Formal vs. Informal Rush
 

Now that my daughter has decided to definitely participate in Informal Spring Rush (thanks to some great advice from all of you!) I'm wondering if anyone has had experience accepting a bid during Informal rush. I know there won't be the typical rounds (skit, house tour, pref night) and there probably won't be the big rush to the house with Bid cards and screaming happy sisters meeting girls with tee shirts, flowers, etc. I hate that she might miss out on this experience, but to pledge at all is a privilege, right? Will the sisters do things to make this experience special for the new girls? What types of things could someone expect from Spring (Informal) Rush?

It totally depends on the campus and the sorority. It will almost certainly be much lower key than formal rush, which may be a good thing for your daughter. It sounds like she may benefit from having a less structured way to meet the sororities and have them meet her. Typically, COB activities will be much more informal. Instead of a 45 minutes party where she systematically meets 3 sisters for 15 minutes each and they stand around and talk about majors, she may go watch a movie, play boardgames, or do homemade mani/pedis. It's more like hanging out at the house with the sisters and less like an interview (BUT OF COURSE IT IS STILL BASICALLY AN INTERVIEW). She may find she likes some of the houses she didn't see herself in, once she is outside of the Formal Recruitment Machine. Many houses that don't do well in FR really thrive at COB, and your daughter may too. No, there won't probably won't be a screaming run to the house, but there probably will be some sort of celebration and ritual for the COB members. It's a different experience, not one that's better or worse.

Pref night is special, but that's because it is a tiny glimpse into the ways in which women in a chapter are SISTERS, instead of just friends. You know what we call that after recruitment? Ritual. She will get to have plenty of experiences like that, and next year, she'll get to participate in pref from the other side, and show her sisterhood off to the PNM's coming through.

I know there won't be a screaming run to the house or whatever, but believe me, the women pledged through COB are just as wanted and loved as the women who come through FR. In fact, lots of times, more active sisters know them by the time they pledge, anyway. There will still be plenty of t-shirts.

My chapter always did COB, and we always worked very hard to make the new pledges feel special. They should still get the t-shirts and other swag the formal pledges got. And they get the benefit of having a much smaller pledge class. If she's in a pledge class of 5 or 10 instead of 50, she's going to get to know that group very well, and hopefully the chapter as a whole will take the opportunity to meet each of those girls, which is nearly an impossibility in some chapters after formal rush.

My chapter purchased a "bid day" sweatshirt with sewn on letters for every informal class. We did an event for them once the class was closed. These classes were much smaller than the formal class, so they actually got more individual attention. Less pomp and circumstance in the days leading up to receiving their bids, but just as much love.

Bid night is one night. It's not that big a deal in retrospect. They'll definitely get t-shirts and gifts and attention - probably MORE attention than the formal rush girls since there will be fewer of them.

I was just logging in to say this! With 50+ in a pledge class at UNC, bid night can be a bit of a let-down after the initial excitement is over. And if you're a little bit shy, it can be overwhelming.