Fraternity rush how does it work

We'll also discuss the dangers of hazing and explore fraternity life. Fraternities have their roots in the early college curriculum, when most colleges and universities taught the classics instead of the liberal arts. Phi Beta Kappa was and still is a literary society, a place for intellectual debate. The secrecy and rituals of modern social fraternities began with Phi Beta Kappa [source: Encarta ].

Social fraternities overtook literary ones as more colleges incorporated a liberal arts education. Kappa Alpha became the first social fraternity in The first black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha , was founded in as a support group for minority students at Cornell University.

Some social fraternities are further differentiated -- there are Jewish fraternities, Christian fraternities, and even some gay fraternities. In addition to social fraternities, there are also professional, academic and service fraternities.

These fraternities are coed. Depending on the type, they might be restricted by major or grade point average. Fraternity recruitment differs by campus. Typically, recruitment takes place at the beginning of the fall semester. But some colleges require that the process begin at the middle or the end of the summer so students have time to settle in and get their classes in order. Many fraternities also rush in the spring, especially if they didn't meet the quota for their fall pledge class. Rushing a fraternity is generally much more informal than rushing a sorority.

Fraternities often have a formal rush like sororities, but during rush, they also have informal events. During formal rush events, a potential new member would meet with all the fraternities, and depending on the university's guidelines, visit their houses as well. Informal rush events are usually parties. If someone's father, grandfather or other male relative was part of a certain fraternity, he may also want to join that fraternity and will be given special consideration during rush.

What are fraternities looking for? It depends on the fraternity. Recruitment is a time for a potential new member to get to know the brothers and see if the organization is something he might like to join. In turn, it's a time for the brothers to get to know the rushees and see if they'd fit in. If the brothers decide a potential new member is fraternity material, they'll extend a formal bid. Once the new member accepts the bid, he becomes a pledge.

To start a fraternity, you first have to decide if you want to start a chapter of an existing fraternity which would be called a colony until it is a recognized chapter or an entirely new Greek letter organization GLO. National fraternities have their own rules about starting a chapter, but will usually send a representative to a campus to help with the process. Universities also have guidelines about how an organization becomes a recognized campus fraternity.

The process of starting a fraternity begins with a core group of students who want to found it and who maintain a certain grade point average. There's also quite a bit of paperwork, including a lengthy application detailing the scholarship and philanthropy goals of the organization, as well a constitution and bylaws. National fraternities already have these documents, but new fraternities have to create them from scratch. In some fraternities, pledging is a process with multiple stages that can take up to a year and a half.

In other fraternities, pledging takes place over a matter of weeks. A big part of pledging is becoming familiar with the fraternity: learning about every single member, bonding with pledges, and learning about the founding members, the history of the fraternity and the Greek system as a whole. The other big part of pledging is proving oneself worthy of being made a brother.

Will the pledge uphold the ideals of the fraternity? Will he be someone they're proud to call a brother? Pledges in black fraternities and some other fraternities spend much of their pledge period learning how to step.

Stepping is a highly choreographed dance that involves stomping, clapping and chanting. The tradition rose out of the white fraternities' history of singing in glee club-style competitions. Each fraternity has a unique way of stepping, and many sororities now step as well. An initiated member's first step show is called a probate show. Fraternity brothers often involve pledges in exercises of loyalty and trust.

Pledges and brothers may also have a pledge project they work on together building something for the house , for example and be in charge of tasks like cleaning up after house parties. Pledges may do things for brothers, like serve as a designated driver on weekends. If the brothers feel a pledge has completed his pledge education to their satisfaction, he can be initiated into the brotherhood.

The actual initiation ceremony is shrouded in mystery. It may take several hours and involve chanting, robes, blindfolds and candlelight. The pledge will be initiated into the secrets of the fraternity, from secret mottoes and grips handshakes to passwords and the meanings behind rituals. He will be sworn to secrecy. Branding , or burning symbols into the skin with a heated object, is a tradition in black fraternities. Let alumni advisors in on the membership decision making.

They often have valuable insights and experience that they bring to the table. Consider using fraternity recruitment software. This way you can make the process easier with features like tracking PNM information in a central, online hub, voting electronically, and automating your bid list if your university uses ICS recruitment software.

Fraternity brotherhood is a lifelong growth process. Chapters who place leadership and continuing education at the forefront are building a better tomorrow, from PNM, to brother, to future professional and alumni.

OmegaFi provides software tools to fraternity chapters for recruitment, budgeting, communication, and more. See what we have to offer here or call us direct at Apple, the Apple logo and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Get Help! Log In Get Access. Fraternity Recruitment Basics Fraternity brothers know recruitment inside and out. But what exactly makes for successful fraternity recruitment? Make sure all brothers understand their role and expected conduct during rush.

All must work together to pull off a successful rush. Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy.

Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article Steps. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Author Info Last Updated: October 21, Decide why you are rushing.

This is the most important part, because if you don't know why you are there, then you will most likely be very unhappy with your decision down the road. People rush for many different reasons; some want a resume booster, some want to find a family, some do it because their parents want them to.

Don't rush a fraternity for other people, do it because you want to rush. Find a few good reasons, and stick to that. You don't want to tell one fraternity one reason and tell another reason to another fraternity; despite the rivalries, fraternities still cross-reference potentials with each other.

And above all, don't say you want to join a fraternity "to party and meet girls". Realize the commitment a fraternity involves. Most fraternities still have a pledge system there are a few that have done away with it and created a whole new system and pledging is a major commitment. Usually, pledging involves mandatory study hours, weekly meetings, projects, maybe even a group trip.

It's a drain on a college student's time, so make sure you have enough time to commit. It may also drain your bank account, because depending on which fraternity you join, parties, projects, house gifts, etc. How much you spend depends on which fraternity you join, and most are willing to help you find a job or a low-interest loan to help you in tight financial situations, so don't turn away from a fraternity just because the fees are the highest on Greek row.

Ignore the campus stereotypes. Don't let people make your decisions for you. Some people may refer to a certain fraternity in a positive light, some may refer to it in a negative light; the point is, people are unreliable and there is no better source than your own judgment.

Do your research. Find the place on your campus where fraternities advertise for their rush events. The best time to do this would be the first week of school, in the fall, because ALL of the fraternities will be there. Find out how many there are, what type of fraternity each one is, and what the rush events are for each one.

Even if you have no interest in rushing a particular fraternity, take a rush flier anyway; your opinion might change later.

Narrow your options. Most likely, there will be way too many fraternity houses to hit in one week unless your school has a formalized recruitment. Make a quick character judgment when you're picking up rush fliers, and decide on which ones you would most likely get along with.

Don't pick a fraternity because they hold the best parties or pull the most girls or because they dress the best, pick a fraternity because you like their character. Be yourself. This is one of the most important parts. Despite their reputations for being meat-heads, "frat guys" can spot superficiality very easily. If a fraternity doesn't like your personality, find one that does. Be upfront.