Congratulations! You have made a very wise choice! You said "I think", instead of "I am!". It's moments like this that make or break whether a person is up for sorority life! We've all been there. We see the decorative jackets, the hand signals, the calls and, of course, the strolling! But there is more to sorority life then that. A LOT more. Joining a sorority should be a life long commitment chosen with great care. For each woman, a different journey unfolds as she takes her first steps into Greekdom.
Ready to see if you've got all your checks on the check list?! Let's see!
☐ Attended a "Go Greek" Night or "All Sorority" Day?
These are events coordinated by partner sororities that allow different bidding ladies the opportunity to get to know them better. Each lady walks around to the different booths/areas/houses and gets to know a little about that particular sorority before moving on to the next one. Games are usually played or raffles drawn! It's a great event to socialize and to see if you hit it off with a certain org!
(so lets say you missed this chance or their are no "Go Greek" Night or "All Sorority" Day. (P.S, Iota Sigma Rho Sorority is one of the first to have arranged "Go Greek" Events!))
☐ Research, Research, Research!!
Don't just go on their website or go on their Facebook page. Go to their Open House event or Charity event. Seeing is believing and if you can see how they interact with each other, other orgs or by their activities, then you may have saved yourself! Remember that web pages are set up to entice! It's going to show allll the good stuff you want to hear. Wanna find out how things REALLY work? Befriend a member and ask for the truth!
☐ View EVERY organization.
This is vital! Just because your mom, cousin, baby daddy's niece, babysitters aunt was in Nappa Kappa Psi doesn't mean YOU must be. You may be shocked to find that most legacies that follow that path may have a sense of pride but an even deeper sense of regret. Sororities change throughout time and just because it was fitting for one does not mean it's fitting for all. Nepotism in sororities, especially in smaller chapters can be a great pain and cause deep rooted "cliques" which often force members to switch chapters or become inactive all together!
☐ Time to Socialize!
OK, so you've decided on event parties too much and the other doesn't party enough? No? Ok, then it's time you look at their itinerary. If you're the life of the party and you LOVE to go shake it on somebodies floor, then look for the organization that suits you. If you're more service oriented and you like long hours of community service and development, then find that sorority that caters to that need. Either way, at this point, you gotta be going out! Find out what they are doing. If you see something you don't like... go to it! Make SURE it's not for you. Nothing is wrong with swinging by!
☐ Uh Oh! You've been spotted!
While you've been watching them, they've been watching you too! You didn't think they wouldn't right?! This is what we call being "approached". An organization contacts you and wants various information about who you are, what you like to do etc. So the question is.... "what do you do?!"
1. Don't freak out! They can smell nervousness on you!
2. Be YOURSELF! Relax, breathe, take a deep breath and let it all out!
3. Don't waste time. You've researched, you've looked at every one, you've gone to all their informational meetings, you've socialized. If this is the organization that does that thing that you don't' like, then don't' hesitate to be polite and express disinterest in that thing.
4. Give them a chance to rebuttal. This gives you a chance to see if this comes up often or if this completely took them by surprised.
5. Don't be afraid to be as critical as they are. Remember, it's not them choosing you. It's you choosing them, as well.
6a. If they offer you a bid (which in most cases this is the most common), then you have a chance to politely deny the bid. Maybe this org isn't the one you wanted exactly.
6b. If they offer you a bid and this is the sorority you were thinking of joining, CONGRATS! Take the time to ponder on this decision or another org that you may potentially like unless you are absolutely sure and feel comfortable! You are well on your way to being a well-informed lettered lady!
6c. If they DO NOT offer you a bid and instead express that they don't feel like their organization is the right one for you, then take it as a experience. Cattiness can come out at a moments notice. Don't be afraid to share this experience with others who are thinking of rushing as well. Their is a great wealth of knowledge to be shared and experience is the best teacher.
☐ DECIDE!
So you've researched, you've talked to members, you've looked at all organizations, you've socialized and you may or may not have received a bid yet! The next step is to decide! Not on what organization but on if this is the life for you! If the answer is yes, go ahead and apply to the top sorority FOR YOUR on your list! If you've followed the steps above, you may have already impressed them with your depth of knowledge, your fancy feet, your casual relaxed swagger or your chic looks!
If the answer is no, then congratulations! You just took a step that many women who come this far won't dare do. You have a great sense of self. And you just spared yourself a life-long commitment that you are not ready for.
In conclusion, is this all you need to know to rush? NO! Their are several things that can be shared! But, it's better for you experience it for yourself. We hope that the knowledge gained from this blog post is helpful for those interested in Greekdom. Period. Not as a promotional tools used for ISigRho! Got any questions? Wanna add on?! Contact us! Have fun and happy journey!
- Iota Sigma Rho Leadership
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