I went to U of A.
I joined my chapter at U of A.
My chapter is the one that is no longer there.
My best peice of advice, especially for U of A rush is, DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER!!!!!
A lot of PNM's just look at the outside of the houses and make a decision based on what the house looks like. The house is where you might live, it isn't your sisters.
Every single chapter down there has a completely different looking house. Yes, some of the chapters have newer houses, but newer doesn't necessarily mean better. I personally think every sorority house down there is absolutely beautiful.
I get that first appearances are important (to the point that when my chapter recolonizes we have talked about the outside of the house), but they SHOULDN'T be the "be all, end all" of whether you join a chapter or not.
And as for "rumors" about chapters. Rumors ran rampant when I was there in 1998. Join a chapter because you like the sisters, don't listen to the rumors because that's just what they are rumors. Don't get bogged down with them.
All the chapters down there are amazing. I had friends go A-Phi, Chi-O, A-Chi-O. My roommate was a DG. My suitemate was a SK. The girls who lived next door were KKG. I met wonderful Gamma Phi's and Pi Phi's. The Theta's were sweet too.
We always tell PNM's to go in with an open mind, it is so important to do that!
And as for what to wear, I'm pretty sure once you are officially registered for rush, you will get a packet detailing the days and what to wear.
As for letters of rec./profiles, those are always nice to have. If you have family members who are greek or friends, see if they would be willing to do a profile for you. Profiles give the chapter an idea of who you are. What you are into. What you did in HS/college (if a transfer). Plus, most profiles ask for a picture, so they would have an idea of what you look like.
Have a wonderful time.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to PM me