6 Spring Rush Tips That Aren’t “Be Yourself” For First-Timers

Most tips on how to prepare for Spring Rush tell you to pack your essentials and plan the right outfits. But there’s a lot more you should prep before all that.

If you’re tired of the same repetitive tips on how to get ready for Spring Rush, we are, too. So, we sat down with our Campus Managers to learn about their rush experience and their top advice for Spring Rush if you’re a first-timer. After all, we want you to get a bid at the end of Rush Week and Greek life is not as straightforward as you’d think!

Meet our two awesome Campus Managers: Jordan and Sofi!

Jordan Ostrowski is currently the merchandising chair of Pi Beta Phi and one of our CMs from the University of Dayton.

 

Sofi Melgarejo, another one of our CMs at Indiana University Bloomington, is currently the apparel chair of Zeta Tau Alpha.

 

They’ll be helping us guide you guys into preparing for Spring Rush this 2024!

1. Have an existential crisis. A.K.A know why you’re rushing.

Before you do anything else for rush, the first thing you need to do is ask yourself, "Why?"

“Why should I rush a sorority or fraternity? Why am I doing this?”

For Sofi and Jordan, it was about finding a sorority that felt like a tight community, had a strong philanthropic stance, and had really kind members. Maybe this is something that you’re looking for as well. You might not have realized it yet. 

Sofi warned that it’s easy to get swept into the whole recruitment talk from each org. But she emphasized that you have to think about what you want because, at the end of the day‌, it’s you who’s opening that Bid Day card.

“Set some time aside and really think about what you want to get out of your rush experience and make sure you hold yourself accountable throughout the entire process,” Sofi said.

Jordan experienced something similar. Despite her decision to rush just to try it out, she still evaluated the different sororities based on what she wanted and believed in. That helped her narrow down her choices until she got into Pi Phi.

So, sit down, think about what you are all about, and what you advocate for, and stick with it. Let yourself be as critical about what you want to get out of rush as you would be picking out your outfit for a night out with your besties.

2. Existential crisis part 2: Know yourself and how to sell that.

We’re not done making you question your entire life!

Even if you’re rushing just to see how it goes, you might as well work on making a great impression on the Greek orgs you want to meet and rush for. Chances are that you might find a great sorority or fraternity that speaks to you. Being ready just in case the situation changes improves your chances of getting a bid. 

If you don’t know how to introduce yourself during the Spring Rush, here is a list of basics everyone expects to hear. Read through it and see if any of it has an interesting story or something unique attached to it. 

• Your hometown (you never know who’s from the same place as you are in the org!)
• What activities or clubs were you involved in back in high school
• Your college major and why you took it up
• Your goals for when you graduate
• Why you chose the university you’re currently enrolled in
• The advocacies or causes you support
• Your hobbies and other interests
• Music tastes, and;
• Anything else that makes you iconic

For example, maybe you’re from a town nobody knows of! You can say where you’re from and joke that you didn’t make that town up, or what your town is known for when people know of it, or even just a simple, “I’m from X! I know you’re probably like “Where?”

Or, say you’re a pre-med student and you advocate for heart health, just like Alpha Phi. Maybe you plan on taking up a major in Cardiovascular Technology in the future, too. You can highlight that when you talk with them. Show that you support their philanthropy! 

These are stuff about yourself that will help recruitment chairs know you better. Remember: first impressions really count! And you really want to stand out (in a good way).

Are you a calm blue or a fiery red? Only you can determine the image you wanna show to the chapter!

3. Check if you meet the chapter’s qualifications

You know how they say that girls can find anything, even if all they have is just a blurry photo of a hot guy and the first initial of his last name? 

Well, recruitment chairs are better.

Most people don't know this, but sororities and fraternities do their research on the PNMs (potential new members). They look out for stuff like GPAs, high school and even university activities, social media posts, etc.

Olivia (definitelynotoliviahaha) on TikTok mentioned that those who did not get a bid even when they completed all days of rush failed because they probably:

• Had a really low GPA compared to the requirements posted on the Greek org’s website
• Didn't have a good socmed image, or;
• Were just plain rude to the members during rush

GPA: While there’s not much you can do to suddenly improve your GPA just before rush, what you can do is present them well. Have a well-written spring rush CV filled with all the activities you want to highlight. You can search for a fraternity or sorority rush resume template online to start with.

Socmed: Greek orgs care about their online presence, too. Honestly, who doesn’t at this point?

If you want to increase your chances of getting a bid, make sure that your online image is what you want to be seen as, whether as a fun person who volunteers at shelters regularly, someone who pays attention to political discourse, etc. Live that little delulu life of being a wholesome influencer for a while.

Rudeness: Well, don’t be mean to people! Things like interrupting someone, throwing a joke at someone’s expense, spilling tea about other chapters’ recruitment process, etc. can be rude, even if you never intended them to be.

Make sure your behavior reflects that you’re happy to be a part of the process!

4. Clear your sched during Rush Week

Seriously, you do not want to be preoccupied with anything other than Rush Week activities. You might disappear like Regina during the Mean Girls reunion Walmart shoot.

Rush Week activities might require you to dedicate at least 1-2 hours in a day, depending on the round you’re currently in. That's not even counting the time you need to get ready, carpool with your roommates from your dorm to the houses, etc. It’s too hectic for you to be juggling other stuff while you’re meeting as many chapters as you can. 

For example, back in 2013 at the University of Georgia, the first round of sorority rush took around 20 minutes alone as each first-time rusher was introduced to each house and 40 minutes each to be with up to 6 sororities by the third round. 

For Jordan, her rush experience consisted of less than an hour to meet various sororities during the first round. It eventually culminated in an hour-long interview with a smaller list of sororities by the time rush was nearly done.

These numbers are definitely different between sororities and fraternities. But you can expect that rush would definitely eat up your time. Having 3 assignments due the same week while attending a bunch of rush events is not a situation you want, need, or deserve!

So, finish up your remaining schoolwork and avoid too much partying (unless it’s for self-care, then you do you, bestie). Make sure you rest before and during Rush Week.

You’re going to thank us if you do.

 

 Block off your time in your calendar if you need to!

5. Google Everything 

You’re probably researching “what to wear for Spring Rush” right now. Or which fraternity has the best party scene on campus.

But did you know that Greek orgs have dues you have to pay as a member?

I didn’t. 

Now we both do! 

The recruitment chairs are Googling the absolute heck out of you. It’s only fair if you do, too.

Most sororities and fraternities have some sort of social media presence, and maybe even a website of their own. You can start with those platforms to see what social causes they advocate for, how much the dues are, how many years you would have to stay with them, do the vibes match yours, etc. 

When Sofi rushed for the first time, she made sure to do this. It helped her pick out which sororities she wanted to be in.

Also? If you were a sorority recruitment chair and you talked to someone like Sofi who looked ya’ll up and asked you specific questions, there’s no way you’re not recruiting her. That kind of dedication is too impressive to pass up.

6. Go in with an open mind

We wanna be real with y’all for a sec.

The reality of rushing for many people is that, sometimes, they don’t get a bid from the sorority or fraternity they wanted to belong to, but they do get a bid from somewhere they actually fit in with. And that’s totally fine!

Jordan said that, if you’re rushing, you have to keep an open mind about the entire thing. If you limit yourself to just the Greek orgs that you feel like you belong to, you might not meet the one that you’re actually destined for (we know, super cliché).

There are a lot of frats and sororities who are more than what meets the eye, or in this case, what their website or socmed says. At the end of the day, you want to join the chapter where you truly belong, without forcing yourself to fit in.

Trust your gut, don’t be too hard on yourself, and enjoy the ride!

Could be you and your new besties soon!

With these tips for Spring Rush, the advice you got from Jordan and Sofi, your cutest fits, and your Rush pack, you’re more than ready to start running! Good luck!!