"I'm rushing 'for' a certain chapter"

[carnation]

What is with all these girls lately who say they're "rushing for" a certain chapter"? I see it all over Facebook and PNMs even tell me that in person. Most whom I personally know haven't even met the members, they just like the webpage or the rumors or the colors.

Folks, that's not how NPC sorority recruitment works. Even if you do know some of the members of a certain group, nobody can guarantee that you'll get a bid; they know a lot of other girls too. The way it works at competitive schools is that you go to the parties and it's pretty much in the hands of the members from there on out, even if you're a legacy.

Also, if members see you announcing on FB that you will only accept bids from Awesome Alpha or Bodacious Beta, you are likely dead in the water. Please take notice!

[SWTXBelle]

TESTIFY!

[thetalady]

and oh, what long memories we have....

[adpiucf]

Originally Posted by carnation

What is with all these girls lately who say they're "rushing for" a certain chapter"? I see it all over Facebook and PNMs even tell me that in person. Most whom I personally know haven't even met the members, they just like the webpage or the rumors or the colors.

I've known lots of PNMs like this. The difference is that they have a louder method to broadcast than PNMs 20+ years ago. Yay social media, killer of dreams and permanent record of stupidity.

[pinapple]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

Yay social media, killer of dreams and permanent record of stupidity.

Best quote ever.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

What I don't understand is lack of discretion in general. Like, if I am interviewing for a new job, I don't go running around telling everyone that I am going to work for whatevercorp, or if I go out with a new guy once, I don't post his name everywhere. I know we talk about how many PNM's are top students, cheerleaders, pageant queens, whatever, but surly they have, at some point in their life, not gotten something they wanted.

[IndianaSigKap]

i think part of it is simply not knowing how recruitment works. There are many PNMs who are totally clueless and have no idea what goes on. Some of them legitimately think they have to choose one in the beginning.

[TriDeltaSallie]

I'll give them a pass for wanting to join a group based on the colors. At least it's not based on gossip.

[atrianglepi]

I remember a few years back when my oldest was going through recruitment and she joined a FB group for girls interested in Recruitment. First mistake was the Admin didn't make it private and current members joined to scope out the PNM's. Second mistake, many girls posted " I'm rushing XYZ or PDQ only.

I have also had several requests for Recs where the girl says, " I'm only interested in the atrianglepis." Big, Big mistake, Huge!

[KillarneyRose]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

Yay social media, killer of dreams and permanent record of stupidity.

So so true!

[WCsweet<3]

I often wonder if the PNMs who do this are from a large sorority population or a small population. A large one where many people go greek and have opinions from that or small where they know nothing except the things the lone ABC in the community has said about groups.

I only really knew two members of NPC sororities and had little opinions about the others since they didn't say anything about other groups. On the other hand, if they had said "oh DEF is awful" I probably would have listened as I had no clue before GC.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

Not to excuse any of this behavior, but most PNMs just survived college admissions, where it is A-OK to declare a favorite publicly. In fact, for the best odds, you are supposed to commit yourself "early decision" to Whassamatta U. It's normal to spend senior year discussing first choices, safeties, etc., and for the most part, kids don't get rejected at Auburn because Auburn found out that the real first choice was UGA. Maybe they are generalizing from that.

Then they are stupid.

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

Not to excuse any of this behavior, but most PNMs just survived college admissions, where it is A-OK to declare a favorite publicly. In fact, for the best odds, you are supposed to commit yourself "early decision" to Whassamatta U. It's normal to spend senior year discussing first choices, safeties, etc., and for the most part, kids don't get rejected at Auburn because Auburn found out that the real first choice was UGA. Maybe they are generalizing from that.

But Kids DO get rejected if they have all over Facebook their first choice was UGA and they end up at Auburn (just not by the admissions office...)

[clemsongirl]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

Not to excuse any of this behavior, but most PNMs just survived college admissions, where it is A-OK to declare a favorite publicly. In fact, for the best odds, you are supposed to commit yourself "early decision" to Whassamatta U. It's normal to spend senior year discussing first choices, safeties, etc., and for the most part, kids don't get rejected at Auburn because Auburn found out that the real first choice was UGA. Maybe they are generalizing from that.

I actually remember an admissions officer at I think U of Delaware telling us that it's okay to reuse a college application essay as long as you make sure to change the name of the school you write in at the bottom so it doesn't get sent in to Delaware with the ending "...and that's why I want to go to the University of Maryland." As someone who was applying to both of those schools at the time that stuck with me.

I think misinformation is actually a big part of the "rushing for" mentality that people are seeing. I know the Clemson Panhellenic FAQ doesn't address how rush actually works beyond a perfunctory explanation of conversing with sisters. If I was a hypothetical PNM entering school with no friends or family in Greek Life I could easily see why it wouldn't be a big deal to post which group you want to join online. The power imbalance that exists in formal recruitment-PNMs rank, but chapters are the only ones who can cut-isn't really highlighted either, which leaves girls thinking they have a lot more say in which groups they return to than they do.

In sum, I apologize for my cohort of teenage girls broadcasting their most likely misinformed opinions to the world for everyone to read and remember come recruitment, but keep in mind that we do not always make the best decisions at this age.

[KSUViolet06]

Sidenote: if you want a good laugh (or to just be mortified at how ill-informed PNMs are) Twitter search "sorority rush" or "sorority recruitment" during recruitment season.