Is it weird to rush with my sister?
 

Me and my sister (I'm 20, she's 18) want to go after the same sorority. Only one is doing a Spring recruitment this year and we both want to get involved in greek life without having to wait until the Fall.

I want people to treat me as an individual and not just an extension of her and she's worried about the same thing. If we don't stick with each other during the recruitment activities and just focus on meeting and talking to different people, then will it be okay?

Is it weird for sisters to rush the same sorority? Has anyone heard of this happening before? What would you think about it?

Sisters go though together quite often. Twins especially can face this issue. I think your game plan is a good one. It can be good or bad. Sometimes sororities see sisters or best friends as a package deal. You can go along way to making sure that does not happen by doing exactly what you spoke about. But don't ignore each other either. You don't want said sorority to think they would be giving bids to drama queens.

Why are you asking us if it's okay to be be apart from your sister? Only you can determine if it's okay or not.

No, it's not weird for sisters to go through recruitment together. It happens all the time. If you two are so worried about it, don't call attention to it. You can't control what the rushers are thinking but you can control how you behave and interact with them during recruitment events.

Just don't make a big deal about it.

Nope, not weird in my opinion, not unheard of. I think your plan to separate yourselves is a good one.

Actually one of my close friends from my RC group had a sister in a certain chapter. Her (biological) sister was very active in the chapter, and had even been on exec the previous year. The two of them look exactly alike, and everyone she met in that group said, oh, you're so and so's sister! She initially really didn't want to join that group for fear of being "stuck" in her sister's shadow, but wound up falling in love with the girls, got a bid, and completely blazed her own path in the chapter. That said, I go to a school with an average chapter size of ~150 girls, so it is easier for them to stay separated than in a 30 person chapter. You also might have a tougher time during COB than you would during formal- there will be fewer girls participating, so you might have to work a bit harder to distinguish yourselves.

Good luck!

At some schools, the Rho Chi groups are divided alphabetically by last name. That's the one place where I would be a little adament that you & your sister would want to be in seperate Rho Chi groups.

You will also need to discuss and decide how you will both feel and what you will do if only one of you receives a bid. Although you may feel like you're not a "package deal" and wish to be treated as individuals, things could get very difficult between you if that situation arises.

I really hate to say this... at 20, I am guessing that you are not a freshman. I am sure that you are aware that it can be more difficult for sophmores, and even harder for juniors, to receive a bid if you are at a competitive campus. Be sure that YOU will be OK, if she gets a bid & you do not... that can be pretty stressful on you both.

They're rushing the one sorority at their campus that's doing spring recruitment, so I would guess the group needs members and that her upperclassman status isn't an issue.

Ditto to honeychile - they won't have rho chi groups.

Plus, at 20, she could be a sophomore. Still upperclassman, of course.

Having been an advisor at a smaller campus with only three chapters, during spring rush it was quite normal to have older students (sophomore and juniors) come through. Since it was a commuter campus and many students took 5 years to finish their degrees, being a junior was never automatically a bad thing. All three chapters took part in spring informal. It was on a weekend and all three chapters had a 30 minute open house and the PNMs were escorted to each chapter's room by the Panhellenic Recruitment Director. After the three events, the PRD took the PNMs up to the Panhellenic office and they each took an index card. On the card, each girl put her name, contact info and which of the three chapters she would like to be contacted by (she could put down 1, 2, or all three). As an advisor I really liked their spring rush. It was laid back, quick, and then you didn't waste time contacting women who weren't interested. We got a list back of each girl who was interested in us and took it from there.