iheartchemistry

I am an entering freshman thinking about joining a sorority and I am still not sure how the whole rush thing works.

Can someone explain?

Thanks!!

DukeRose4288

Westcoastmon

iheartchemistry - Recruitment will start in January of your second semester. This gives you time to find out about the sororities or the selective living groups.

Keep in mind Duke does not have houses for fraternities or sororities so the membership is much larger than on campuses where membership is limited due to the size of the fraternity or sorority house.

DukeEgr93

One slight adjustment to that - most fraternities *do* have sections of dorms (no sororities do) and while that does no tplace a limit on the size of the fraternity, it does limit the number of members who are actively living "in section" at any given time.

bluestar7

It actually does sort of limit the size of the fraternity. With IFC fraternities who have sections, I think it's required for all new freshmen to live in their section as a sophomore, so the fraternity can only give out as many bids as would allow them to fill section and still have room for any upperclassmen (like the President) who need to or want to live there.

As for sorority rush - it's fairly simple, and a week long. You sign up first semester, get a recruitment counselor (rho chi - a junior or senior girl in a sorority who has disaffiliated from her own chapter). For round 1 (over 2 days, apparently they want to change this, I think that's stupid) you go to all 10 chapters for a sort of meet and greet. You go through three more rounds after you make cuts/they make cuts, until Bid Day when you get just one bid.

Westcoastmon

Be open to all the sororities. Don't pick just one and if you don't get picked for Round 2, etc. drop out. Many girls think only one sorority is right for them and drop out before final bid day.

iheartchemistry

thanks for the info everyone!

coheedandcambria

Hey guys/girls,

How much do alumni connections help in the rush process? For instance, my dad was in a frat at Duke called SAE. Does that give me a leg up in the process if I decide to rush SAE?

I'm still deciding between Duke and a couple of other schools but this is a question that has been on my mind. Thanks a lot in advance!

siliconvalleymom

I've heard that sorority rush Duke is actually pretty intense and competitive. You may want to think about securing some of your rec letters while you are still at home, when you have more time and can reach people easily. Are you a legacy to any houses?

bluedog

@coheedandcambria.

ha, it's funny that you say SAE. SAE was at Duke a long time, but was kicked out in 2002. So, now they're officially "Alpha Delta Phi," but people still call them SAE. They're not part of IFC, though. There's also an interesting acronym that SAE now stands for....yes, they have a certain reputation. However, just TWO DAYS ago, they announced they're bringing an official SAE back in Spring 2009. As a new chapter your freshman year, it's much different than existing chapters. It's hard to be super attractive the first year when you don't have a reputation yet because the chapter doesn't exist. So, I don't know how that affects legacy. In most fraternities, I don't think they care that much about legacy, but it doesn't hurt. In sorority rush, many chapters have a rule that if you get past the second round and you are a legacy, they MUST give you a bid....I think it varies chapter to chapter.

thethoughtprocess

Rush non-IFC frats too (ones not affiliated with the IFC) - the IFC really does zero for Greek students, so going outside of the IFC should be a non-issue.