One of the most stressful decisions during your college years, if you decide to rush, is finding your home away from home. You may think that because there are 14 Panhellenic Chapters on campus that your decision will be easier. Sadly, not really. As you go through rush and start eliminating chapters, it’ll come down to 1-2 chapters you’ll have to choose from. Don’t worry! The rest of this article will help you decide which one is home at MSU!
Which house do you see yourself going home to at the end of the day?
In other words, what house sticks out more than the rest? You may find it on your 1st day of rush or gradually throughout rush. In my experience, I found it on my 1st day and I was lucky enough to. When I asked one of the girls during rush how she knew her chapter was it for her, she said, “You’ll want to be with sisters who you can sit in silence with instead of thinking of something to say.” This advice stuck with me throughout rush because that’s exactly what my friends and I did and it wasn’t awkward but comfortable silence. Some other options are: If you were upset, which house would you run home to? or Where do you see yourself at your absolute worst? These questions helped me think and visualize which house I wanted to go home to at the end of the day. For me, there was always one house I was hoping to get back to and looking forward to at the end of the day.
Do you connect with the girls?
When I did my research to prepare for the rush, connections were one of the things that always came up but I was confused about. Connections basically mean if you go back to the house, would you still have something to talk about with the girls? When you make connections with the girls, your conversations will stick with them and give rise to another potential conversation during rush. This can go from talking about yourself or something you have in common with one of the girls. Are your conversations deep, full of laughter, and you almost don’t have enough time to talk with the girls? This was one of the signs that I knew Pi Phi was it for me. Every conversation I had was like talking with one of my closest friends where we were laughing most of the time. This is one of the signs that show you that you’re comfortable with a group of girls and can probably talk about anything that comes to mind. Another important point is a flowing conversation is KEY. By that I mean, no awkward silences and you’re just living in the moment with a potential sister. Time just passes by with your conversation and topics come easily when you’re talking with a girl. Can you see yourself being best friends with the girls even if you don’t end up in their house? Hopefully, this will give you a sign that you can talk about anything with these girls and that they’ll be there for you.
Do you see yourself living in the house?
When you rush, you’re seeing your future home that you’ll live-in on campus depending on a chapter’s live-in requirement. It’s like touring real estate and rush is no different. Start imagining yourself living in the house and see can you actually see yourself living in. Do you see yourself lounging on the couch watching the Bachelor with your sisters or coming home from a long day of classes and just talking with your best friends? If you do, that’s great! That shows that you not only made a connection with the girls but that you also see yourself living with them. If you don’t, then that house is probably not right for you. You probably didn’t have strong conversations with the girls that could help you envision yourself living in and that’s all right. Not every house on campus is right for you and you’ll find that one house that’s perfect.
Do you connect with their philanthropy and values?
This was a definite factor for me because Pi Phi’s philanthropy was one of the reasons why they were my first choice every day of rush and why I love being a Pi Phi. You don’t personally have to connect with their philanthropy or values and could just connect with the girls. It depends on you and what you’re looking for in a sorority. For me, I had a personal connection with Pi Phi’s philanthropy, Read>Lead>Achieve, so it was easy for me to have them at the top of lists. You might be looking for a sense of community and a home away from home at Michigan State which is perfectly fine. It depends on what you’re looking for and hopefully, you find it.
How did you feel on preference night?
So, this is the night where you get back 1-2 houses and you’ll probably talk with a girl you talked to earlier in rush. She might go into a personal conversation about you and their house. I had a similar conversation and the girl was so sincere and honest that I almost cried which is a surprise because I’m not an emotional person. I knew right then and there that Pi Phi was the house for me. Whenever I look back and think about what made me choose Pi Phi, Preference Night is one of the memories I look back on. Preference Night could be a deal-breaker or make the decision even harder because you love both houses. If it’s the first, awesome that you were able to find the house for yourself! If you’re still conflicted between 2 houses, think about your conversations, connections, and which house would you want to run home to on bid day? Talk with a friend who is already in a sorority or one of your recruitment guides. They’ve been through the rush experience and will be happy to ask any questions you have about the process.
For me, I thought if I didn’t choose Pi Phi as my top choice and didn’t run home to them on bid day, would I regret it? Easy answer, I would regret it and I would hate myself (harsh I know). So ask yourself this: If you didn’t choose (sorority name here) as your top choice and didn’t run home to them on bid day, would you regret it? In the end, trust the process because it somehow works and you’ll be grateful that you did. Good luck!