Nervous for informal rush, what to expect?
 

Hi everyone :) I'm a freshman and I went through formal rush in the fall but ended up dropping out because only 2 houses invited me back, which I had already decided I would not like to accept a bid from.

I really feel like I should give it another chance because I haven't made a lot of friends and so I'm doing informal rush in the next few weeks at at least 2 houses. I know the events are a lot more relaxed but i'm still nervous!

My friend who is in one of the houses said they only want girls who can live in the house next year, but i can only live in starting 2nd semester, as I'm guessing is the same for a lot of girls bc everyone has signed apartment leases & such..... do you think this will lower my chances significantly of getting into that house? and during informal, how do they give out bids??

thank you so much :)

Yes.

These are campus specific questions, and the house issue is a chapter specific one, which means we can't answer them. Your best bet if you thinking housing is a stumbling block is to (if it comes up...if it doesn't, let it alone) explain that you live in an apartment with a lease but would be very interested in moving in once your lease is up.

Informal recruitment usually involves more time to talk and let the actives get to know your personality. So be friendly and be sure you practice your conversation skills if you're shy.

ETA: When I said let it alone I meant that if actives don't mention housing, don't mention it yourself. If it will hurt your chances, don't make it worse by putting it all out there. That being said, definitely be honest if they do ask, even if it means it will hurt your chances. Just let them know you're still very interested in them and would be happy to move in once you're able, then try again during the fall once their rooms are filled and housing isn't a deal-breaker.

It also depends on number of open spots in the chapter vs. number of open spots in the house. If a chapter can easily fill all of their open spots with women who will move in this fall, they will. If they can not, they would (probably) rather have someone who won't live in than nobody at all. I don't know how much you know about numbers, but if there is a group with lots of spots to fill, you should give them a closer look than the ones taking only a few women.

Coming from a Chapter who has a hard time filling their housing spots- this is a big deal. If your friend is telling you that they are looking for new members that can move into the house- they will be looking for new members that can live in the house.

Okay, thanks so much for your feedback everyone. I do have one more question.

There is a chapter I really loved during formal, but I'm not sure if they would have informal rush. Is it tacky to email the VP of Recruitment at their chapter and see if they are holding it? Because a lot of the informal events aren't advertised very well at my school. Thanks again!

Is there a registration or interest list through your Greek Life office? If there is, that is the method for you to use. But I think a direct, polite and concise email would be fine, but ONE. No stalking allowed. Go to their chapter website. There may be clarification there, or possibly an email or link. Sadly, if you don't get an email response, you have to take that as no. I wish people would always send a return email stating in black and white that they are not doing it or it's by invitation only or something. In my life this applies to applying for jobs, but I think the same holds true here. I wish they would send back an acknowledgment, but the fact is most won't.

But please remember, on most campuses, the houses that are the most sought after meet chapter total during formal and therefore don't do an informal recruitment. I wish you the best of luck, but keep an open mind for those (dare I say it) mid and lower tier houses. They still provide a fantastic sorority experience and will probably be a more realistic option for you.

If they aren't advertised very well, it may be because they only have a very few spots or because they already have ideas of who they're going to bid (like friends of current members).

That might not necessarily be true. Some chapters don't advertise informal because it's considered "desperate" on the campus.
In my opinion (which is in no way expert) a single polite email asking about it probably won't hurt.