Why in the world should a lady be expected to join a house she didn't want to?

[GammaPhiBabe]

She should be able to do so without the hassle of people lecturing her about how she should keep an open mind about a group she truly dislikes.

The problem with this is that so many PNM's hear rumors and stories about different organizations that they may make up their minds that they "truly dislike" an organization without really knowing anything about it.
Without having been through a big formal recruitment yourself, I'm sure it it is hard for you to imagine what it would be like to be in a new place, knowing almost no one, and having to rely on first impressions and "tent talk" to make an important decision. I don't think that anyone should be forced to stay in a chapter where she truly doesn't fit in... but the truth is that most PNMs don't actually know whether or not they'll fit in until long after rush is over.

I think that, at many schools, the majority of soroity chapters are, in fact, very similar. They all have similar social events, similar houses, similar traditions. Sure, some of them are more sought-after and some of them have lower numbers. But I think that you get out of a sorority what you put into it, and if you are willing to be open-minded and give it a shot, even if you are disappointed, you will end up being satisfied with your experience. And, if not, there is always the possibility of going through rush or COB the following year with a more informed outlook.