Fraternity/Sorority Selection

[Anonymous]

As someone who never participated in Greek Life (my college did not have sororities/fraternities) I am curious how students choose which ones to rush or how it works in general. Let's say a kid goes to school in the south and decides to rush for a fraternity, has no family who has ever done it and no idea which one is which, how does one select? Or do you rush and hope one selects you?

[Anonymous]

Every school is different. At mine, there were open houses and you went to them all and tried to make a good impression. On bid day, you hoped one of the ones that you liked liked you too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who never participated in Greek Life (my college did not have sororities/fraternities) I am curious how students choose which ones to rush or how it works in general. Let's say a kid goes to school in the south and decides to rush for a fraternity, has no family who has ever done it and no idea which one is which, how does one select? Or do you rush and hope one selects you?

Sororities need member dues to pay nationals and afford to keep their houses. If your husband is rich, she doesn't even have to rush-she can get a snap bid where they stalk her until she joins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who never participated in Greek Life (my college did not have sororities/fraternities) I am curious how students choose which ones to rush or how it works in general. Let's say a kid goes to school in the south and decides to rush for a fraternity, has no family who has ever done it and no idea which one is which, how does one select? Or do you rush and hope one selects you?

Sororities need member dues to pay nationals and afford to keep their houses. If your husband is rich, she doesn't even have to rush-she can get a snap bid where they stalk her until she joins.

Not necessarily true. I know wealthy girls who didn't get a bid by the house they wanted. One friend's daughter dropped out b/c she didn't a bid by coveted sorority. They are cut-throat in the south with sorority rush.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who never participated in Greek Life (my college did not have sororities/fraternities) I am curious how students choose which ones to rush or how it works in general. Let's say a kid goes to school in the south and decides to rush for a fraternity, has no family who has ever done it and no idea which one is which, how does one select? Or do you rush and hope one selects you?

Sororities need member dues to pay nationals and afford to keep their houses. If your husband is rich, she doesn't even have to rush-she can get a snap bid where they stalk her until she joins.

Clearly you were not in a sorority. This is not how it happens in general. One off it ,any happen but this is really not the case.

It totally depends on the school. A school in the South where Greek life is huge is a totally different animal than a chocolate that has Greek life but it’s not the center of student life.

[Anonymous]

As an example, I can tell you how it works at UVA (not really a "southern" school but a large and competitive greek population). They rush in the spring so first years get some time to get to know the different fraternities by attending parties etc.

When spring comes they sign up to rush formally, which happens shortly after they return from winter break. They may already have been "dirty rushed" by a particular frat or two in the fall so they probably will spend most of their time focused on those houses. It is kind of happenstance how they determine which ones to focus on, asking friends etc.

This year it was virtual for the first event, which is open house. Technically you are able to go to any and all houses that you want during open house. The next round starts the invite only part of rush. At that both, both the houses and the rushees make decisions and move forward with the ones they are interested in. It took about 2-3 weeks to go through all the different rounds and is very busy and fun apparently. On the last day, they go to their final three choices (if they have that many) and the next day is bid day.

For sororities, its much more formal and this year was almost entirely virtual. The first phase is "round robin" and you are require to attend a short meeting with each of the 15 houses. After that they start cutting (both the houses and the girls). Girls rush is about 10 days and can be quite intense and stressful - not nearly as fun and laid back as the fraternities.

The net net is that you need to make some connections in the fall for both fraternities and sororities and then those connections will help you though the rush process. Doesn't guarantee that you will get a bid from their house, but it helps, especially with the "higher tier" or more popular houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who never participated in Greek Life (my college did not have sororities/fraternities) I am curious how students choose which ones to rush or how it works in general. Let's say a kid goes to school in the south and decides to rush for a fraternity, has no family who has ever done it and no idea which one is which, how does one select? Or do you rush and hope one selects you?

Sororities need member dues to pay nationals and afford to keep their houses. If your husband is rich, she doesn't even have to rush-she can get a snap bid where they stalk her until she joins.

Clearly you were not in a sorority. This is not how it happens in general. One off it ,any happen but this is really not the case.

It totally depends on the school. A school in the South where Greek life is huge is a totally different animal than a chocolate that has Greek life but it’s not the center of student life.

Is this some kind of special "sorority dialect?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who never participated in Greek Life (my college did not have sororities/fraternities) I am curious how students choose which ones to rush or how it works in general. Let's say a kid goes to school in the south and decides to rush for a fraternity, has no family who has ever done it and no idea which one is which, how does one select? Or do you rush and hope one selects you?

Sororities need member dues to pay nationals and afford to keep their houses. If your husband is rich, she doesn't even have to rush-she can get a snap bid where they stalk her until she joins.

Not necessarily true. I know wealthy girls who didn't get a bid by the house they wanted. One friend's daughter dropped out b/c she didn't a bid by coveted sorority. They are cut-throat in the south with sorority rush.

this ^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who never participated in Greek Life (my college did not have sororities/fraternities) I am curious how students choose which ones to rush or how it works in general. Let's say a kid goes to school in the south and decides to rush for a fraternity, has no family who has ever done it and no idea which one is which, how does one select? Or do you rush and hope one selects you?

Sororities need member dues to pay nationals and afford to keep their houses. If your husband is rich, she doesn't even have to rush-she can get a snap bid where they stalk her until she joins.

Your husband?

[Anonymous]

For large Southern universities, your daughter will need a letter of recommendation from a member of each sorority. These she can get by talking to friends and colleagues of you and your family. There are also regional groups for sorority members who have graduated so she can reach out to them for a rec if she doesn’t have any connection with that particular sorority.

[Anonymous]

GET SOME SPERRY'S AND VINEYARD VINES FOR RUSH

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who never participated in Greek Life (my college did not have sororities/fraternities) I am curious how students choose which ones to rush or how it works in general. Let's say a kid goes to school in the south and decides to rush for a fraternity, has no family who has ever done it and no idea which one is which, how does one select? Or do you rush and hope one selects you?

Sororities choose members through two processes: formal recruitment and informal recruitment. During formal recruitment, potential new members (PNMs) are invited to short parties/meet and greets with each sorority. They are then invited back to some, but not all sororities. This continues in multiple rounds until the PNM is invited to the last round -- the preference round. If a PNM is invited to that round, she has a bid from that sorority. The PNM then ranks each sorority from her preference round. The sororities rank PNMs on a bid list as well. The sororities then sit down and then match the bid lists and the PNMs preference. Every PNM who attends preference round is guaranteed a bid somewhere. The PNM can accept or decline the bid. If she declines the bid, she cannot accept a bid elsewhere for one year.

In informal recruitment, the sororities are allowed to issue bids to as many members as they have space for (chapter total). They might have open house events that they advertise. They might just invite some women to visit with members. It's casual.

*******************

Fraternity recruitment is different. Individual PNMs attend recruitment events at different houses and are extended bids. They can attend events at as many or as few fraternities as they like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who never participated in Greek Life (my college did not have sororities/fraternities) I am curious how students choose which ones to rush or how it works in general. Let's say a kid goes to school in the south and decides to rush for a fraternity, has no family who has ever done it and no idea which one is which, how does one select? Or do you rush and hope one selects you?

Sororities need member dues to pay nationals and afford to keep their houses. If your husband is rich, she doesn't even have to rush-she can get a snap bid where they stalk her until she joins.

Your husband?

Sororities ask "What does your daddy do? Seemingly unimpressed with how successful one's mother is. OP didn't ask about "coveted" in which case one needs more than a rich daddies and other posters are right about SEC schools being competitive. However, they are COMPLETE liars by saying I wasn't in a sorority and that I made up the term "snap bid". At UVa there was a pretty blond who got callbacks from every sorority but rejected from all upon financial revelation.

[Anonymous]

The boys have it easy. Very laid back recruitment. Girls are a whole different world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who never participated in Greek Life (my college did not have sororities/fraternities) I am curious how students choose which ones to rush or how it works in general. Let's say a kid goes to school in the south and decides to rush for a fraternity, has no family who has ever done it and no idea which one is which, how does one select? Or do you rush and hope one selects you?

Sororities need member dues to pay nationals and afford to keep their houses. If your husband is rich, she doesn't even have to rush-she can get a snap bid where they stalk her until she joins.

Your husband?

Sororities ask "What does your daddy do? Seemingly unimpressed with how successful one's mother is. OP didn't ask about "coveted" in which case one needs more than a rich daddies and other posters are right about SEC schools being competitive. However, they are COMPLETE liars by saying I wasn't in a sorority and that I made up the term "snap bid". At UVa there was a pretty blond who got callbacks from every sorority but rejected from all upon financial revelation.

I went to U of Texas where rush is very cut throat. Yes, “snap bid” was a thing but it was something lower tiered sororities did. To get into one of the better sororities, you have to have graduated from one of the right high schools, gone to one of the right summer camps or otherwise have some strong connection. Just having a rich dad does nothing for you. Many, many girls have rich families. And the decent sororities have no issue paying their national dues. This isn’t even a consideration.