How long does fraternity rush last

In the attempt to level to playing field, the IFC is giving some fraternities a significant recruitment advantage. The most obvious way is with the quality of the fraternity house. The fraternity with the nicest house will make a better impression than the others. Both formal and informal rush have their advantages and disadvantages.

The key to finding the right fraternity for you remains the same in both instances — it is still all about developing relationships.

During rush you are being evaluated. The fraternity is keeping close tabs on you and the other guys they are recruiting. They are holding meetings and voting on whether they want to extend membership to you. If they decide that they would like you to join the fraternity, they will invite you to be a new member or pledge. This process is called getting a bid.

If you are going through the fraternity rush process, you must realize that if they like you then you will most likely get a bid. You need to think about what you will do when you are offered. My suggestion is to very appreciative and thank them for the bid. Let them know how much you have enjoyed spending time with the fraternity during rush. Then ask them when you need to inform them of their decision. Let them know that you realize this is a serious commitment, and you want to sleep on it to make sure you are making a full commitment.

Fraternity rush is an exciting process. Many recruits have never had exposure to fraternity life, and being part of it is kind of like being in a movie.

It is a critical time for the fraternities as they must replenish their membership. Done right, it can be a successful time for both. Modern college is a lot of smoke and mirrors. Professors are pushing their social agendas. Most classes are a complete waste of time. Essentially you are there to get piece of paper that says The 1 secret to fraternity recruitment really has nothing to do with recruitment — it is much bigger than that.

Skip to content. What is Fraternity Rush? Why is Fraternity Rush Important? How Can a Fraternity be Good at Rush? Should You Rush a Fraternity? The following tips will help you rush a fraternity: Be yourself. At the end of the day you want to join a fraternity that is a good fit for you. Rush multiple fraternities. It is impossible to make a sound decision unless you can make a comparison. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign in. Forgot your password? Password recovery. Recover your password. The Review. Get help. Friday, November 12, The ins and outs of fraternity rush week. September 19, Must read. By: Katie Lambert Updated: Apr 16, While National Lampoon may have set the standard for the public's idea of fraternity life, these societies vary widely by campus, organization and location.

Why would anyone want to join a fraternity? On the one hand, there's the promise of parties, living college life to the fullest, meeting pretty sorority girls and indulging in wild, alcohol -soaked adventures. On the other hand, there's the chance to become a leader and embody the values and ideals of a fraternity.

In this article, we'll talk about what fraternities are, how they recruit members, and what the pledge period is like. We'll also discuss the dangers of hazing and explore fraternity life. Fraternities have their roots in the early college curriculum, when most colleges and universities taught the classics instead of the liberal arts.

Phi Beta Kappa was and still is a literary society, a place for intellectual debate. The secrecy and rituals of modern social fraternities began with Phi Beta Kappa [source: Encarta ].

Social fraternities overtook literary ones as more colleges incorporated a liberal arts education. Kappa Alpha became the first social fraternity in The first black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha , was founded in as a support group for minority students at Cornell University.

Some social fraternities are further differentiated -- there are Jewish fraternities, Christian fraternities, and even some gay fraternities. In addition to social fraternities, there are also professional, academic and service fraternities. These fraternities are coed. Depending on the type, they might be restricted by major or grade point average. Fraternity recruitment differs by campus. Typically, recruitment takes place at the beginning of the fall semester. But some colleges require that the process begin at the middle or the end of the summer so students have time to settle in and get their classes in order.

Many fraternities also rush in the spring, especially if they didn't meet the quota for their fall pledge class. Rushing a fraternity is generally much more informal than rushing a sorority. Fraternities often have a formal rush like sororities, but during rush, they also have informal events. During formal rush events, a potential new member would meet with all the fraternities, and depending on the university's guidelines, visit their houses as well.

Informal rush events are usually parties. If someone's father, grandfather or other male relative was part of a certain fraternity, he may also want to join that fraternity and will be given special consideration during rush. What are fraternities looking for? It depends on the fraternity. Recruitment is a time for a potential new member to get to know the brothers and see if the organization is something he might like to join.

In turn, it's a time for the brothers to get to know the rushees and see if they'd fit in. If the brothers decide a potential new member is fraternity material, they'll extend a formal bid. Once the new member accepts the bid, he becomes a pledge. To start a fraternity, you first have to decide if you want to start a chapter of an existing fraternity which would be called a colony until it is a recognized chapter or an entirely new Greek letter organization GLO.

National fraternities have their own rules about starting a chapter, but will usually send a representative to a campus to help with the process. Universities also have guidelines about how an organization becomes a recognized campus fraternity. The process of starting a fraternity begins with a core group of students who want to found it and who maintain a certain grade point average.

There's also quite a bit of paperwork, including a lengthy application detailing the scholarship and philanthropy goals of the organization, as well a constitution and bylaws. National fraternities already have these documents, but new fraternities have to create them from scratch. About nine million students belong to fraternities and sororities. Along with these larger groups, there are a number of smaller fraternities and sororities that are not affiliated with these organizations.

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.