Rushing Sororities Have Advantages
For parents of incoming freshmen, you have probably already heard your daughter mention sorority recruitment. I know girls start looking up, researching, and asking about different sororities and the pluses and minuses of rushing, some as early as senior year in high school. And yes, rush can all be overwhelming, and expensive. So, I am going to give you the low-down of all thing’s sorority rush.
If you are unfamiliar, words like pin, chapter, semi-, big, grand-big, Panhellenic, bid day, and legacies, then don’t worry. You will soon learn all about them. Joining a sorority at a large university like UGA can have many benefits. And they usually outweigh any negative misconceptions that you may have heard.
UGA has come up with a Panhellenic Recruitment Contingency Plan in response to CDC guidelines to reduce social distancing and allow for smaller social gatherings. This may change and become fully virtual. The first two rounds will be virtual and Round 3 and Prefs will be in-person. Potential New Members will be given instructions on how to create their own video and how to access chapter videos and so forth. Should PNM’s have any questions, they can read the FAQ’s.
We also share a video of one recruit’s experience going through sorority recruitment.
Rushing is Recruitment
These days, most schools refer to the process of “rushing” girls to get to know them as Recruitment. This is the formal process girls go through to learn about all of the sororities and sisters at UGA. Current sisters use this time to get to know the girls that they feel will fit their sorority. It is an organized, jam-packed time with lots going on at once. Yes, there are “popular” sororities, but it is truly about finding the group that you feel the most comfortable with. Not only will your daughter be spending at least four years with this group, but having a group that you trust and bond with can allow for many wonderful opportunities even after graduation.
So, the real deal is this; sorority rushing recruitment is based on first impressions, judgments, and appearances. Every school boasts that they are looking for well-rounded girls, and as much as that is true, they are also looking for personalities, majors, and girls with different experiences to add to their group. Girls are introduced to the 19 sororities and their houses during four rounds of recruitment. Girls go through the rounds in small groups, each with a leader that helps guide them through the process.
After each round, potential new members are given invitations to attend different events the following day. They are also asked to start “ruling-out” sororities that they feel are not for them. The fourth round is called the Preferential Round (Prefs) and this is where girls will be making final decisions about which sororities that they prefer, as well as the sisters, choosing the girls that they would like to have them join. The last day is called Bid Day. This is where your daughter will receive one invitation to join that one sorority. Then they will all run home to their new houses.
During recruitment, each day has a theme and a recommended style of dress and most girls shop for these items during the summer. The daily schedule is intense and exhausting. Don’t worry if you don’t hear much from your daughter this week, as they will be very busy. Here are some tips that my daughter learned after rushing recruitment was over.
- Even though you want to look your best, don’t wear a ton of heavy makeup. It is very hot in Athens in August and you will sweat it all off by the end of the day.
- Blotting sheets are very handy to have.
- Bring a small purse or wristlet with a travel-sized deodorant and other little necessities like band-aids/blister pads.
- Bring a small battery-operated fan that can go in your purse. There are plenty of times of just standing in the hot sun, and you will be glad you had one (not the ones that plug into your phone as the sisters don’t want to see you with your phone).
- And probably the biggest piece of advice regarding clothing is to wear comfortable shoes! This is not the time to wear brand new shoes that have not been broken in. My daughter learned that lesson the hard way.
Speaking Greek
Ok, let’s address some of the particulars. UGA offers their formal recruitment in the fall for a week before school starts. Some sororities offer Spring recruitment, but not all of them do. Click here for more information on Spring recruitment. Applications need to be submitted and Housing will allow those to move into their dorms early. Please visit the Housing page for more information about early move-in.
There is a fee for recruitment which covers meals, transportation, the usage of campus facilities, and a t-shirt. You are also required to submit your high school transcripts with your application. Some sororities require girls to submit Rec (Recommendation) letters. These are letters from sorority alumnae that are introducing a potential new member to the group. To see which ones require them, as well as the Rec letter specifics, click here.
Hopefully, your daughter will be able to look past the process and focus more on finding like-minded young women and a place where she will fit in. I have witnessed girls joining sororities because of specific Greek letters only to realize after a few weeks, that their choice was not the right choice for them. The advice I gave my daughter was to be true to herself. Acting like a person that they are not will only result in fake friendships. Although most girls get the sorority that they want, there are those that don’t. Those teary phone calls can be rough, but I truly believe every girl finds a place that they are meant to be, including UGA clubs.
Many parents like to send their daughters a gift on Bid Day. We recommend holding off as they will be getting gifts from the sorority they pledge on Bid Day and continually going forward from tank tops to water bottles and everything in between.
Should you decide to get them a congratulatory gift, we have some suggestions here from:
Desert Cactus Greek, Brit and Bee, Alexandra and Company, Go Greek Chic, Cotton Sisters, Sorority Shop, Signature Tumblers and Gild the Lily.
For some suggestions on What to Wear, our sorority interns put together some suggestions on what to wear and some great shops to buy outfits. We also have a UGA specific What to Wear blog here.
Lastly, Greek life can be expensive. There’s no way to sugar-coat that. The average cost for a new member in the Fall is around $1700. Members are encouraged to live in the house during their second year at UGA. The average cost of living in a house is around $3800 and included room, board, sorority dues and fees, and the house meal plan.
If you are still with me, then I’m sure you may be overwhelmed. Don’t worry! You can find all the information and details about everything regarding UGA’s sororities by clicking here. It’s an exciting time, don’t forget to enjoy the rushing process!
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