Signing Problem
 

So I recently graduated high school and I've been looking into the Greek system at my university. For fraternities, rush is all year round and many houses have been getting new members since February.

Last month I went to a few events at a house and ended up signing the bid. I've got some serious buyer's remorse and really want to keep rushing around, I feel that I made too huge of a commitment too early. I've already spoken with the recruitment chair about the possibility of dropping and they said they understand. It's summer and there are 30 other houses on Greek row. What would be the best way to to about this?

Why are you having buyer's remorse?

Simply because I wish I signed later. I wasn't ready to stop rushing and out of the 30 houses i've only seen like 5. I really like this house, I just don't want to commit and then find out that I fit better in another house

There's a good chance whatever you signed is not binding. Fraternities tend to have a lot of tricks to lock up summer recruits before formal recruitment begins. Call your Greek Life office for details.

In that case would you recommend dropping whatever I signed so I can keep rushing? The recruitment chair told me that initiation is what's the real binding part.

I don't wanna drop really, I just wanna keep rushing for a while

You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you want to keep rushing, you need to drop the group you're in now. Depending on the rules of the school, Alpha Beta could get in huge trouble if you're at one of their rush parties when you're signed to Gamma Delta.

The only place you're going to get good advice is your school's greek life office. Rush mechanics are different everywhere.

This reminds me of the episode of Roseanne when Becky wants to divorce Mark because marriage just isn't that fun and wants to go back to dating him.

^^ Not really. He's just graduated HS, and the fraternities push early commitments at some schools. He realizes that he may have rushed to a decision. The question is how to go about this properly. He may well still select this group after everything.

I realize that it may differ depending on the campus. Do you really think he will have any chance with this GLO if he withdraws his commitment to them and rushes all of these other fraternities on campus? I would think that if he continues to rush, he needs to understand that the original fraternity will probably not be an option come actual pledge time.

I should say that rushing is extremely informal. All the houses i've been at were one on one rush events where they would just invite me and me only. For example yesterday I just came from a house tour which the rush chair gave me himself. The house I signed invited me to like 3 of their parties. As far as I know, there are no days that are designated for rushing.

It may well be more organized once school starts. How many brothers are around right now? I'd follow Kevin's suggestion and call the Greek Life office to get more information on the fraternity recruitment process -- before you make any hasty decisions.

But think, too.

You are an adult.
You made a decision.
You gave your word when you signed.
You don't get do-overs in most of life's decisions.

I don't know what school you are at, but at many schools, you wouldn't really see that many groups anyway. There are a few schools that have a formal house tour round where you do visit every chapter, but at most, rush is a sort of free-for-all, and everyone schedules stuff on the same nights, and you have to pick and choose which ones you get to visit. Seeing and seriously considering five chapters is actually more than a lot of men look at before signing a bid at a LOT of schools, and I don't know any school where you'd get to meet all thirty before making a decision.

OP, as sorority alumnae, we aren't experts on fraternity recruitment particularly at your school (whatever it is and please do not post it). Some of us see do-overs; some do not. You got good advice to check with your GreekLife office, which can inform you of the recruitment process for your school.