Overwhelmed by sorority recruitment? I get it! I'm a current SEC sorority girl here to give you all of the tips and advice on sorority recruitment that I looked for and could never find. Sorority recruitment can be overwhelming with all of the questions and unknown that surrond it so i hope I can answer just a few of them with these 12+ Things To Know Before Rushing A Sorority!
Hey, y'all! My name is Isabella, and I’m a college student learning how to navigate adulthood right alongside you!! Today, I will give you a comprehensive list of things that you need to known and do before going through sorority recruitment!
1. Research the cost of dues at your school
Sorority dues can get pretty pricey, ranging anywhere from $300 to $4,000 per semester. Dues depend entirely on which school you are rushing at.
Look up the name of your university, followed by "sorority dues," and you should be able to find some kind of information on it. If not, I recommend finding a phone number for Panhellenic at your school (this is the organization that oversees all of the sororities on campus) and asking for information on the dues.
2. Rush may feel unnatural
Sorority recruitment is somewhat of an unnatural process. It consists of multiple rounds of timed conversation with different members in different houses within a few hours each day. Some of the conversations may feel forced, you may hate some of the houses you go into, and you will probably be absolutely exhausted at the end of each day.
BUT truly, it is all part of the process, and so I say this just to let you know that it may feel awkward or unnatural, and that's ok! You are not the only one feeling that way. Trust the process!
3. Rush can feel overwhelming & draining
The conversations will often be a repetition of conversations you have had in other houses, which can be draining to have to have over and over again.
Additionally, it is LOUD in these houses. Wow, I wish someone had prepared me for this. Since so many Potential New Members (PNMs) and Active Members are all talking in one room, that room can quickly get very loud. So it can be overwhelming and draining to have to strain to hear each other during the parties.
I tell you this just so you know what it will be like, but not to scare you, while all of these things are true, I absolutely cannot imagine my life without my sorority; it gave me amazing friendships.
4. Know why you want to join a sorority
During the parties in sorority recruitment, they will often ask you, "Why do you want to be a part of a sorority?" So it is best to go ahead and think about what your answer to this question would be. For example, mine was, "To find genuine friendships who are there for me through the highs and the lows, who push me to be better, who tell me the cold, hard truth, and who encourage me to be more like Jesus."
For a full list of questions sorority girls will ask, check out 20+ Common Questions Sororities Will Ask During Rush.
Soriryt recruitment is not for everyone, and that's ok! Be sure you know why you are rushing, and make sure you don't rush just to appease your mom or family member.
5. it is possible to be completely dropped by every chapter
It is so sad that this is possible, and I don't wish this upon anyone. I just tell you this to answer questions I have received, but this scenario is a rare occurrence.
6. Waiting to rush until sophomore year may disadvantage you
This may not be the case for all schools, but at least for the large SEC schools in the south, I can say that waiting to rush until you are a sophomore can quickly disadvantage you from having options. Many sororities will drop you simply because you are a sophomore, so you may not have as many options to choose from.
The exception to this is if you have a strong connection to a chapter or truly just knock a sorority's socks off, and they truly see you as an asset to the chapter.
7. Sororities will look at all your socials
Sororities will be looking at ALL of your social medias because they need to know if you are someone who can represent their chapter well.
So, be sure to clean out your social medias before applying for recruitment. If you wouldn't want your family members to see it, delete it. If you have to question about whether it is okay to have it posted, then delete it. Check out 13 Things You Need To Do To Prepare For Rush for more crucial tips like this.
8. They are looking for girls who want to be involved on campus
Sororities are looking for girls who want to be involved in college! This is huge! If you don't think you seem like a very competitive applicant then use this area to set yourself apart.
If you were involved in high school, talk yourself up and use this to your advantage!
9. Research organizations you want to get involved in on campus
A great tip to follow up on Tip #8 is to research organizations you want to get involved in on campus. That way, when girls ask you during rush, "What do you want to get involved in?" you will know the exact names and why you want to serve there.
This is an important thing to do before going to school, regardless of whether you're rushing or not, but sorority girls WILL ask you this, and if you have a confident answer, then it is a huge green flag!
10. Letters of recommendation will help you
Having letters of recommendation can definitely help you in recruitment. BUT I will say it is important to have letters of recommendation from that specific chapter, not just any member of, for example, Kappa Delta.
For example, let's say you are rushing at the University of Mississippi. You and "Sally" seem like the same PNM on paper regarding GPA, Involvement, ACT, etc.
BUT, Sally has a recommendation for Kappa Delta from someone who was a KD at the University of Florida. BUT you have a recommendation for Kappa Delta from someone who was a KD at the University of Mississippi. They will likely pick you over Sally.
Try to get at least one recommendation letter for each specific chapter.
11. You don't have to buy all new outfits for rush
This is something I seriously thought would be the end of the world. I thought if I didn't have all new outfits for recruitment, then they would know I was an outfit repeater and they'd drop me, and it would be the end of the world, so on and so forth.
BUT this is absolutely not true. You can wear clothes you already have and literally NO ONE will know! Overall, just be sure to wear something that is true to you and comfortable.
For more tips on outfits for rush, check out How To Put Together The Perfect Sorority Recruitment Outfits.
12. Research the Philanthropies of each chapter
I recommend keeping a master list on your phone that lists all of the sororities your school has and what their philanthropies are.
Before recruitment, try to connect your experiences to each philanthropy so you can generate some talking points and think about what you can talk about to avoid any awkward conversation stalls.
Write some questions or thoughts down on this list, and then you can reference this list before going into each house!
13. The active members rushing you are probably just as nervous!
The active members who are rushing you are nervous too! Don't be intimidated by them, just be yourself, and you will find a chapter that loves you for you!
I truly hope this post helped you feel more prepared to take on sorority recruitment and answered some of your questions about the unknowns of sorority recruitment. Trust the process, I am praying for you, sweet girls!
With Love,
Isabella XO
