isn't just about your SAT score and your high school GPA. The same goes for job searches. Sure, they may want you to interview based on the great named school on your resume or the various activities you were involved with but, if you are a complete tool when they interview you, chances are they won't hire you. The same applies to rush. Your looks may be a great way to get in the door (so to speak) but, if you have a horrible GPA or attitude, many chapters won't want to bother with you. Would you befriend someone because she was attractive if she was a complete bitch to people? Probably not!

Good luck!

It's superficial in the sense that we're only getting to know you for a week before bids are extended. And we're getting to know X number of other people all at once.

But it's not superficial in that we're looking for your personality, extracurricular activities, GPA etc.

Speaking of GPAs.. what is considered a good one? Right now my college GPA is 3.25.

Depends on the chapter. Most if not all GLOs have a minimum GPA that you need to meet to join, individual chapters may have a higher GPA that is their goal or minimum requirement, and some campuses may have set a GPA goal or requirement as well.

3.25 is probably fine

Chapters are individual groups, keep that in mind. But recruitment is similar to a job interview in that you present yourself in the best possible light and hope that is what the employer (or in this case, chapter) is looking for. I would hazard a guess that in some cases looks matter more than in others. But being well groomed, well spoken, and pleasant are probably more important than just being pretty. These chapters only have a few days to pick new sisters...and the PNM's only have a few days to pick their future chapter. So by nature it's a little shallow on both sides. It's like dating...you date to find out who you fit best with, and a relationship follows. When you first start dating someone it isn't because they know the inner you, it's because something about you caught their eye and sparked their interest. Both sisters and PNM's have to make judgments quickly without REALLY knowing each other.

Put it this way, when you apply for a "grown-up" job, is it possible that someone slightly less qualified will get hired because they look a certain way and you don't. Yeah, it's possible. But it's more likely that if you have a good resume, fit in at the company, dress appropriately and remain pleasant you'll be the one that gets the job.

So if its not about looks, then let me pose this hypothetical...

Two girls rush at the same time, have stellar GPAs, involvement, etc etc.The only difference s that one has fashion model good looks and the other is not attractive and overweight, albeit well groomed. Can you honestly say that they have an equal shot at getting in their "dream" sorority?

Just keeping it real here

It depends on the school, I'm sure. On my campus the make it or break it would be which one was more fun to be around, mostly because the Greek system is small and not as competitive as systems at other schools. Our chapters are small and even if a girl is super hot, if she's a whiny bitch and the girl who is a little overweight is the life of the party, super-hot-girl will probably lose out on the bid. But that's not the case on every campus. During Recruitments where chapters are rushing hundreds of girls a day, it would stand to reason that personality is a little less important...how do you gauge a personality when you have to meet that many girls?

Exactly my point. With hundreds, or even more than a thousand girls coming through in a day and only meeting girls for a few minutes, how can you really judge personality and fit? It's only natural, all other things being equal, to judge by looks. I'm not saying it's wrong to take looks into account, I just think we need to be honest here.

But looks aren't the only wild card here.

In your example, what if the hot chick with the stellar resume also has a reputation for being a slore?

Or the hot chick is a Lesbian.

Or she's a known atheist.

Looks are certainly part of anything for which you're being selected, but there are other intangibles which you may never know had an impact on someone's selection.

I'm more amused that some NPCers seriously answered the question. :) Aren't there similar threads that PNMs could read? I thought there were.

Yes, RussianChick should give this thread a read:

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ght=appearance

I am sure that there are similar threads on almost every topic but even though that is so let the new ones be. There will always be repeats; if you find them annoying then simply do not reply and move on to something that interests you more. There is no need to always point out the fact that similar post exist. Of course they do, this is not a new site.