Rush

parrotthead · #1 07-24-2000, 09:47 PM

I was just wondering if anyone out there could give some helpful hints to someone who was interested in rushing and eventually pledgeing at a fraternity? I know that there are alot of posts pertaining to large schools who participate in very structured and organized rushes, do the same suggestions apply to small schools? I mean is there like something not too do or what?

-sketchball- · #2 07-25-2000, 08:18 AM

i go to a small school (about 2,000 undergrads), and i got to sort of watch last year as my guy friends went through the long, mostly informal process of fraternity rush. compared to sorority rush (which is insanely structured), fraternity rush, for the most part, takes place on a really casual basis.
at my school, the actual official "rush" parties for guys were right after christmas break. however, all of fall semester was when the guys were figuring out which house they wanted and the brothers were narrowing down which guys might get to become pledges.

if your school has winter rush, during the first few weeks of fall, everyone goes to tons of parties at tons of houses. lots of brothers will try to introduce themselves to you & they'll remember your name & face. you'll find that they'll start calling you up & asking you to come over & watch a game, eat dinner with the brothers at the house, or that they're having a party that night, or that they're doing century club, or whatever, and they'll invite you to do stuff w/ their frat. if they like you, they'll keep inviting you back to do stuff, for the rest of fall semester. so, formal rush happens in the early winter, but the decisions are basically made through getting to know people during the fall. the actual rush parties are a formality.

at my school, the guys list their preferences in order, and then the IFC gives the guys a list of which houses have invited them to the actual rush parties (which happen over 1 week in early winter), which consist of dinner at the house. the guys go to these parties, and are told whether or not to come back to that particular house's final party. if you're invited back, you probably have a bid.

it all ends with "tear night," which is when the guys formally declare which bid they accept, and there are huge parties for all the new pledges at their new houses. this is the last night of fun before pledgeship begins, however...... don't be surprised when they make you clean up the destroyed house at 8 the next morning......

[This message has been edited by -sketchball- (edited July 25, 2000).]

Corbin Dallas · #3 07-25-2000, 08:46 AM

My campus is only about 1600 undergrads, most of which are male. There are 8 fraternities, and I think about 40% of the campus is greek.

Our rush is during the first 7 weeks of school. We start out by coming over to the dorms, meeting guys, inviting them to rush events, taking them out to eat, and whatnot. There are informals, where everyone gets tours of all the houses, then a couple weeks later are first formals, where we "interview" the guy. we really just sit and talk for a little while. if you give a good impression at first formals, or at least don't give a bad one, you get invited back for second formals, where we really narrow guys down. then a week or two later is bid tuesday, where all the fraternities give out their bids, and the freshmen go in a small booth, sign the one they want, and turn it in. that evening we pick the guys up, and each fraternity has their own party of sorts, welcoming the new pledges/associates. And you don't have to clean up after our parties! The freshmen have it easy at our house. Only in house brothers have to clean the house.

Here everyone gets a first formal invite, and many return them. Then we give about 50-75 second formal invites. then we narrow it down to approx. 30 guys from there, but not all accept our bid.

It's a really laid back system. If the system at your school is like that, just be yourself, and I'm sure you'll find a house that fits you. Then, it's up to them to decide.

------------------
Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

SoCalGirl · #4 07-25-2000, 05:26 PM

Eventhough my school has 20,000 students, less than 10% are Greek. Fraternity Rush is much more laid back here than what sketchball and Corbin have described.

In the fall all the Greeks have rush. IFC and NPC have an info night on the Wednesday of first week. At the info night rushees are given an over view of Greek life on campus.

The guys are then given a pamphlet in which each fraternity has a page. The page lists when & where all their rush parties will be. The info is also posted on flyers all over campus. Rush starts the next night and rushees can go to whichever party they choose for however long they like.

The last day, usually Sunday, is Sports Day or a formal Pref dinner. (Depends on the fraternity.) It's by invite only and is where the formal invites are given.

During rush some parties are really laid back and include a BBQ and entertainment. Hypnotists at rush are not unheard of around here. While others are much more formal and have alumi in attendance.

Some fraternities will also hold a Welcome Back party during zero week so that they can check out the prospects. At these parties the girls in attendance are usually rushing the frosh guys as well. Some prospects will be singled out & given personal invites to rush.

If you know any girls who are tight with fraternity members ask them to introduce you around. There are some fraterinities at my school that require a rec by a girl as well as an alumni.

Be yourself, have fun, don't hestiate to ask questions, and be sure that your confidance shows.

Also, you can always ask the Greek Advisor questions about how rush is supposed to work at your school.

Good Luck!

parrotthead · #5 07-25-2000, 05:50 PM

socalgirl, that sounds more like it, a friend of mine who is a brother told me that I should pledge and everything, so I like looked around, talked to my mom,who was in a sorority, and to some other friends who were greek and decided that it would be cool. He basically told me, at least this is the way I understood it, that as long as I showed interest and took part in some functions, got to know the brothers, and wanted too join, that he would make sure that I got a bid, as long as I dont like make the brothers hate me or something. I was wondering what anyone thought of this? I was wondering about screwing it up, is there anything other than like common sense stuff that would make me seem like a bad prospect in a borther's eyes?

Corbin Dallas · #6 07-25-2000, 06:42 PM

NEVER say when I become a brother, or when I pledge. Say if. Don't play them up too much like you're brown-nosing. Answer their questions honestly, and just be cool. Don't try too hard.

------------------
Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

parrotthead · #7 07-25-2000, 07:18 PM

So what your saying is that enthusiasm is good, but dont over do it? When you pledged, did you pick your big brother/sister or did you have one or did they pick you or how did that work? Im just kinda wondering, if its not an appropriate question than im sorry.

Corbin Dallas · #8 07-26-2000, 08:06 AM

I'm sure this is different from chapter to chapter, but between bid tuesday and our AM program (pledge period) we gave a list of our top ten picks for a big brother. Then the Fraternity Ed. guy goes through the list, crosses out those that aren't eligible or don't want to be a big bro (which is almost never). If more than one person has a guy first, he chooses which one he wants. Then, they just go down the list.

If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it until the time comes. Unless you get in a house of utter @$$holes, you will get a big brother that you like and have something in common with. Things work better that way.

------------------
Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

parrotthead · #9 07-26-2000, 06:44 PM

Thanks alot, I cannot tell you how much you have put my mind at ease! Thanks again!

------------------

parrotthead · #10 10-19-2000, 02:30 AM

I just have a question again. At my school, the rush process is somewhat relaxed, we dont have a structured rush period nor do we have any sort of administration based greek people, so my question, I got bids from two different houses, and I know which one I want to pledge at, is there something I should or shouldnt do or say to someone from the other house? Any suggestions would be greatly apprechiated, Thanks again.

33girl · #11 10-19-2000, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by parrotthead:
I just have a question again. At my school, the rush process is somewhat relaxed, we dont have a structured rush period nor do we have any sort of administration based greek people, so my question, I got bids from two different houses, and I know which one I want to pledge at, is there something I should or shouldnt do or say to someone from the other house? Any suggestions would be greatly apprechiated, Thanks again.

Did you already accept the bid from the house you want? If so, just tell your new brothers that you were also offered a bid to another house (you don't have to say which one) and you want to know whether you have to notify the one you don't want in writing or just do nothing.

If you feel uncomfortable with that, there has to be SOMEONE in student life services who deals with Greek orgs at least nominally. They might be "student organizations coordinator" or something generic sounding like that. You should be able to find them with a phone call or 2.

[This message has been edited by 33girl (edited October 19, 2000).]

Texas Alum · #12 10-19-2000, 10:23 PM

parrotthead-
Congrats on a successful rush! I hope your fraternity experience is ten times what you hope for.

As far as the bid from the other house...

I wouldn't bother going through someone at the school -- if there were a system in place to handle your situation, you would already know about it. And, if the other house is waiting around, thinking that you might be accepting their bid eventually... that's no good. You don't want to string them along.

I would say, just call up the brother in the other house that you know the best, and thank him and tell him how much you enjoyed meeting everyone, but that you have accepted a bid from XYZ, and that you hope to see him around campus sometime. You don't have to apologize for anything, and they shouldn't do anything to make you feel weird or awkward.

Good luck! let us know how it works out.

parrotthead · #13 10-23-2000, 11:40 AM

Thank you both, we dont really have any sort of official like acceptance thing here, but a few of the brothers have asked me if I am going to pledge and Ive said yes, so Im going to say that I have already accpeted the bid, does that sound right or is there something else that i need to do? that is a good idea just to go and ask someone there! Thank you both very much for your inputs, thats kinda what I was woried about, stringing them along, because some of the guys there are pretty cool and all and I wouldnt want to piss them off or anything, Thank you both again!!