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Molly,
I hear ya. Although this isn't practiced as much now, back in the seventies and eighties it was standard practice to constantly tell the rushees that all girls could be happy in any of the sororities. I knew that with one sorority at our campus being new and 2 being what you'd call "very troubled", that wouldn't go over with the rushees.
Sure enough, my boss had an emergency Caesarean the day before rush and the night the girls signed bids... she called and made me tell everyone in the auditorium that they should list all their choices because "everyone could be happy anywhere". I knew better; I'd been in the room when the girls got their invitations back and having had to comfort dozens of hysterical girls, it was obvious that it wasn't true. The rushes obviously wanted to stone me as I dutifully spouted my prepared speech.
I know we all need to encourage rushees to widen their sights as much as possible and not go into rush with their sights set on 1, 2, or 3 sororities. Heaven knows I've been trying to do that on GC. But...a woman knows what her limits are, especially after a week of parties so you need to follow your heart!
I do want to caution rushees at big Southern universities, though: your formal rush as a freshman may (note the MAY) be your only chance at going Greek or at least joining a sorority that may not be your first choice but you can get along with. All of us from those type schools have seen girls who were displeased with their returns and dropped out early, hoping to get a bid in open rush or try it again next year. Ladies, your choices will almost never get wider your sophomore or junior year, since at the big, picky schools, the preference is almost always for freshmen. I know very few women who scored their "dream" sorority the next year and all of those had managed to get highly involved in competitive activities that the sororities wanted members in. Furthermore, the selective sororities rarely have openings during the year.
I'm not trying to be a party pooper but I want PNMs to look at rush realistically! And all you sorority members from Northern schools, thank your lucky stars!
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