Rush Tips

Rush.

Just the word itself sounds stressful. Rushing from one sorority house to the next, making small talk for hours (my nightmare), and answering the same questions over and over and over.

“Where are you from?”, “What’s you major?”, “Where do you live on campus?”, “What activites are you a part of on campus?”, “Did you play sports in high school?”. 

As exhausting as the process is, don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely worth every minute even if it doesn’t seem like it during that week (or two) of torture. I’m a pretty unemotional person (I didn’t even cry during the fault in our stars…..I KNOW) and even I ended up having a break down in the middle of a hallway. It’s super easy to let the stress get to you as the process can leave you feeling very overwhelmed.

Unlike a lot of schools, my school’s rush process takes place in the spring semester right after we get back from Christmas break. It gives us a chance to transition to our new life and adjust to our academics before we have the stress of rush thrust upon us. However,since most state schools rush in the Fall, either before classes start, or during the first few weeks I thought it would be appropriate to post this for all the incoming freshman about to go through the process.

(A picture of me on the third day of rush made the school newspaper!)

Looking back at the process, I don’t think I would have done anything different, however there are some tips I would have given myself. Hence, that is why I'm sharing them with you! 

1. Never Say Never // Try to go into the rush process with a completely open mind. Although you may have heard that one sorority is better, more social, throws better parties than another, it’s a good idea not to judge them until you actually have spoken to their members. Don’t always believe the rumors that go around.  Minds easily change during the process, and you truly never know what sorority you are going to end up liking until you are going through it yourself.

2. Don’t Gossip// Like I said you are going to be making a lot of small talk. As terrible as it sounds, a lot of these girls are going to have to decide if you are a good fit for their sisterhood based on 1 or 2 conversations. The last thing you want is for them to think that you like gossiping about other houses or people. Keep the conversation light and upbeat! And on that note, in my opinion it’s a good idea to not bring up boys…:)

3. Wear Something that reflects You // Trying to figure out what to wear for Rush is tricky (This is what I wore). It may even be harder than picking out your first day of school outfit. It’s important that you are showing the real you! If you aren’t preppy don’t try to be! You’re going through this process to try to find the best home for YOU. I also suggest wearing something comfy. The worst thing in the world is standing in 4 inch heels for multiple hours and having your mind be consumed with thoughts about how much your feet hurt.

4. Bring Comfy Shoes // I suggest that in-between rounds you quickly pop off your heels or uncomfortable flats and slip on something you can walk quickly in and that will give your feet a quick break! Often times you won’t have much time in-between rounds and you’ll have to power walk (or run) from round to round in order to make it on time. I brought my tieks!

5. Make your own decisions // My whole friend group rushed. And as fun as it was to all get ready to together we all decided to keep our thoughts about all the different sororities to ourselves. This allowed us to make our own decisions and not be persuaded by anyone else’s opinion.

6. Don’t wear a watch // As silly as this sounds, this is something that was highly encouraged. Typically you will not see me walk out of my dorm room without my watch on, but in this case it can be seen as rude if you accidentally glance at your watch to see what time it is. I constantly check the time so if you have a tendency to check the time, I suggest forgoing the watch no matter how naked you feel without one.

7. Have confidence in the system // This was probably the hardest one for my myself to even accept. Even though it seems like a crazy useless process, the system is in place for a reason. You will end up in the right place for you. Even if it’s not the place you envisioned from the beginning.

8. Keep smiling // The days during rush can be long. It’s extremely hard to stay happy during every round but it’s important that you try your best. Keep the convo upbeat and happy and it will be easier to stay in a good mood! You don’t want the sorority to get the idea that you aren’t interested, because you aren’t in a happy mood (even if it is just from exhaustion).

9. Trust your gut // At the end of the day follow your gut and your heart. Sometimes you have a hard decision to make, but go with your first instinct and with whatever sorority you felt most comfortable in.

10. Don’t be too nervous // this is exciting! These girls are going to be your sisters! So while it may be a little nerve-racking and intimidating, get excited! Bid day is one of the most fun days of your 4 years.

Here is what I wore during Rush!

Good luck!

And make sure you don't forget,

xoxo

Shan