<p>I was wondering if someone can give me insight on the sorority scene. I know a lot of information has already been put out there but I just have one question thats been eating at me for a while. I always thought I wanted a greek school and that Vandy was my top choice but I am nervous now because I'm worried that when the time comes, I wont be offered a bid and that the greek system will be too competitive at this southern school. How common is it for girls at Vanderbilt to not get any bids when it comes to recruitment and be cut from all the sororities they rush? What happens to them if it happens? Sorry for being a worrier-- I've just been thinking.</p>
<p>Since I’m male, I’ve obviously never been through the process, though one of my friends was talking to me about this a few days ago. Usually, you can get through the first round no problem, unless your grades suck (or you’re just a ******bag). After that, if you’re generally friendly and/or hot, you’ll make it through the process. If you don’t suicide on bid night, you’ll definitely get into a sorority (… apparently most people get cut because they suicide, i.e. they say “I MUST get into this one sorority and if I don’t, I’m NOT going to join any other sorority”). Sorry if there’s any false information here, I’m sure I’m not the most suited for answering this question.</p>
<p>Every sorority system (but one) accepts a large majority of those who rush and are willing to accept any sorority that invites them to join. The vast majority of those who do not end up in a sorority decided that they only wanted particular houses. In other words, they could have been in a sorority if they wanted to, just not their sorority of choice. The number of women cut by all the chapters is usually tiny, well under 10% and often as low as 5 or 10 individuals.</p>
<p>Indiana is the only exception to this pattern in the whole country.</p>
<p>My D, who just completed rush at Vandy, said that, if a girl “maximizes her options” during rush by accepting all invitations extended during every round and ranking all houses she has left on pref night, she is guaranteed a bid. Only if a girl cuts houses herself by declining invitations is she not guaranteed a bid. She may not end up in the house of her dreams but she will end up with a bid.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure sororities are required to offer people who don’t suicide bids. So as long as you’re okay with being in a less popular one, it’s not an issue.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt’s sorority rush is just about as organized and well-run as you’ll find anywhere. Yes, if you don’t suicide, you are guaranteed a spot somewhere. The pledge classes are really large and people usually find it user-friendly, if you don’t limit yourself. The fraternity rush is underground, and completed in December of the fall semester. I don’t think some groups even have rounds in the spring, because they are done. It’s really the worst I’ve ever heard of.</p>
<p>Just to clarify, it is possible. You are not guaranteed a bid at all unless you make it to pref round at at least one house. If you do make it to pref round at one or more houses, you are guaranteed a bid to one of those houses as long as you rank all of them. It is possible however, that one could be cut from all of the houses before pref round in which case one would not receive a bid (I know three girls who this happened to). As long as you are a fabulous, bubbly, well-put-together person, however, it should not be too hard to receive a bid somewhere, and every chapter at Vandy is fantastic :)</p>
<p>hi! as a current upperclass sorority woman at vanderbilt i can tell you it is possible to be “released” from all of the houses during rush. you can be released any round up until preference night. if you attend a house on preference night and have ranked all of the houses throughout recruitment (meaning you have not removed any houses from the list of houses you wish to return back to, including on preference night), you are guaranteed a bid. i don’t have exact statistics, but i don’t think that a significant amount of girls are released. don’t get me wrong- there are certainly some this happens to, but it is not very likely. if a girl does not receive a bid during recruitment it is much more likely that they released themselves because they did not like the houses they were asked back to.</p>
<p>hope this helps!</p>
<p>im in a sorority but bitter as %^&* about the process… I’m putting out a clarification right now that what I’m about to say is coming from someone who was basically screwed by the process right alongside most of my friends. if you want the real full story PM me but here’s my rantings of the scary truths</p>
<ul>
<li>all throughout the recruitment process, they will tell you that everything works out the way it should and that people end up where they’re meant to be, etc… not to scare anyone off, but it’s not always true.</li>
<li>for the top houses, it’s all about who you know before you get here/who you become friends with first semester. just the honest truth… </li>
<li>the houses aren’t what the seem from the outside. your opinions that you form all throughout first semester may change entirely during that one week of rush, and will definitely change after you become a member/withdraw from the process</li>
<li>a LOT more people than they like to admit end up withdrawing. panhel will tell you that only a few girls drop and very few aren’t given bids… simply not true. i know dozens of girls who withdrew and a few who were released. the process is flawed beyond belief</li>
</ul>
<p>maybe for a lot of girls things work out… but for a lot they don’t.
i can give you a more positive message in PM but the process isn’t all happy and positive like they make it out to be.</p>
<p>I still have nightmares of my rush at VU–and it was only, let’s see, 26 years ago. I fell through (no bids) my first year and pledged my sophomore year. (Read on, though!)</p>
<p>Everyone was pretty nice during rush, but, bottom line, if you’re not particularly plugged in before you arrive on campus, it can be tough territory to navigate. I was overly sensitive anyway and so I took it very hard. Unlike the college app process, rush can’t be written off as a numbers or demographics game when it doesn’t go your way. I admired the girls who were dropped by their sororities of choice and moved on happily. I never quite recovered my confidence but stayed at VU, had good friends, and graduated. </p>
<p>Life does go on, I’m glad to say. I didn’t meet my (VU grad) husband until my late twenties, and our greek experiences could not have been more different. He loved every minute of those days–sailed through rush, etc. etc. His fraternity brothers are some of the finest people I know. So don’t lose perspective, whatever you decide.</p>
<p>Sorority rush is stressful at every school and Vanderbilt is no different. It is also an exciting and rewarding experience that does not really have a parallel. That said, there is a chance of being cut, however, as it has been said before, if you “maximize your options” and do not suicide, there is a very good chance you will receive a bid. With the new ZTA chapter on campus it is almost a given.</p>