Be sure to give each and every house equal attention (I know it is hard, especially towards the end when all you want is a coffee and your bed). While your first day at house XYZ you might be paired with a novice rusher or someone you don't necessarily gel with, it could turn out to be the place you want to be...but that first impression is important and can help you on your way. Don't give them any reason to forget about you. When it comes time for the chapter to make lists, you want your rusher to say "Yes she was very attentive and polite and she asked great questions." You don't want her to say..."hmm...I can't really remember what she said" or "She didn't look at me while I was talking."
There's the chance you might get a rusher (or be double rushed with another PNM) who won't let you get a word in edgewise. In that instance, make sure you make eye contact and nod so that they see that you've not drifted off. Do try to get a word in edgewise...even something as simple as "Oh wow, that sounds really fun, can you tell me a bit more about _________" or inject something like "Yeah I worked with (PHILANTHROPY HERE) last summer as a fundraiser, it is a really great cause. Can you tell me some more about your last philanthropy project?" Open ended questions allow for a little more personality to be shown, which gives the sorority a better idea of who you are, and gives you a better idea of who they are.
Don't think about the cuts, don't think about tiers, don't think about outfits...try to be in the moment as much as you can. You are an honored guest at the house of a new acquaintance. In "normal" life, you'd never go into someones home and trash their choice of decor or the hostesses outfit or ignore the hostess. Remember that these ladies have pledged their life to their organization, and no matter how bad of a fit it would be for you, it is very near and dear to their hearts, and a modicum of respect for that goes a long way. And it may also be a favorite of the other PNMs in your group, so be mindful of how you talk about houses you may not be feeling. There's thousands of rush stories on here where girls listened to the negative tent talk of other PNMs and were swayed from a chapter that could have been brilliant for them. Not saying you have to shoot rainbows, but deflecting the question from a negative to a positive..."What do you think about XYZ?" If you had a horrible time and were just not feeling it..."Their chant was really catchy." or "Their philanthropy project is awesome" or any one of a number of other things. Or you could use the "Bean Dip" excuse...someone asks a horribly uncomfortable question to you at a party that you'd rather not answer, just got "Oh look! Bean dip!" and scurry away.
Or you could just say, "I haven't really formed an opinion yet, and I don't want to influence anyone, but all of the chapters have great members!".
Good luck, smile, be polite, put your best foot forward. This is meant to be FUN.
Hybrid Mode
