Fall Formal Rush

i have a few ?s about rush. why do they call it formal, and do you have to dress up and stuff? are you allowed to wear jeans...i'm big on comfort.

here is some EXCELLENT advice which was posted by southern_theta on the Rush Forum...I have copied and pasted her advice here....please read!
(also, I'd forego the jeans, if I were you)
Wear dress pants or a nice skirt instead.
Anyhoooo...read on, read on.
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******BEFORE RUSH********************
if you have any relatives, friends, teachers, bosses, or friends of the family who are alumnae or active members of a sorority which has a chapter at your college, ask them to fill out a recommendation form for you. give them a headshot photo of yourself to send in with the form. try to get recs even if they're not required, because they are always helpful & they'll make you stand out.

if you are a legacy, your relative needs to contact the chapter at your school and
introduce you with a letter.

be aware that the sisters are checking you out before rush has begun. if you have
classes with them, or see them at parties, they notice how you act & how you carry
yourself. don't do anything foolish in the early days of school & ruin your chances of
getting a good bid. if you acquire a slutty reputation right off the bat, and the girls
hear about it, you're basically finished with all the top sororities . if you're rushing in the early fall, this won't be as much of an issue for you, but this is crucial if you rush in winter. at schools with winter rush, the sisters basically know who they want
(by observing you & casually getting to know the freshmen girls) before formal rush has ever begun.

use the days before rush to check out the sisters & how they interact with each other. you may notice that you overhear some groups bitching about their sisters in public (a really bad sign about what it's like once you're in that house!), while you'll never hear that sort of thing from other groups. try to notice which houses seem the closest-knit, and which chapters have tons of cliques that divide the house.

******WHAT TO WEAR*******************

the expectations vary from college to college. before rush, panhellenic will let you know how fancy each night is. if they give you a range of fanciness for a particular night (such as, "you may wear nice pants or skirt"), always choose the dressier
option. it is worth the money & effort to look your absolute best for rush because you
only have 1 short week to make a good impression on the sisters. make sure your
clothes are neat & ironed. choose things that make you look sleek and classic. get a
haircut a week or 2 before rush, and do your nails. wear classic jewelry, like pearls or
a simple necklace. don't wear any clothes, jewelry, or makeup that's just plain weird,
because sororities want girls who will fit in, not stick out. if you have a chance to
observe the girls before rush, you may want to dress in the style of the chapters that
you most want to join. this is an easy (if shallow) way to show them how well you'd
fit.

******RUSH PARTIES********************

you will have to make an awful lot of small talk during each rush party. be prepared to
answer these questions over & over:
1. where are you from? what high school?
2. how do you like college so far?
3. what do you want to major in?
4. what activities are you involved in?
5. what did you do last night?
6. what did you do this summer/over christmas?
if they offer you food or a drink, feel free to accept 1 serving. they wouldn't offer the
stuff if they didn't want you to have it. never have seconds though. be careful of eating things like chocolate dipped strawberries because seeds may stick in your teeth! another thing, never ever ask to use the bathroom during a rush party because they'll interpret that as a signal that you're not interested in their house, and you may be cut because of that.

******WHAT SORORITIES ARE LOOKING FOR******

sororities try to select the rushees that they feel are:
1. enthusiastic about sororities (let this show!)
2. fun
3. poised
4. GENUINE is a big thing
5. dynamic
6. able to carry on the traditions and maintain the good reputation of the chapter
7. able to fit in with the current members, sharing the same values
8. confident and self-assured
9. positive & upbeat

******HOW TO CHOOSE**********************

almost all rushees just sense which house to choose once the pref night parties are over and the time has come to complete the preference card. it is just a feeling of which place was meant for you. you will probably attend 2 or 3 pref night parties. at the pref party of your best sorority, the one that's right for you, you'll feel touched by the ceremony & feel perfectly at home . at the others, you'll be impressed but you won't feel that same connectedness. you should choose the house that has girls who are like you right now, not one that has girls that you want to become more like. choose the house where you had the best conversations during rush parties.choose the house where the sisters seem to get along the best, without lots of cliques within the house. choose the house that can provide you with the most opportunities, socially & for service. choose a house with a reputation that you can be proud of. choose a house where you'll have a great pledge class (you can see what your pledge class might be like by seeing which rushees are the house's pref party with you).


it any of you other girls who have already been through rush have more tips, post them here! and if any rushees have more questions, i'd be glad to help if you leave them here.