When To Rush?
 

So, I rushed last spring and ended up having to drop out because no one invited me back for preference night (the 3rd night), but am still interesting in pledging a sorority. My school has delayed recruitment, so you can only join from 2nd semester freshman year onwards. In the fall, informal recruitment is only for sophmores and above, which is what I will be this fall. However, those sororities that participate in informal only typically have 3-5 spots available, whereas spring formal recruitment has 30. Last year, 250 girls rushed for 150 spots, and that number is expected to grow this year.

Should I rush in fall, knowing that there are only those few spots available but for my year, or wait for spring, but face freshman competition?

Two things, unless your school has a bed quota system, there are more than 150 slots;100 girls were either cut or dropped out of recruitment between day 1 and bid day. That's not the same thing. Unfortunately you were one of those people last year.

Secondly, it's not an either/or situation. You've been on campus now for another semester, you should have a much greater feel for the groups now than you did before and you will have an opportunity to connect with them in a more casual situation. If informal doesn't work out you're still eligible for formal recruitment.

Now none of this guarantees you a bid, obviously. You need to think about what you did well, and what you needed improvement on, and whether you think you fit in at all and who with.

Will being dropped from this past formal and next informal hurt my chances for spring 2012 formal?

I mean, can sororities see that information and avoid me because of being dropped twice?

Sororities will probably remember you to some extent, how they remember you or what they remember you for, well only you know that.

Informal recruitment doesn't necessarily work the same way, without knowing how it's structured (or not) on your campus, odds are you have a better shot of getting to know sorority women there. But there's really too much we don't know. You're better off talking to your friends and any sorority women you do know.

they will not receive a printout of girls who formerly rushed but did not join a sorority(for whatever the reason), but it is possible that they might remember seeing you at a party this spring. you really have nothing to lose by giving it a try, and i would say if you have good grades, got involved on campus, & kept your reputation clean, then give it a try in the fall.

Do the majority of sororities participate in fall informal rush, or is it just a small fraction of them?

33girl, I think it depends... The Greek council makes that decision every year, based on availability. I have a friend who told me that for fall, there will be three openings in her sorority. So I guess fall is a bed-quota system, and spring is just the same number across the board.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

do you think you would fit in well in your friends sorority?

To be honest, not really...

They won't see that information however, they may remember you or it will come up in conversation during recruitment.

"So Lolgiro, you're a second semester sophomore. Why did you wait until now to go through recruitment?" (Especially if rushing after freshman year is unusual at your school.) You need to have an honest answer for that.

You can't depend on going in with a "clean slate." Depending on the chapter or school, once you've been cut, it's possible you will always be cut. You need to be prepared for that possibility.

There's no harm in going through informal. It might give you a better opportunity to get to know members and for them to get to know you.

However, no matter when you choose to rush again, if you haven't improved on the things that might have affected your previous results (eg: marginal gpa, poor conversation skills, appearance, lack of activities, personal reputation) you should not expect a different outcome.

Makes sense. However, can I ask this:

During recruitment, if you personally had a girl you liked come through your house, do you think you (or your sorority) would drop her based on 2nd semester sophomore status?

Membership selection is considered ritual and cannot be answered. Our answers wouldn't be relevant to you anyway.

Most if not all of our chapters have given bids to sophomores, how often that happens, how many are cut instead, etc. We really can't say.

Your Greek Life office may be able to provide you with some numbers on how many sophomores get bids during formal rush.

You seem to be really confused about how Total/Quota work - no worries, there are initiated members that don't understand it either. There are a couple threads around that explain it (one or more should be stickied), take some time to read them. You university can vary slightly from what's posted, but generally the info should apply.

Well no, bed quota is bed quota all the time and unless you go to IU, this isn't an issue for you.

More than likely, fall informal is occurring because there are groups under total. Your friend doesn't understand how it works - there's no way to know NOW how far a group will be under total. Yes you can factor in seniors graduating, but people might transfer, flunk out etc and not come back.