HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (TENNESSEE VALLEY LIVING) - Sorority recruitment is right around the corner. Before we know it, thousands of young women will ‘rush’ all the chapters at their university in hopes of finding the one best for them.
Before that can happen, they’ll need to find the perfect outfit for all of the rounds they will potentially be going through. As a former sorority woman myself, I know just how serious this is and we are here to make sure you look your best!
At Shoe Fly, you can find the perfect pieces for each round of sorority recruitment and get style help from actual sorority women! They have you covered from open house to preference night. So, let’s break down what each round is and what you should wear.
Within the National Panhellenic Council, most universities will begin with an open house night. During which girls will watch a video for each Panhellenic sorority to get to know each chapter a little better. Everything from a chapter’s values, history, signature events, and personality will be shown off. The biggest piece of advice I can give is to take notes. Open house is not an official round of recruitment, so you can wear something cute and comfortable! Think athleisure wear.
After open house, is when Philanthropy Days begin. This is the first official round where in order to attend, you must be invited by chapters. This round looks different depending on what school you ‘rush’ at. For the most part, you’ll visit the chapters that gave you an invitation over the course of a few days to get a closer look at their philanthropy. Service is a vital and central part of Greek chapters and during these days you can explore and decide which chapter has a philanthropy that is closest to your heart. At the beginning of recruitment, you will get t-shirts from your school’s Panhellenic Council and you’ll wear them during these days. It’s best to pair the shirt with a cute skort, fashionable shorts, or a fun patterned bottom! Remember, it’s going to be hot and you’ll be outside for a while so dress to impress but to also stay cool. Make sure to grab a pair of comfy shoes from Shoe Fly, like a cute pair of fashion sneakers!
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If you’re invited back after Philanthropy Days, you move into Sisterhood Days. During sisterhood round, you’ll really get a closer look at the chapters that are the most interested in you. This round is much more formal than philanthropy. You’ll get to sit down and talk with chapter members on a more personal level and really find out where the best fit for you is going to be. For this round, Shoe Fly suggests wearing a cute mini dress and pairing it with some wedges or heels. My biggest tip here is to pack a pair of comfortable sandals or flip flops in your bag to wear in between houses. It’ll really save your feet!
After sisterhood comes Preference Round. This is often referred to as ‘pref night.’ During Pref, you spend the longest time thus far with the chapters that have invited you back. An invitation to a Preference means that the chapter is very interested in asking you to become a member. It’s the most important night out of all of them and in my chapter, it was a night of love and sometimes tears. You will be able to connect with chapter women on things you might have never talked about out loud before. It’s such a sweet day and one that many members remember the most. It’s the day that focuses on what you as a potential new member want to gain from joining a sorority. The member that you are paired with will tell you her story and share what her chapter means to her. Once again, this round can look a little differently depending on where you ‘rush.’
After your Preference round is over, you’ll be asked to sign the MRABA. It’s important to know that if you sign the MRABA and chose to not accept your bid, you cannot join another chapter until the next primary recruitment period.
For Pref, Shoe Fly loves this silk mini dress that can be paired with a pretty pair of heels and stunning jewelry. Shoe Fly owner, Amy, says to pick a dress that you might wear to a daytime wedding. It’s super important to steer clear of any patterns during this round. Stick to a solid color for Pref.
After Preference comes Bid Day! If you make it to Bid Day, wear something similar to what you wore during open house. I really suggest wearing a tank top because your chapter will give you ‘letters’ to wear and you won’t want to deal with layering a shirt on top of another shirt. If you plan on ‘rushing’ at a larger school, make sure you wear some tennis shoes because you’ll likely be running home to the house you receive a bid from.
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Just remember, you are worthy of love whether you receive a bid or not. College is more than Greek life. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that Greek life is everything and that without it, college will be horrible. Trust me, I know it’s fun and it’s a great way to make friends and get acclimated to college life but you can do that without being a member of a sorority. It’s not for everyone. I know countless women who went through ‘rush,’ accepted a bid and then later dropped their chapter. So, if you ‘rush’ and think that it might not be for you, maybe try again later or go down a different path.
Remember to have fun and be open to new things. ‘Rush’ can be overwhelming and intense but allow yourself time to relax and just take it all in. For many, ‘rush’ will be your introduction to your college or university, use it to make friends. The people you meet throughout the ‘rush’ might be the ones by your side for the next four years. Just be yourself and the rest will fall into place.
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