Wouldn't this be interesting?
 

This is so completely random, but after reading Robbin's book Pledged [don't worry this thread is not about her book] it has made me think about a lot of things. Especially about image when it comes to greek life. It seems that no matter what school you go to each greek organization fits into a different stereotype. (The sorority known as having the pretty girls, the nice girls, the blondes, the brunettes, ETC. - the same for fraternities). This is one part of greek life that I particularly dislike. Sure I like clothing, care about my image, and all that jazz but I think it is played up too much during rush; and tends to be too much of a big thing in greek life sometimes. Truthfully I believe that there is nothing that can ever be done to COMPLETELY end this. Yes, it is possible (my sorority in particular is very mixed regarding looks, nationalities, style, etc.) but in the long run people tend to gravitate towards others that are like them.

So what do you think would happen if rushing was completely reformed? Like, if all girls had to wear a mask (it WOULD be creepy though i have to admit), wore their hair back in a ponytail and wore specific "rush clothing" such as a pair of gray sweatpants with a plain t-shirt. Same for fraternities although I feel that the image thing plays more into sororities. This way everyone would be forced to focus on the person's personality entirely, and not on looks or style. Do you think sorority membership would "look" completely different? I don't think this would ever happen, but I would be really curious to find out what exactly would happen...

Wait, but how are sororities any different than, say, the cheerleading squad or the debate team or any other on-campus group that chooses its membership?

Well, I would say the cheerleading squad and such are choosing based on talent and skill. During rush we aren't looking for girls or guys based on their ability to kick a ball, do a cheer, make a good point, etc. We are looking for people that we want to be our sisters or brothers. Completely different if you ask me...

OK, how is recruitment different from a job interview then?

It is in many ways like a long job interview. That's the analogy I use when someone asks me to describe formal Rush Week. You've sent in your trascripts and lists of activities similar to a resume. There's a background check. If you lie on your Rush application about your gpa, it gets discovered after you receive a bid you can't begin pledging when the basic gpa requirement is not met. If you lie on your resume, you don't get the interview.
or get fired if discovered after the fact.

Reccommendations from alumnae work in the same way as letters of reference from previous employers. Favorable responses work in your favor as unfavorable responses do not.

In both cases you and employer/sorority chapter try to put your best feet forward by looking your best.
Questions and answers given during the time you get to know them as they you can make a difference whether or not you either get a bid or drop altogether. If the job interview is not going well or you don't think it's a fit, you either don't follow up with the job or just walk out on the interview completely.

I think a job interview is similar to recruitment, but also in a way different.

Most employers are looking for candidates to do the job, and they select employees based on their experience, performance level, and education.

..But is that really ALL sororities are looking for? (rhetorical question .. don't answer) In an ideal world it is. I honestly think we'd be lying to ourselves if we said all sororities just look for is good GPA, involvement, etc. Sure there are many chapters who do just look at those things, and I think it's pretty safe to say that we all have chapters that look for more than just the great personality and the GPA.

Re: Wouldn't this be interesting?
 

I believe Fox tried this with a reality dating show...

In all honesty, sororitiy recruitment works best when it is less "frills," but looks and personality do factor into how people judge others, and not only in sororities.

I am on board for less singing and dancing, and more conversation and interactive activities at recruitment events. I like a structured recruitment with mutual rankings. I do think videos (not slideshows) that show footage of sorority events and life, with member testimonials, are more compelling as a recruitment tool than a skit based on the movie "Grease," "Gigli" or "The Wizard of Oz."

If sororities were designed so that "anyone" could join, they would no longer be secret societies. They might get a lot more support from the general public and university administrations, but it would be such a radical reformation that it would never, ever happen, and I don't think members would want it to.

So I'm not into the masks and flannel sweatshirts, but I am interested in the continued movement toward a no-frills recruitment.

ETA: I do think sorority recruitment is like a job interview. In both instances you are looking for a person to fill the open position/s due to their background and accomplishments, but you are also searching for someone who is a good fit for the corporate culture/sorority house culture. Employers do gravitate toward clean-looking (in most cases, "good looking" (people) to hire. Studies have proven this. And with a corporate culture, in any company, there is a certain look (biz casual, weekend cas, business attire... a certain way of looking) and cliques form within companies, and looks within those cliques. Every organization/workplace promotes diversity in background and personality, but in reality, you want to work with (and be sisters with) people who are similiar to you in behavior/feel/etc/

You see, I don't know where you're from, but where I live Rushing is not like that. We do not have any sort of reccomendations or what not. I NEVER even heard of such a thing until I read the book "Pledged." There is nothing to fill out when you come to rush (nothing at all like a resume). You only have to know that you must have a certain GPA to rush, and if you don't then you will have to wait to rush until you bring your GPA up.

I in no way believe that "anyone" should just be able to join a sorority or fraternity. That would def. take away from the whole point of a secret society. My only point in those whole "mask idea" is that it would force everyone to stop worrying about all the frills (looks, hair, clothes, makeup, ETC.) and force girls to focus on finding sisters that they can relate to entirely on who they are as people. I've heard of plenty of cases where a girl was picked because of how she looked and then after rush and pledging was over people realized, "you know what this girl may look good but I completely dislike her." I'm not saying, THIS MUST BE DONE as the only way to reform rush. I was just wondering if anyone thought it would result in a completely different turn out of pledge classes.

Hm, what difference is it?

You are trying to get into a job position, gettting into cheerleading, or a Greek Organization.

Same thing is it not?

Your best foot and face forward to be the one selected and go from threre.

Greek Life doe not preclude life, but it is a microcosim of life. It does Help many to go on to bigger and better things because We are prepared.:cool:

It sounds like where go to college that rush week is laid back. I went to college where rush week was very competitive. Here's a thread to take a look act so you can get a better idea.
http://greekchat.com/gcforums/showth...5&pagenumber=1

I have no idea what kind of application form you filled out.Here's an example of what I was talking about.

Also you can use the search button to look up information regarding recommendations or anything else that you're curious about.

Or is there only one NPC????? If that's the case, then there aren't the strict rules for recruitment.

Umm, let me tell you about my friend who held multiple state twirling championships yet didn't make my college's majorette squad. She was told she didn't have the "right look."

Or my sister who won a lead role in a theater production because she was perfect for it, but had to give up one of her performances to her understudy because she wasn't a theater major and her understudy was.

There are politics and shallowness in every single group and every single facet of life. Greeks need to stop beating ourselves up. We simply want to live and spend time with people who we're comfortable with - and if a girl who is a super duper clothing person and is totally interested in fashion comes through rush dressed like a rag bag, it's just as fake as the girl who doesn't care about clothes who gets all super glam. Some greek systems as a whole put more emphasis on image than others. IMO that's no different than some schools putting more emphasis on athletics than others. Think about what you want out of a school before you choose.

No, actually my school is not laid back about rush. We have formal rush in the spring, and informal rush in the fall. I rushed in the spring. It was tough, competitive, and very nerve racking. We just don't have recommendations. The only thing that gives you a headsup over other girls is if you are a legacy.

Nope, my school has 6 NPCs and three locals. One of the locals being extremely promenient and "powerful" on campus. My greek system is just as "serious" or whatnot as it is in any school. However, I think because I go to a school right on the outskirts of NYC it tends to have a different set up and system then schools in the Midwest and def. is different then the greek system of schools in the South.

Recommendations aren't a school thing, they are requirements of individual GLO's. I don't know the requirements of Phi Sigma Sigma but if there was a Gamma Phi Beta chapter at your school they would "technically" need to have recs for every girls going through recruitment. Now the difference would be how closely the GLO's rules are being followed by the chapter's on individual campuses and how much the headquarter's cares.

And since you have more than one NPC represented on your campus, recruitment would follow NPC rules for those groups.

That's very interesting. I didn't know that. Apparently then all the sororities on my campus do not require recs, because no one in my greek system mentioned recs at all nor were they ever asked for. And no we do not have a Gamma Phi Beta at our school.

However the one thing that I do find to be true is that each campus has a completely different rush tradition. In other schools with Phi Sigma Sigma chapters I've learned that the rush period is quite different. As a whole it is very similair, but each school is different in it's own little ways...