<p>I really don't know whether or not I want to "go greek." I was wondering, though, what exactly does pledging entail exactly? I don't even really know what goes on as far as completing that, getting a bid, etc.</p>
<p>First there is Rush at the beginning of the Semester. I think the first week of September. Rushing means you meet all the brothers and sisters from all the different fraternities and soriorties. If they like you and want you they will then offer you a bid. By accepting this bid you then go into the pledge process which I think is a semster long. </p>
<p>If you are some what interested of going greek, you should rush. I plan I rushing just to see how it is. </p>
<p>Any current students in Greek right now and could shed light on their experiences?</p>
<p>how common are gays in the frats. i dont mean like an individual frat for specifically gay guys.</p>
<p>Rush for sure. Its free; its a lot of fun; and its a great opportunity to meet people whether you end up pledging or not. </p>
<p>So basically heres how it works (for fraternities) First, theres pre-rush. Every house just basically hosts a party. Its a good chance to get a feel for each house, meet other freshmen, etc </p>
<p>The next week is rush. First night of rush every house will have an open-house. Theyll barbeque, the brothers will be out, and you can just go around and talk to people at different houses Again, the idea is to get a sense of which houses you like. </p>
<p>Then each subsequent night of the week, each house has a different event (concerts, bowling, hookah, etc.). These events are free and can be a lot of fun. So if you like a certain house, you go to their events, get to know the brothers, meet new people, express your interest in joining the house, etc. </p>
<p>Toward the end of rush week, each house will hold invite-only events. So if youve been rushing a house, and the guys in that house think youd be a good fit, theyll invite you. Then comes bid night when each house gives out bids. </p>
<p>You can accept or reject a bid. </p>
<p>So then, if you are offered a bid and you accept, then you become a pledge. The length of the pledge period varies from house to house, but you should anticipate that itll last most of the semester. The purpose of pledging is to allow you: 1) to bond with your pledge brothers, 2) get to know all the active brothers in the house, and 3) to demonstrate your commitment to the house. </p>
<p>After pledging is over, youre initiated. Then youre an active brother in the fraternity. </p>
<p>I highly recommend rushing and pledging. Id be happy to answer any questions about it.</p>
<p>can anyone talk about the sororities? is the process any different?</p>
<p>With sororities, the whole process is similar, but a bit more formal. You spend a week rushing- you are put in a group with the other Potential New Members (PNMs), and together each day you visit all the houses and speak with the girls there. The first two days are conversation days, then house tours, you have brunch with them, etc. all leading up to bid night. Throughout this week you narrow down the list of houses you like, and they decide if they like you. If your lists jive- you return the last day when you're choosing between two houses (there are 10 in total). You are then offered a bid from one house, and you can choose to accept or decline it.</p>
<p>From then on, there's a more relaxed pledging, which usually lasts 1/2 the semester. Pledging pretty much just involves getting to know your house more. Then you are initiated and are an active member.</p>
<p>Here's the official website for sorority recruitment:
<a href="http://www.uscpanhellenic.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.uscpanhellenic.com/</a></p>
<p>Unlike fraternity recruitment, sorority recruitment is not free...so sign up early because the registration fee will go up!</p>
<p>Is there spring recruitment? I think things might be hectic enough as is in fall what with starting classes, etc.</p>
<p>IFC fraternities do recruitment in both the fall and the spring. </p>
<p>But I'm pretty sure that PHC sororities only do recruitment once each year - in the fall.</p>
<p>So there's a registration fee... anything else? is it expensive to be in a sorority?</p>
<p>stressed4college: Yes, that's exactly right.</p>
<p>sjw2011: It is very expensive to be in a Panhellenic sorority. You can expect dues to be around $1500-$2000 per semester. However, if you live in the house, dues + rent + meals all combined will actually be cheaper than USC housing + mandatory meal plan. Factoring in all miscellaneous expenses, being in a sorority and being outside of a sorority are about the same financially as long as you live in, starting...say...your sophomore year. ;)</p>
<p>And if you're worried about being too busy for recruitment, this year will be less hectic than previous years because only one recruitment day falls on a weekday:</p>
<p>Conversation Day - Sunday, Sept. 2 and Monday, Sept. 3,
House Tours Day - Friday, Sept. 7,
Slideshow Day - Saturday, Sept. 8,
Preference and Bid Night - Sunday, Sept. 9</p>