Rush Q&A

How does rush week work at your school?

The PNMs (Potential New Members) wake up and get ready early for our morning meetings where we would get our schedules for the day. The first two days were simply open house in which we were in groups with about six Rho Gammas (members of a sorority that had temporarily disaffiliated from their chapter) that led us from house to house. Then at the end of the second day, each PNM selected 9 houses that she'd like to return to during the next round, which was philanthropy day. The next day, each PNM received a schedule to visit up to 9 chapters. After that day, each PNM would select up to 6 chapters to return to for skit day. A PNM would visit up to 6 chapters the next day and at the end of the day would rank up to 3 houses to visit during preference round. At the end of preference round, each PNM would rank the houses that she went to during preference round in order of which she'd like most to receive a bid from to the least. The next day, each remaining PNM would meet in the ballroom where each chapter had a table set up with Bid Day t-shirts. Each PNM was handed her Bid Card in a manila envelope which she had to sit on until everyone was told to open it. Then, once each PNM was allowed to open her Bid Card, she ran to the table that her new sisters were at, picked up a Bid Day shirt, and then ran outside to the Commons to meet the rest of her new sisters.

What was the most surprising part of rush to you?

The most surprising (and overwhelming) part of rush were all of the songs that the chapters sang as we walked in and out of the houses. They would be right in our faces scream-singing at the top of their lungs and then when the song stopped and each PNM walking in had been picked up, they would kneel on pillows in front of their PNM and talk to them. Each chapter room was crowded and incredibly loud. I don't know what I had been expecting, but it definitely wasn't that!! I was definitely taken by surprise when the doors to the first house opened!

What did you do to prepare before rush week?

Nothing. I'm the first in my family to go Greek and only a few of my friends are sisters in sororities, so I didn't know how to prepare before I went through recruitment. I bought a couple new dresses and shoes and hoped for the best!

Tell us a little about your sorority rush wardrobe essentials!

Definitely need at least one pair of super cute heels. Classy dresses are a must; I'm definitely a cute but conservative type of girl when it comes to my style. And if you're me, you wear your cowboy boots on Skit Day and just like each chapter member in the skits, you show off a little of your own personality. That's the biggest part of choosing a recruitment week wardrobe: making sure you're comfortable and that you are able to show your personality through your style choices.