What does rush mean in college

College kids who are interested in Greek life typically go through a ritual known as rush, which consists of a series of social events and gatherings that allow prospective and current fraternity or sorority members to get to know each other. Each institution has its own particular style for conducting rush. Rush lasts anywhere from a week to several weeks.

Depending on the university, rush may take place prior to the beginning of the fall semester, a week or two into fall, or at the beginning of the second semester. At the end of this getting acquainted period, Greek houses offer "bids" to those students they feel would be the best fit for membership.

Women are usually expected to visit each sorority in order to meet its members so that sisters in the house can get a feel for their personality and determine if they are a compatible fit.

Sorority sisters may sing or put on the show to welcome potential members when they visit. There's usually a short interview for prospective candidates and those who make the cut may be invited back for an additional meeting that might include dinner or an event.

If you're a good fit for the sorority, they will likely offer you a bid to become a member of the house. You can always go through rush again, or if the process feels too formal, informal rush usually takes place throughout the year so you can have the opportunity to meet the sorority sisters and get to know them in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Fraternity rush is usually less formal than that of sororities. During rush, prospective candidates get to know the brothers in the house and vice versa to determine compatibility. The frat may host some type of informal event, such as a touch football game, a barbeque, or a party.

After rush, fraternities give outbids. Those who accept become pledges. Most frats have a fall pledge class and another in the winter.

If you don't get in, you can always rush again. Greek life is portrayed as one big party in the movies, but in truth, there's much more to it than that. They're also very focused on education and often require members to maintain a minimum GPA to remain in good standing. For fraternities, rush events can range from poker nights and smokers to flag football games and barbecues. These events can be opened to all or closed to a select group of individuals the fraternity is interested in, depending on each college's rules pertaining to Greek life.

Sorority rush events are usually a little more formal and personal and utilize a different format. While fraternities invite individuals they are interested in to partake in a wide variety of activities, sorority recruitment usually happens in rounds.

During these rounds, active sisters meet potential ones through a series of conversations, skits and songs. After each round, sororities weed out those who won't be a good fit and invite those who will to the next round. View author's profile Show more posts from author Subscribe to updates from author. You Should Be - College Sep Choosing Colleges.

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