Rushing in Louisiana
 

I am planning to rush at a small college in the state of Louisiana this Fall. I have familiarized myself with the sorority I am interested in and I was wondering if anyone has any tips for rushing at a small college. The Greek System in Louisiana is not very strong and it is increasingly difficult to find actives within my sorority of preference. I would appreciate it if any of you who have or will rush in the state of Louisiana to tell me of your experiences and leave any suggestions you may have.
Thank You

Is this an NPC group or an NPHC group?

Louisiana
 

I am guessing that you are going to Centenary since you are from Port City.....I am a TKE and from what I understand from talking to TKEs from Centenary is that the greek system is quite small. But very elite at the same time. My advice to you is to talk to all the fraternity men at Centenary and ask them what the girls are like(honestly) in each sorority. Then from that see where you fit in. But dont ask the ones who date the sorority girls cause 9 out of 10 will tell you their girlfriends sorority is the best.....But either way hang out with the TKEs up there they are very likeable guys, I hung out with a bunch at Mardi Gras. Either way have fun in college, and get good grades......Blaise

This is a NPC group I am speaking of though I am also looking into a certain NPHC group. Though I wonder if NPC or NPHC is significant to my initial question. Does the process differ in the two?
Excellent grades are my primary concern and any type of organization is secondary. I will take your advice and perhaps get to know a few members of fraternities in my school..Centenary of course..:)

Thank You

how many sororities are there total? If i were you I would go into it with an open mind instead of focusing on just one sorority you are interested in...I had an idea about which ones I wanted, and I didn't end up preffing either of them!! But good luck with it, and keep us updated!

The process is quite different and I don't know how to put it into a nutshell except that with NPHC sororities, it seems that you research the organization first and the big thing with NPC rush is that you and the girls must click. You might think that your preferred NPC sorority has great aims and such but if they feel you don't fit or that other people just fit more, they're likely to cut you. Likewise, you might read about an NPC sorority and love its aims and history and philosophy but you actually meet the girls and think, "Naaah...I fit in better with the XYZs next door."

Ok
 

Well as I stated previously I am looking at both a NPC and a NPHC sorority. I have participated in many events that each has hosted, talked to some members and even done some independent work with the philantropy of one. I am just wondering what types of things I should expect during the rush period. I am not decided on one way as of now, or even if Ill rush at all. I am learning lots about the Greek system, positive and negative so I am still weighing options. Thanks for the input and Ill definitely seek the posts stating things about the differences in NPC and NPHC rush.

HonestAsIAm--

The LAST thing I would do is ask the fraternities for opinions. You will not, I'm afraid get the kind of information you'd want to make any kind of decision. One will tell you to go one way, another will tell you to go the other way. The only way to decide is to go into rush with an open mind and give both houses a fair chance.

As for the rest of what I'll tell you, take it for what it's worth. I went to Centenary and can offer to you what I learned. One house is NOT better than the other. Both have very strong national reputations, strong sisterhood, strong membership, great leadership. Both have great scholarship and campus/community involvement. I went into rush with the idea that there was only one place for me...I was wrong! I went to another house and never looked back! And yes, I was still able to be friends with women in the other house.

To go into rush with your mind made up (and it seems yours is) is very close minded in my opinion. Especially when there are only two sororities. By the way, I'm talking about the NPC houses; I don't know what NPHC sorority you're talking about. I guess things have changed since I was there.

Some other things to keep in mind:
-Membership is lifelong so do what's best for you--not mom, grandma, your best friend, or nosy neighbor.
-Everyone is NOT guaranteed a bid
-Legacies are NOT guaranteed a bid, even at such a small school.
-It is not wise to broadcast your preference before you go through rush. This can backfire. For ex: When I was there, a PNM went around telling everyone that she would ONLY be an XYZ, didn't even give ABC a chance. She was even telling members of XYZ how perfect she was for them. Both houses dropped her....after the first round.

Just be yourself, give everyone a fair chance, and you'll be fine. I would definitely go through rush though, just to see what it's like and to meet as many people as possible. Sorry I don't know anything about the NPHC. You could call the Greek Life Advisor.
If you have any other questions about Centenary's rush, post on here or PM me. I'll try to check back often.

BL
Good luck! Let everyone know what you decide.

Well
 

Well to your statement of me having my mind made up I'm afraid you're wrong. Centenary only has two NPC organizations so I am afraid there is not a vast amount for me to choose from. As far as the NPHC groups many LSUS groups have agreed to allow Centenary students to pledge there.
As I stated previously I am not DECIDED on anything, not evening to pledging at all I have an extremely open mind. I am unaware where that notion comes from. I am open to the possibility of several groups as well as to not entering the Greek system.

I am happy that you responded especially since you are a former Centenary Student. I definitely will keep in touch.

ouch

Whoa! No need to be so snappy and defensive! The "notion" as you put it, came from your first post and your comment about your "sorority of preference." That made me think you had already made up your mind, that's all.

I'm glad you're considering rushing--it's a great experience and lots of fun.

That's great that LSUS is letting Centenary students pledge their NPHC groups. Is this a new thing? I've never heard of that before. What NPHC groups do they have? The only thing about that is it kind of sounds like it would take you away from the Centenary community and getting involved. But, maybe not.

Again, good luck. I hope that whatever you do, it makes you happy! Definitely go Greek!! :)

BL

I could be really off on this, but I was under the impression that if you are really interested in NPHC, it would NOT be in your best interest to go through NPC recruitment. I think you should check this out in another forum.

I admit, I know very little on this subject, but from what I gather, you feel a particular NPHC in your heart to the degree there could NEVER be any other interestfor you.

Just go for it!
 

I think you should go through both Rushes, and you just never know which house you might like. There are many advantages of being part of a NPC- the larger National network, opportunities to visit many different campuses and people. I meet Thetas everywhere I go, in places that I would never imagine.
Just keep your eyes and ears open and follow your heart.

My apologies snappy is a part of my personality....not my proudest part but a part all the same. If I came off as defensive and offended you in anyway sorry, I really did appreciate your comments.

Justamom perhaps you misread what I said. I never said I had my heart set on a NPHC sorority. The purpose of this post was to find out primarily about the NPC rush process.
Am I being vague? Oftentimes I am so I suppose I was a tad bit confusing.

Thank you SLOTheta for perhaps the best advice. I am not looking to pledge anything but I shall keep my eyes open.

Nonetheless, I have sought out answers from others on the rush process and they have clarified it for me so thank you all very much for your comments.

The one caution is, I'm sure the two NPC sororities have a formal rush process, and it is probably held at a different time than the NPHC group's process. So although you'll go through formal rush and see the two sororities and can make up your mind between them, you probably won't be able to rush an NPHC group simultaneously. This can make it hard to comparison shop, so to speak.

I am NOT saying don't go for it - I am always thrilled to see someone interested in Greek life with an open mind - I'm just trying to warn you that very few girls do rush an NPC group and an NPHC group both, so the system isn't set up to accommodate folks like you who are considering both.

Also, I would agree with the gal who said don't go into NPC rush with your heart set on one group. Unlike in NPHC rush, where you research and pick one group of interest, girls are expected to go into NPC rush with a totally open mind. In reality of course most girls do have preferences and opinions, but unless you wait until later in the year and do informal rush (if they have it) you cannot rush just one NPC group. It's just a different tradition.

Good luck!