Last time on the TBD Adventures, I checked off my first scary bucket list item: auditioning for The Vagina Monologues. Riding high on that confidence boost, I tackled something that was even further outside of my comfort zone: I rushed a sorority.
Before I got to college, I had never even considered participating in Greek Life. Based on the stereotypes I absorbed from film, TV, and various news articles, I decided I was not someone who belonged in a sorority. I didn’t fit the mold physically or socioeconomically. I wasn’t particularly outgoing or social. And I was highly suspicious of a selection process that seemed to be based more on appearances and social connections than finding people who shared the same set of values.
But, this semester I rushed, and after accepting a bid from my top choice sorority, I am now a brand new member of Greek Life. Pretty quick turnaround, huh?
This all came about through some friends I met. Over the course of the semester, I got to know a few girls who had rushed, and to my surprise, they didn’t seem like your stereotypical sorority girls. They loved Greek Life and encouraged me to rush. According to my new pals, the process was eye-opening and would crush the stereotypes I had in my mind. And… they were right! I learned so much about Greek Life and made so many friends through the process. Rushing was beyond worth it.
Rush taught me so much. As my friends predicted, I quickly found that my pre-conceptions about sororities were incorrect during the Informals (at my school this is when you learn briefly about each sorority). And, I finally figured out the differences between each of the sororities on my campus: Each sorority has a different focus, whether it’s a motto/mission or type of philanthropy. And they each have a different vibe.
And, as a spring transfer student who knew no one, rushing was a great way to meet people. I now see lots of familiar faces when walking around campus and I now have some incredibly close new friends that I met through our experience rushing together.
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3 big things I learned during rush:
- My university has local sorority chapters. The main day-to-day difference between local and national sororities is size. But this is an important distinction to understand, as national sororities have large governing bodies and larger alumni networks. I love my local sorority just fine, though.
- Pro-tip for those introverts: Spring rush is smaller and less hectic than rushing in the fall. It’s easier to get to know people and to relax.
- Rushing is a lot like speed dating. At some of the events, you are trying to get to know as many people as possible and they are doing the same with you and you want everyone to have a good impression of you. It’s a lot of stuff happening. So, you should relax, have fun, be yourself, relax again, and take advantage of all those delicious baked goods they have at the events.
I am so happy and proud of myself for ticking this item off my TBD Adventures list. Rushing was something that I always secretly wanted to do, but I never did it in previous years because I had so many reservations. I believed the stereotypes about Greek Life. I felt like I would be so awkward and just clearly not fit in. Also, the social aspect of it scared me. I am horrible at small talk. Indeed, this was a scary bucket list item.
But, despite all of my reservations, I did it! And you can, too. I do think that rush is something every college woman should at least consider doing. The speed dating aspects of it allow you to meet people and will push you introverts out of your shells, in a good way. You don’t have to join a sorority at the end of it – you can give it a try to see if it’s for you. And, you never know. Maybe you will find an organization where you feel completely at ease and can see yourself calling your home. I did, and it feels amazing.
More Tips & Info on Rushing a Sorority:
Here at CF, we’ve covered rushing a sorority in detail over the years. If you want more information, look no further than these articles:
- Rush Tips: The Dos and Don’ts of Sorority Recruitment
- The Ultimate Guide to Sorority Recruitment: Part 1 and Part 2
- How to Dress for Sorority Recruitment in Winter
- What Should I Wear… as a Sorority Girl?
What do you think?
Would you ever consider rushing a sorority? Are you involved in Greek Life? Did rush bring you outside of your comfort zone? Let’s talk about all things Greek in the comments!
Would you be proclaiming the same benefits if you were cut the first round? A lot of girls are. I never rushed; I went to an info session and that’s it. I have friends who were cut and they were shattered because they so wanted to be part of the only fun social organization there was at my previous university.
To be completely honest with you, I still would. Though if I had been cut in the first round I would also be completely heartbroken and a little offended. But, I can tell from people I know that have joined organizations at my previous university that being in that organization has helped them find more confidence or become more involved on campus or run for leadership roles. And coming into this I can see how being in an organization will push me to become more involved on campus rather than passive and challenge me to grow as a person. And, I don’t know how it works at your previous/current university but there are Greek organizations that aren’t sororities and fraternities that people can rush (I am completely new to this idea and concept since I have only been in the world of Greek life for like three weeks). These organizations are centered around community service or social justice or creative writing rather than your traditional organization. And you can always start your own organization or a chapter of a national organization.
Thank you for saying that you would have still rushed even if you got cut and your honest feelings about that. I think your series is important because a lot of people go through college without trying things that they are scared of and I just like bucket lists in general. A lot of the comments on this article were along the same vein. I do suggest that in future articles you talk about the benefits and your feelings about the TBD item whether or not it worked out. I think a lot of the comments are retaliating against the almost promotional vibe and how impersonal this article seemed despite the series title. Adventures in books and movies always involve the hero’s feelings and conflicts–not just their victories. It’s not that us readers want you to fail at things; we just want to read something with more nuance and it’s not just: GO DO THIS.
I transferred my sophomore year. After a year of not having friends at my uni, and family telling me to try it, I did. I got cut at the first round. It did suck, but I finally got my “don’t care” attitude back. I know that I am an amazing, smart person, and who are sorority girls to tell me what my self worth is? Only problem is, I need to find another exclusive organization to join next year so I can again face the crippling rejection from an exclusive organization. But hey, kudos to girls who join and find their place in college. I, on the other hand, have decided to embrace my loner status.
During the rush process I met some people who had previously rushed before and had been cut from the process. And they decided to rush again to see if Greek life really wasn’t for them. I would encourage you to rush again IF you ever want to. College can be fulfilling without being in an organization. I am glad that you don’t need a group of girls to tell you what your self worth it. I don’t think anyone should ever rely on approval from an organization to feel good about themselves. As for your loner status, I definitely had that during my freshman year. It was hard to make friends and get my footing even though I joined a bunch of clubs. Some things take time and I would encourage you to keep putting yourself out there. And, in a way it’s beneficial to learn how to be alone because you don’t feel the need to recruit a mob to come with you to get food at the cafeteria allll the time. ALSO you could always start your own exclusive organization. It doesn’t have to be Greek. It can be a club. I hope this doesn’t come off as condescending at all. I am an introvert and definitely do not know that much about being social and or anything else since I am a college student, but, this is what I do know.
Interesting. Have heard about sororities but have never quite understood “rushing” and all the trappings of joining one. Guess it’s only big in the States.
Yeah, I didn’t get it either before I joined since it did seem a little cult like. I think they call it rushing because the recruitment process is typically anywhere from 1-3 weeks which makes it kinda short/condensed. So, when you are meeting all these people it seems like a “rush”. That’s the best answer I have. Some people rush because they haven’t found their place yet or they want that close-knit community that comes with joining an organization or for any number of reasons. Sororities and fraternities are like our version of secret societies I guess. So, there is an allure to the secrecy of traditions and the exclusivity that can come with joining certain organizations.
I love how rush turned out for you. But like many other star struck girls, you think rush always works out. The thing with rush is that everyone tells you to do it because it is a wonderful opportunity. Instead, you end up like me a freshman cut in a brutal rush year, denied these so-called glorious benefits everyone talks about. I just wanted to let you lnow that all that praise you write about rush can be countered with one pretty girl that no sorority had a place for