Rush week and final bid(s)
 

I would like to know something about rush week that's not covered in literature provided by the university I'll probably be attending. Since I won't be going through rush until Fall 2009, at this point I'm simply very curious.

Set I: PNMs visit first half of all sorority chapters.
Set II: PNMs visit remaining chapters.
Set III: PNMs visit up to 5 of the chapters.
Set IV: Preference Night, visit up to 3 chapters (final night where you select the sorority that's right for you).
Next date is Bid day.

By the time we state our preference do we usually have a fairly good idea that we might get a bid based on conversations during final sets? Do you state a preference for more than one chapter or does this difference by campus? Thanks.

Most women have a very good idea of where they think they fit after preference (set IV). A handful will spend hours with their Rho Gammas trying to decide.

If you attend 3 chapters for preference, for example, you may rank and will likely be encouraged to rank all 3 in the order you prefer. Some schools will guarantee a bid to a woman who maximizes her choices throughout recruitment, including ranking all of her preference chapters.

You might decide that you'd be a terrible fit at one or two of your preference party chapters. You can opt to only rank 2 or 1 of your preference party chapters, as you see fit. It can reduce your chances of getting a bid, but if you really wouldn't accept a bid from a chapter, you shouldn't rank it.

Having just gone through what you're considering going through I was happy to see that I might be able to help someone who might be in my position.

Our greek week is very similar to what you're describing though it went more like:

I. Visit all the chapters out of 5 (general information session)-pef your top 4 and they pref you.
II. Visit the top 4, if you got asked back to them (philanthropy info session)- pref your top 3
III. Go to your top 3, if you got asked back- pref two in order of what you want (or just put one), next day is Bid Day

I had a job interview the first night so I had to do an accelerated schedule on day II to see all 5 sororities. Then I was forced to narrow it down to 3 (that really sucked). I remember that day I was positive of who I wanted. I had gone to Pi Phi but the girl who I talked to really was not much of a conversationalist, and even though my advisor/friend was a Pi Phi who wrote a letter of recomendation for me, I did not feel the connection. So I prefed the other sorority first and put Pi Phi third. I'm glad I kept them on my list.

The next day I did not get asked back to the one I thought I had made such a strong connection with. I was devestated, but decided to visit Pi Phi again. They totally turned me around. I loved hanging out with them and remembered thinking over and over to myself "this is so much fun" and "I could totally see myself being friends with these girls."

Being overly involved, I spent a good deal of time with my Rho Chi talking over whether I should bid. I did not want to commit and have to back out but when it came down to it, my Rho Co helped me realize that I loved the organization, what greek life can give you, and the girls I had met. So utilize your Rho Chi if you aren't 100% sure because they've been trained to help you make a decision one way or another.

Another tip I can give you is one my advisor gave me. Write up a list of pros and cons for joining a sorority. Look over that list as you go through recruitment as sometimes you can get caught up in the moment and forget why you have decided to become apart of Greek Life. It helped me a lot in decided to become a Pi Phi and made me proud to know I had made an educated decision and not one made just "caught up in the moment."

I hope this helps! :)

at the end of each round, you will decide which sororities you want to return to and the sororities will be deciding who they want to invite back. those lists will be cross-referenced and your party schedule for the next day will be created.

some girls will have a full schedule of parties, having been invited back to the maximum # of parties. other girls will not have a full schedule, so panhellenic might figure in some breaks for them-for instance, a girl might have been invited back to 2 sororities, when the maximum was 3. she goes to the first party, then has a break and goes to a designated area to relax, then attends her last party . after the last party, all the pnms will meet up with their recruitment counselors and again make the decision which sororities they would like to return to for the next round and the sororities will be doing the same.

It really is an amazing system and I give credit to those behind the scenes that make it happen!