Funky-colored hair: Bad idea for rush?

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

Don't dye your hair an unnatural color if you want a bid from a top tier sorority. No offense but it comes off as kind of trashy when someone has a weird haircolor.

Some people don't care if the chapter is "top tier". Read the recruitment stories on the forum. Many, if not most PNMs want a place where they feel comfortable. If she was to pledge a "top tier" that does not mesh with her personality, then changes her hair color, would she want the girls to reject her just because of the hair color?

I'm sure if she wanted the, so to speak, "top tier", she wouldn't consider asking the question.

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

Some people don't care if the chapter is "top tier". Read the recruitment stories on the forum. Many, if not most PNMs want a place where they feel comfortable. If she was to pledge a "top tier" that does not mesh with her personality, then changes her hair color, would she want the girls to reject her just because of the hair color?

I'm sure if she wanted the, so to speak, "top tier", she wouldn't consider asking the question.

Well I doubt that she wants to be in a crappy sorority when she can be in a good one where she'll feel comfortable. She will be disabling herself from having a chance to be in about half of the sororities, one of which may be the best fit for her. If she felt really strongly about having the weird haircolor and really wanted to keep it then I doubt she would even consider getting rid of it.

[sasquatch]

I've been lurking for awhile, but I really felt the need to voice my opinion on this subject. I am a guy and although I do not understand all the details of sorority rush, I know most of the ins and outs, at least on my campus.

This is all subjective and can vary from campus to campus. But, as a general rule, you should treat rush exactly like a job interview. If you go into an interview at a big time law firm (or anywhere outside the performing arts, etc) with purple hair, you are NOT going to get the job, no matter how qualified you may be. Rush is the same way, at least at moderately to extremely competitive campuses. Purple hair looks bad, and it makes the organization look bad, whether that is a law firm or a sorority or anything else. If you don't get the hypothetical job, you're not going to say, "well if they're gonna judge me on my hair, maybe the firm wasn't the right fit anyways".

Also, I think another dimension to this issue may be how girls view rush. I go to a very competitive school in the SEC (let's not turn this into another South vs North thing, though) and about 90% of girls who plan on rushing want to pledge one of the big 4 (the top sororities on campus), even after rush starts. It seems like at smaller schools or school that aren't as competitive rush is more about "finding the right fit". The truth is...sororities are big enough here to where girls will find their niche group within any sorority they may pledge so "finding the right fit" becomes a moot point. I can see how purple hair may not be such a problem at a school where a girl's main goal is to find the sorority that best fits her.

I'm trying to put my thoughts into words, but it's been a long day and I'm having a hard time doing so, but hopefully what I wrote makes sense.

[SuperblySigma]

I go to school in the south, but Greek Life on my campus is not as conservative nor as selective as many southern schools. I'm not sure how relevant my answer is for someone at SU. However, on my campus, it would be possible for the right woman to get a bid, even with "crazy" hair or piercings. In fact, my big sister dyed her hair purple right before formal recruitment! On the other hand, this is no guarantee--recruitment is NEVER guaranteed--and I personally try to err on the side of the conservative.

i would not go completely purple maybe get some purple streaks or something

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by cuserushgirl

Hey everyone!

I'm a sophomore at Syracuse University, and I'm signed up to participate in next semster's formal recruitment.

I'm planning to get my hair dyed this week. I have a funky/unique taste in styling my hair, and I'm hoping to dye my hair purple and black. Mind you, I'm going to a professional place to get this tastefully done, and I'm not going to look like a 12-year-old My Chemical Romance fan who shops at Hot Topic.

Ideally, my appearance shouldn't affect my admission into a sorority- but will it? Will some houses not want a "weird" looking girl in their house? How does *your* sorority look upon girls with alternative looking styles?

I want some opinions, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

In my opinion, don't do anything before rush you wouldn't do any other time of year. If it's something you're likely to do at any time - you're trendy, or impulsive, or whatever - do it.

Any rush instructions that start with anything other than "Be Yourself" are suspect.

[PhoenixAzul]

Heh, I'm not exactly the best person to ask about this...my hair was RED (not necessarily primary color red, but very visible, very red natural) during recruitment and during my active years. It's only recently grown out because I can't spare the funds to buy dye at the moment. And I work in art. And I have a proclivity for punk rock (and a distaste of hot topic).

Again, I think it boils down to two factors, campus culture and your desired sisterhood. At my alma mater, we're ridiculously laid back (sometimes to our detriment) about recruitment, and girls with crazy hair, piercings, tattoos and weird socks get bids, as do girls with Betsy Johnson and Lilly what'sherface clothes, sometimes in the same chapter! My own personal feeling is that I'd be extremely uncomfortable with a sorority that didn't take me as I was or that couldn't see my underlying potential. If the exterior is a reason to write off the interior...then I don't want any part of that.

I know, I know, presentation is important, but it isn't everything. If a PNM is intelligent, creative, and fits the ideals of my chapter but doesn't have a natural hair color, hell yes I'd vote for her. A girl that looks put together but has the personality of road apples? nope, no thanks. Ultimately, you end up covered in modge podge, sleep deprived, and desperately trying to start a fire with wet kindling with these girls. In these situations, I'd rather be comfortable in my self, rather than in my appearance.

That all being said, the above posters have spoke the truth. It may hurt your recruitment results. If you're ok with that, then great, on with the dye. If you're not ok with that, then reconsider.

[beebadger]

I'd like to say that your hair doesn't matter, but let's face it -- first impressions are huge. Unfortunately, some people won't be able to see beyond that. If your hair isn't an unusual color right now, why not wait until rush is over and then decide what to do with your hair?

[GammaPhi88]

I am in a sorority at Syracuse. While blue hair might make you stand out, it might not do so in a positive way.

[AOE2AlphaPhi]

At my chapter I can't imagine it hurting your chance of getting a bid. At my school there are girls with unnatural haircolors in 2 of the other 3 sororities, so presumably they wouldn't care either. If it looks classy, or at least more so than not, it should be fine, so long as you don't have a negative attitude, or go into recruitment expecting to be cut because of it. The way you present yourself as a person matters a lot more than things like haircolor.

[sjsoffer]

This isn't necessarily about hair, but when I went through rush in the fall, I was cut from at least one sorority because I have a lip ring. The sorority I know I was cut from for that reason was the one with 10+ of my friends, one of which cried when they cut me after the first day. The chapter advisor wouldn't let them take on any girls with facial piercings or oddly colored hair.
I did find a sorority who accepted me for who I am, which is great! It really hurt to have a 3.75 GPA, been a member/leader in 7 clubs in High school, and graduated early, but still not being "good enough" because of a lip ring. Oh well. The girls in that sorority and I are still great friends, so it all worked out.

[twinkle555]

Originally Posted by sjsoffer

This isn't necessarily about hair, but when I went through rush in the fall, I was cut from at least one sorority because I have a lip ring. The sorority I know I was cut from for that reason was the one with 10+ of my friends, one of which cried when they cut me after the first day. The chapter advisor wouldn't let them take on any girls with facial piercings or oddly colored hair.
I did find a sorority who accepted me for who I am, which is great! It really hurt to have a 3.75 GPA, been a member/leader in 7 clubs in High school, and graduated early, but still not being "good enough" because of a lip ring. Oh well. The girls in that sorority and I are still great friends, so it all worked out.

how do you know that? Member selection is among members, not advisors...they are there for well..advising...not picking who shouldnt be selected..

[sjsoffer]

Originally Posted by twinkle555

how do you know that? Member selection is among members, not advisors...they are there for well..advising...not picking who shouldnt be selected..

Several girls told me that was why, independently of each other. They said the advisor also made an active of that chapter dye her hair back after she'd put pink streaks in it.

[twinkle555]

Originally Posted by sjsoffer

Several girls told me that was why, independently of each other. They said the advisor also made an active of that chapter dye her hair back after she'd put pink streaks in it.

Hmm that is quite unfortunate.. that advisor shouldnt be getting so involved like that honestly.

Also, you might want to let your sorority friends know that they can get into trouble talking about member selection to a non member...

[princessjv]

Now I got to a uni up in Canada so what I'm saying most likely won't apply to your school, but at my university there are girls in chapters with strange[ish] hair colours...one of my sisters has pink streaks in her really dark brown hair and there are girls in my chapter(and others) with tattoos and peircings. But for the most part, even on our campus that has a small greek life, sorority members are rather on the conservative side of appearance (most of the tattoos are in places that can be hidden, and the coloured hair isn't too extreme)


The only advice I can give is to assess what sorority members are like at your school; conservative? more-laid back when it comes to trendy/funky hair/clothing? and then go from there, but never change who you are as a person. A hair colour shouldn't define you or your personality, you can still communicate your style without having abnormal hair....you could also try having really dark brown/black hair and getting the purple put in after recruitment, then it isn't changing your hair up too much if you do recieve a bid and wouldn't jeapordize your recruitment either.