what to wear during Umd rush

[umdpnm]

Hey I'm rushing in the Spring at the University of Maryland and was just wondering if anyone has gone through it and if so what to wear...
I already got a pref dress (its a really cute lbd) but I'm not sure what to wear for the first two, more casual, days.
Thanks =)

[BetteDavisEyes]

Paging violetpretty!

She went to UMD not too long ago and still has many contacts there. She can direct you accurately.

Good-luck!

[lindz0722]

I also went to UMD and graduated recently, so here's my input.
There's always a lot of variety in what people are wearing, and as long as you put yourself together well, you don't really need to worry about being in the "wrong outfit".

For round 1 (ballroom), jeans are fine. I've seen girls in everything from Juicy sweatsuits to casual dresses, but most people are in a nice pair of jeans and a cute top.

Round 2 (philanthropy/house tours), a nice pair of pants or a casual skirt. Plenty of girls are still in jeans here too. You will be doing the most walking in this round, both between houses and inside...something to keep in mind when choosing shoes!

Round 3 (skits), again, nice pants or a cute dress or a skirt is good. I believe at some houses you'll sit on the floor during the skit, so you might want to keep that in mind when thinking about skirt length.

For pref, you're good to go with your LBD. Keep in mind that many sororities wear black for preference also, so you might want to wear a fun pair of shoes or jewelry to stand out a little.



Hope that was helpful! Violetpretty will be able to give a great second opinion here.

[violetpretty]

Lindz is right in that there's a lot of variety, but here are my suggestions:

Round 1: Nice jeans or khakis and a nice top/sweater/button-down. A casual dress works too. I know I have seen Juicy sweatsuits, but I wouldn't recommend that. Some chapters might think that is too casual. Basically, think, something you'd wear to class when you want to look nice and polished but not turn heads for being overdressed. Flats, boots, low heels.

Round 2: Nice jeans or dress pants or a casual skirt/dress. Almost anything goes this round. Either the "snappy casual" of round 1, "business causal" of round 3 or somewhere in between. You will be seeing up to 5 chapters per night, with a lot of walking, so keep this in mind when choosing your shoes. Nice boots or cute flats are good, and if you do bring heels, I'd bring a tote that you can stash comfy shoes in for when you walk around.

Round 3: Casual dresses, skirts, dress pants, etc. Some PNMs do wear nice jeans this round, but they are in the minority. I'd say this is business casual, but you can go a little trendier than "business" if you like, just nothing too revealing. You'll be seeing up to 6 chapters in one night, so be mindful of your choice in shoes. And as Lindz mentioned, you may be sitting on the floor for some skits, so make sure your skirt isn't too short if you decide to wear a skirt.

Pref: Cocktail dresses. I have seen some PNMs wear very dressy satin pants with heels and that works too. Basically, what you'd wear as a guest to a wedding or a tiny step down. Do not wear a prom dress. You're set with your little black dress (and if you get a bid, you might be able to wear it for the next few years, as many chapters do wear black).

In general, err on the side of conservative. You're talking to girls, not boys. Trendy isn't necessarily bad, but classic always works.

Good luck!

[jerseyterp19]

i am a sophomore at maryland getting ready to rush in the spring, could you tell me how many days each round is?
i know tours is three days...but how many are philanthropy, skit, and i know pref isone day.
Also, are recommendations even considered at UMD?

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by jerseyterp19

i am a sophomore at maryland getting ready to rush in the spring, could you tell me how many days each round is?
i know tours is three days...but how many are philanthropy, skit, and i know pref isone day.
Also, are recommendations even considered at UMD?

Philanthropy will be 2 days, and you will see up to 5 chapters each day. Skit is one day, and you will see up to 6 chapters.

Recs...if you know alumnae personally, ask them to write you a rec. Otherwise, I wouldn't waste time trying to hunt random alumnae down only to result in totally generic recs. It won't make you if you have them and definitely will not break you if you don't. I don't even think most Greeks at UMD know what a rec is.

[PKTKKG]

My advice to girls I knew going through was to look at the guidance from greek life or people familiar with that campus. If greek life has pictures of suggestions, go with the dressier of the suggesions for that day to make sure you are not under dressed.

[umdpnm]

thanks for the suggestions violetpretty and lindz0722! I'll definitely keep everyone updated as I go through the process (and who knows maybe I'll end up a DG or Sigkap) =)

[greeneyedZTA]

usually I just lurk on GC, but since I'm currently at UMD I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents! you absolutely do NOT need recs - I didn't even know what that meant until my biological sister rushed in the south. I will second the advice to wear cute flats or bring comfy shoes to wear in between parties. Dress warmly but avoid bulky jackets!

[ZetaGirl22]

OMG you guys, this seriously has me LOLing! I can't BELIEVE how much has changed since I went through recruitment 10 years ago. OMG has it really been 10 years? When I went through, there was ZERO variety in dress. Like ZERO. And if you showed up to Philanthropy day in jeans.................God have mercy on your soul. Everyone even seemed to be wearing the EXACT SAME JACKET..........LOL. And Tours were at the houses, and it was 2 days. Man, I should really type up my retro story, but I will wait until recruitment is over. Even though its 10 years old, I don't want to undully influence anyone

[DoodleK'Noodle]

I'm going through recruitment at a southern/midatlantic school and I am confused about what to wear too! But the advice here seems to apply to my school too! Thanks for the help ladies!

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by ZetaGirl22

OMG you guys, this seriously has me LOLing! I can't BELIEVE how much has changed since I went through recruitment 10 years ago. OMG has it really been 10 years? When I went through, there was ZERO variety in dress. Like ZERO. And if you showed up to Philanthropy day in jeans.................God have mercy on your soul. Everyone even seemed to be wearing the EXACT SAME JACKET..........LOL. And Tours were at the houses, and it was 2 days. Man, I should really type up my retro story, but I will wait until recruitment is over. Even though its 10 years old, I don't want to undully influence anyone

I think it's changed in the last 5 years since I went through in Spring 2004. It seemed like jeans (nice ones) for round 2 were getting more common every year. I just remember the sea of pea coats and my first awareness of Vera Bradley when I went through.

Originally Posted by DoodleK'Noodle

I'm going through recruitment at a southern/midatlantic school and I am confused about what to wear too! But the advice here seems to apply to my school too! Thanks for the help ladies!

Ehhhh maybe. If you go where I think you go, I think your school is a little dressier/preppier than UMD. I think you're already in touch with an alum on GC via PM though.

[jerseyterp19]

on the topic of ugg boots...a do or dont for first round?

[greeneyedZTA]

Originally Posted by jerseyterp19

on the topic of ugg boots...a do or dont for first round?

My first instinct is to avoid Uggs. I personally love them, but go for a more sophisticated look over comfort. If you're comfortable in heels wear them, but a classy pair of flats will be your best bet.

[JaimeNicole]

Another UMCP alum here! I'm pretty sure panhel still distributes a brochure to all PNMs with specific outfit instructions in it.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!