rushing at large chapters
 

Hi everybody~ :)
In August I'll be rushing where almost every sorority has more than 200 members. My question is, how does one stand out when rushing such large chapters? I've heard where girls don't get bids because the actives didn't get to know her. Is there anything I can do to maximize my chances of getting a bid at such a large Greek system?

Thanks everybody :), have a fun fourth of july!
~Jenn

The chapters at my school weren't nearly that large, but since no one else has replied yet, I'll try to give you some advice.

You will only have time, during your first round events, to meet a handful of sisters. When the chapter votes on whether to invite you back, these sisters will tell the chapter what they thought of you, and the people who didn't get to meet you will vote accordingly, placing their trust in their sisters. But all your fellow PNM's will be in exactly the same situation.

As you progress through recruitment, you will meet more and more women in each sorority that you return to. This will allow you to get a better idea of which sorority/ies might be the "right" one/s for you. You're still not going to meet all 200+ women in a given chapter during the recruitment process, but that is to be expected.

Try to be memorable, but in a good way. Wear some unusual (but not outlandishly so) item of clothing or jewelry... when the chapters discuss your invitation, they'll be able to say (for instance) "Jenn, the one with the scottie dog pin" which will jog people's memories. You also want to avoid being mixed up with other Jenn's going through recruitment, particularly if one of them is rude, strange, has a bad reputation, etc.

Good luck, and be sure to come back and post about your experience! :)

I just had to say....holy sh*t, 200 members. I would not know how to handle that.

two ideas
 

Your best strategies would be to get as many recs as you possibly can (the sororities will be keeping an eye out for you and you may get a little extra attention), and to make sure that you're as "on" as you can be during each and every rush party. Going in there, your goal should be to make each and every girl you talk to remember you in a positive way. I'm not saying "be overeager" or anything like that, but if you're naturally shy or reserved, this simply isn't the time. Be as outgoing as you can, since you only have a chance to make an impression on a few girls, and you'll only have a few minutes to talk to those people who do get to meet you.

This is very good advice! This is how I remember a lot of girls going through recruitment.

I don't know if your school lets you make your own name tags, but if they do, make yours really stand out. Esp. if you have a common name. Try to play on your last name. They have a better chance of remembering you.

Thanks everybody :) for your advise, ya'll are super helpful :)! I'm not sure if my school does nametags (and actually, I hope that we don't have to make them, because I'm so not creative, and I cannot draw).
Thanks again for all your help~

hard to choose which thread
 

My daughter and talked until 1:00 am. It was so much fun. I told her she shoud just say who she is and post but... Her sorority has had a mini rush workshop and throughout this year, have more or less been mentored. This is the jist of what she said.

Recs- When they had their first meeting with their Rho Chi, they explained that because of past quota and the number of girls rushing, apx 650 would be placed and 350 would not. The FIRST thing most of the sororities look at is who has a rec. The second is who has the grades. This cut is dramatic and sweeping, but at least these young ladies can understand WHY they were cut. Even those that had a policy to invite everyone back to the next round were allowed to cut because of the large number of girls.

Legacies-sororities cut legacies all the time. They take a closer look BUT if a chapter has a number of girls that know you and your past behavior was "irritating" or not reflective of standards, they will cut you. It is a concern that alums will get upset, but the house standards (pertaining to a bad reputation) MUST supercede the individual. Her exact statement was, "The alums are the ones who set the standards we live by. They can't expect us to lower the standards they themselves set just so their daughter can get in."
**********In this same vein, telephone calls are made to hometowns to check this out. A young man told my daughter he was asked about her. She too has been called by people at other schools to ask about girls.

Getting asked back/getting cut- This has a great deal to do with numbers. Beyond the obvious like appearing filthy, rude or there for all the wrong reasons, girls start looking for something of themselves in the PNMs. She said, when you are paired with someone, in the begining they TRY to match you with someone who shares your interests. If THEY can't talk to you or make you feel comfortable, they may get the idea that the fit isn't there. They REALLY try to bring you out and give you every opportunity.

The bid-This is the hardest part for them because in most cases there are more than enough girls who they like to fill a pledge class. How to decide. It goes back to seeing something of themselves in the PNM. This is where the emotion of the Little Sis really kicks in. By this point, she was told it's not unusual for people to feel passionately about the PNMs. When a PNM cuts a sorority, it can be very upsetting to individual sisters.

You end up where you belong- She is a firm believer in this IF you go through for the RIGHT reasons. There are two basic categories of PNMs-those seeking the sisterhood aspect and those seeking an image. The actives can spot who is who pretty easily. This is something that just happens, not easy to explain the hows of it, but you know it when you see it. In her opinion, there are 2 groups that have a sisterhood that is beyond the norm. She said, when you go to a club and see 60 girls celebrating someones birthday you know that's special. Their sorority (along with others) have been invited by other GLOs to attend celebrations. In several cases, no other sororities showed. One incident in particular was an NPHC anniversary where they were the ONLY ones to show up and share in the celebration. What kind of attitude towards Greek unity does that reflect? When you run into a mutual friend and ask how one of their sisters is and they respond they haven't seen them or they don't do much together well...that can say something too. PNMs need to decide what they really want from Greek life. If they are honest with themselves, if they ARE themselves, their chances of happiness will increase.

Her advice-Ask real questions about campus involvement, interaction with other Greek Organizations (NOT FRATERNITIES)
what do they do together as a chapter things that have real meaning. Relax, be yourself, laugh. Try to picture yourself as part of each chapter you visit. If the sisters look like they are comfortable just being THEMselves, you have a good indication of the inner dynamics of the group.

WOW!! Tell your daughter thank you very much, thatwas really, really helpful!!! :D

Just a mom
That was good advice.

I just went through rush last year. My advice is to be yourself. Ask questions about the sorority *philantropy, activities*

I don't know how your school will go about rush. But, go back to the ones you want and get to know the girls better and see which one you really feel at home with. I didn't know until the last night, but then I knew. Alot of girls I rushed with were like that.

So, be yourself, but stand out so they remember you. B/c you will only talk to maybe a handful of girls so they are the ones that remember you.

Also, just if this happens--most sororities have days when they will have a get together and invite potential new members and you get to know the girls better b/c you spend more time around them. They do this if they don't meet their quota *the number of girls that they can take.*

I am replying to the statement made by a mother about her daughter's house calling her hometown to check out her reputation. I don't know about other campuses but on mine it was considered a rush infraction (illegal) to discuss potential members with those outside of your sorority. So you really should not worry about that aspect of it. College is a new beginning a in some ways a fresh start for many peeple. My best advice for you is to go where you feel the most comfortable and ask a lot of questions about philanthropy, community service, activities... It would also be a good idea to tell the jmembers that you are interested in holding an office. They are always looking for new leaders.:)

Re: hard to choose which thread
 

JAM just about covered it. With so many coming through rush it's important that you have as much going for you as you can going into rush. That means recs, grades, special talents like leadership/athletics/singing/art, etc. We have rush workshops in most key cities throughout the summer and have a good idea about the PNMs before formal rush begins.

Jam, what you said is so true! I know that the phone lines have been burning up around here.

Like h2oot and many others, we will greatly miss your daily updates. You'll just have to do a big summary at the end!

[*In this same vein, telephone calls are made to hometowns to check this out. A young man told my daughter he was asked about her. She too has been called by people at other schools to ask about girls. *]


I'm with gp though. At the university I attend that's considered a rush infraction! If you can't decided between 2 houses, always talk to a rho chi and they can help you. That's what they are there for.

Also, everyone has a chance to be given a bid...they take the number of girls rushing and divide it by the number of houses. So, there is a chance for everyone! :D

I only WISH I coud hear about it... Sadly, I'll have to report what I hear from the Moms at Albertsons! LOL This is the last bunch that I know apx 100% of the girls. We have about 10 more signed up this year than last for our state university alone. Lots of legacies again. Should be a good rush all the way around for BOTH sides of our little corner. The girls going through are all very excited and the alums are getting those letters out.

Remember your first time h2oot? She's soooooooo excited and MUMS the word at this house!