While sororities and fraternities have their fair share of bonding activities that require dress codes and outdoor games, their events are also intentional and organized—starting with a rush. In college, rushing is the process through which you learn about and get matched with a sorority or fraternity.

The rush process will look different from school to school. In fact, not all colleges even have Greek life. The ones that do are typically located in southern states, where around 56% of the population participates in Greek life. For those who do have frats and sororities, the rush is a crucial initiation process. 

So, let’s find out what does rushing mean in college?

Rushing a Fraternity

Research and Registration

Before you officially rush a fraternity, you first need to do some research. That means going online and scoping out what fraternities are available at your school. Colleges and universities only have a certain number of chapters on their campus, so make sure you have an overview of what’s available.

This is the stage where you find out what each fraternity values. What does their mission statement look like? What are their most popular events? Pick a couple of frats that align with your goals and values.

But not all your research has to be online. Feel free to talk to your classmates, residents in your dorm, or other college students you cross paths with to get the scoop on your school’s frats. Anyone in Greek life is typically happy to talk about the “big” names on campus.

Next, you’ll need to figure out how to register for rush at your school. Usually, you can find registration on the Greek Life website for your school. Contact information for the Rush Chair should also be listed so you can contact them for any questions. You can expect to pay a registration fee when you sign up.

Rushing

To rush a fraternity, you need to stay in the loop about what events are happening and when. You can expect to go to game nights, barbecues, sports, and philanthropy events, but the events themselves will differ depending on the fraternity.

Some frats have pre-rush events. These are informal and allow you to meet fraternity members before rush officially begins. This is your shot at making sure people are familiar with you before the official rush process starts, which would be helpful later.

But for the first part of the official rush, you’ll have the opportunity to be exposed to many different fraternities. Use this time to feel out the fraternities and meet as many members as possible. This is the time to chat up as many members as possible so you can narrow down your choices going forward.

Once you’re past that first big event, you can move more strategically. For example, focus on your top three choices for other rush events rather than all of them. From there on out, you’re free to attend parties, game nights, and other social events included in your school’s rush week.

While many events will be purely social, some may be service-oriented. For example, you may do a beach cleanup instead of a game night if that fraternity prioritized service. Other events may go over logistics, like how much the dues are for that frat.

Bid

After you’ve gone through rush events, fraternities will go through candidates and figure out who they’d like to extend a bid to. You may get one bid or several. Either way, this is the time for you to decide what fraternity you’d like to join!

Rushing a Sorority

Research and Registration

Sororities have a similar registration process to fraternities. You should do some baseline research before attending any rush events to get a feel for what sororities you’re interested in. You’ll also register for the rush and pay the registration fee on your school’s Greek Life website.

Rush: Round 1

Unlike rushing for a fraternity, sororities have a highly structured rush process. For the first round, they’ll have an “open house” where you will be escorted around multiple sororities by a senior unaffiliated member (AKA a Rho Gamma).

This is your chance to make your first impressions and get a first impression of each sorority. While you’re in this round, make sure to speak to as many members as possible. And make sure to adhere to the dress code!

Rush: Round 2

The second round focuses on house tours. Rather than walk from house to house, you’ll have in-depth tours of specific sorority houses. Take this time to have conversations with members of your top choice houses instead of small talking with every single person you see.

This round is all about narrowing your search. Start thinking about which sororities you can see yourself in and who you can see living with while you’re in college.

Rush: Round 3

This round is different from school to school and chapter to chapter. Some sororities choose to have a community service event, while others have a skit. Either way, you’ll learn more about the character of the sorority and what they value.

If you want to be heavily involved in Philanthropy, a sorority that opts for a service event may be a better fit. On the other hand, a sorority that hosts a funny skit may catch your attention, too.

Rush: Round 4

The last round is all about the values of the chapter. You’ll learn about their traditions, mission statement, and how they demonstrate their values. Again, ensure you’re following the dress code and putting your best foot forward, even while sitting through a presentation.

Bid

After you finish all the rounds, sororities will deliberate and extend their bids. Like fraternities, you may get multiple bids or just one. It’s up to you to decide what’s the best fit!

Conclusion

Rushing in college is just what it sounds like—a rush of activities and meeting people. Over a week or so, you’ll see new faces and form relationships left and right. After you’ve met current members and attended rush events, you’ll have a good idea of which chapter fits you best. And then you can start the school year with a group of friends and an impressive social calendar!

And we have prepared 12 essential tips for freshmen on how to adjust to college life so that you will feel confident in the first days of study and not be afraid to participate in extracurricular activities for the college.