Rush Q&A
How does rush week work at your school?
Rush at Penn State is a 10-day process. The 10 days consisted of open houses, first-rounds, second-rounds, Preference Night, and Bid Day! As the rounds go on, the sororities rank you just as you rank them. Every day you receive a list of sororities that you have been matched with to come back. The paper gives you a time to be at their suite on that specific sorority's floor. As rounds go on, the dress code becomes less casual and you begin to go back to less sororities. On Preference Night, you visit your final two options. You rank them, show up at bid day two days later, and open your envelope (that you have to sit on before it is time to open it!) to find what sorority you have been invited to pledge. That begins the full-out RUSH of about 1500 girls to Old Main lawn that are eager to find their new sisters...and the theme that you will be participating in for the rest of the evening together :)
What was the most surprising part of rush to you?
The most surprising part of rush to me was definitely the amount of time that you devote to visiting sororities. There are 18 at my university. There are many breaks between visiting the sisters, so I was sure to bring a snack and some homework.
What did you do to prepare before rush week?
I made sure to bring the correct style of outfits to school with me when I moved in. Dress code is pretty strict and can definitely contribute to the way you are viewed by the sisters. A first impression is a lasting impression! I was also sure to prepare a few facts about myself that I wanted the sisters to know about me. I also prepared my answer for the VERY common question:
"Why did you choose to rush?"
Tell us a little about your sorority rush wardrobe essentials.
Going back to how I prepared, I was sure to bring a few pairs of plain colored, not-too-short, pairs of shorts to match the shirt we would be wearing for open houses. For first-rounds, I wore a bit fancier shorts, a blouse, classy sandals, and a statement necklace. Second rounds included a flowy, white/navy dress with wedges, and a floral romper with wedges. Preference Night included a white, 3/4 length sleeve cocktail dress and magenta scrappy heels. (Hint: Jewelry is fun and can really dress up a more casual outfit. Show them your style!) Bid Day was all up to you because you'd be receiving your new sorority's shirt upon finding your new sisters!