10 Things Fraternities Look for in Rushees

It’s that time of year again, so here is a must-read list of 10 things fraternities look for in rushees!

You’ve just arrived at college, and you want to meet as many cool people as possible. Those cool people include beautiful girls, too. Or guys, if that’s what you’re into. But we are swerving off the topic. Being a part of a fraternity is the best possible way to find support for studying and partying. Admit it; you’ve been waiting your whole life to leave home, parents and that nosy neighborhood (especially that old neighbor who must’ve been a spy in her previous life). And finally, there you are! Right on campus, and everyone is buzzing around with activity. It’s rush week again.

Rush week is a time of year when fraternities are trying to advertise themselves and get as most new members as possible. On the other side, there are eager freshmen ready to adopt the Greek lifestyle. Exactly, what happens during rush week? Fraternities are throwing all kinds of parties and social gatherings, and young aspiring rushees go round the campus and inquire about the fraternities. The excitement is mutual. Fraternities are also paying close attention to the possible candidates, so if you don’t want to mess it up, we have excellent fraternity rush tips that will help you be a success.

Have you already chosen yours? Check if it’s on our list of biggest fraternities and sororities in the US to get some additional details. They like it if you already know some good things about their organization. Everyone loves to be flattered (but be careful, there’s a fine line between flattering and sucking up). Furthermore, these are the easiest fraternities to get into.

Even though this may all seem pretty hilarious and trivial to some people, we are well aware our readers may feel rather anxious about the whole process, and for the right reason. For the majority of students, belonging to a fraternity or sorority becomes a major part of their college identity. And it’s not all about the parties either. Everyone has heard of famous leaders who were once belonged to a Greek house. George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Kennedy have all been fraternity members. Imagine having the most powerful man in the world as your college buddy. “Hey, man, how’s it going? OK, Mrs and I will be at your place (the White House) around 8. Can’t stay too long, I got some meeting in the morning.” Or maybe you can be late for work, because, after all, your fraternity bro is the president. Top that.

How to get a bid from a fraternity, and what happens after you get a bid is what you’ve been wondering for quite some time and fear not, we are here to help you out. The research was long and thorough. We consulted the very experts in the field, analyzed fraternity recruitment tips, questions to ask during fraternity rush and questions you might be asked. Basically, we saved a great deal of your time by searching through The Odyssey Online, Study Breaks, the inevitable Total Frat Move, Fresh U and ToBeAlpha. You already should know your strengths and weaknesses, so the tips are given in no particular order. Every freshman is an individual, and some traits you already possess others will have to develop in order to be accepted. Still, we advise you to be wise and think hard, for this is a serious matter. Put your ego aside and make sure you really match all the requirements! Because college is (Greek) life.

Therefore, let’s cut to the chase and show you 10 things fraternities look for in rushees. Good luck in getting those bids!

10. Be Talkative

Warning! Get that smirk off your face! There are lots of rules about this one. Being talkative doesn’t mean that you bore everyone with the stories of your successes, or that you show great interest by being super inquisitive. So, what to talk about during fraternity rush? Just take it easy and try to chat casually about some everyday student topics. Questions that you must avoid at all costs are: “Are you a rushee?” and “Are you an active?” Seriously, if you judge someone wrongly, they can get pretty offended, and you can say goodbye to your bid. Last but not the least, we said “student topics.” Leave the politics and any polarized attitudes aside. No one wants to hear about that. Got it? Good. Let’s move on.

9. Be Noticeable

We are continuing our list of things fraternities look for in rushees with an advice to be noticeable, but not a complete idiot. Being noticeable doesn’t mean that you should appear in a clown costume (no one likes scary clown pranks anyway), or show off your gym muscles in tight T-shirts. Therefore, don’t take this advice literally. It’s important to stand out in the crowd, and you can do so by being confident, relaxed and as we have mentioned before, by talking to different people.

8. Regular Attendance

No, we aren’t kidding. Regular attendance is one of the 10 things fraternities look for in rushees. You went to college to study and become a high flyer, not waste your time. Everybody loves easy-going guys who can party, but you have to be able to do that and study. Otherwise, you’ll just be a plain loser. Show that you can take some responsibility and pass your exams. Remember the presidents? They didn’t become head of state by cutting class all the time. Leave those childish things to high school kids.

7. Independence

By independence that is one of the things fraternities look for in rushees, we wish to say the following. No matter how desperate you might be to get into a certain fraternity, don’t you ever show it! Don’t let them smell your fear of not being accepted. Act cool, natural, as if entering fraternity is just one of the things on your to-do-list, or you’ve got ten fraternities bidding you. Not like your whole college experience is depending on it.

6. Honesty

Be honest in your answers. Not brutally honest, just don’t lie. Don’t brag about the things you haven’t achieved. Trust us, they know. If a frat wants to recruit you, they’ll dig up quite a lot about you, so don’t embarrass yourself by lying. Honesty is the best policy, believe it or not. Of course, some things are better left unsaid, so unless no one is asking, it’s best to keep your mouth shut.

5. Open-mindedness

Show that you are open minded by talking about some other topics apart from social events calendar or girls. The recruitment guy has been asked those same questions at least dozen of times before you came along. Try to think of some other questions, such as: “Is this fraternity involved in some community or voluntary work?” (all fraternities pride themselves with some charity or community work). Or try this: “How has this fraternity changed your life?/What do you like the most about your fraternity?/What’s your favorite part about being Greek?” Now, let’s see what else we have on our list of things fraternities look for in rushees.

4. Appropriate clothing

Remember what we told you about super tight t-shirts? Appropriate wear can leave a good impression. After all, we all judge people by their looks before we actually get to know them. Depending on the occasion, dress appropriately. Take a look at what the members are wearing and do the same. Everybody likes to hang out with people similar to them, don’t they?

3. Conversing with the ladies

We are continuing our list of things fraternities look for in rushees with a quality that is highly appreciated in all fraternities. As we have mentioned before, you should appear to be easy going and what better way to show it off than by chatting to the opposite sex? Make sure you are seen chatting casually to the sorority rushees. Never mind if you’re gay and not interested in females. Your fraternity members highly appreciate the fact you can entertain the ladies and lure them into visiting your fraternity house.

2. Respectfulness

If you respect yourself, you’ll respect the others, too. No one wants to listen to your criticisms of other people at the very beginning. You’ll just sound like a big gossip or someone who’s difficult to please. No one wants a nag in the house, right? Also, don’t act as if the whole world is yours because you’ve got two bids already. That can change any second. Just chill and show some respect to all houses.

1. Moderation in drinking alcohol

Admit it, you did not see this coming on a list of 10 things fraternities look for in rushees, but here it is. M-O-D-E-R-A-T-I-O-N. It seems everything you thought you had known about Greek life is falling apart, right? Take it easy; no one is asking for you to be 100% sober or drink milk at gatherings. It simply means that no one is going to be impressed by your vomit or the fact that you passed out in the yard. Or that you can’t remember all the things you screamed at those girls last night. Therefore, don’t take parts in drinking competitions (at least until you are fully accepted as a member), and don’t do drugs. Yes, that’s not something to brag about during rush week, so leave the cannabis discussions aside. Just in case.