Both the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Councils expect the rush process to successfully match a vast majority of -- if not all -- participants to Greek houses.
After disappointing a group of women who did not receive bids during rush last year, Panhell once more predicts being able to successfully offer bids to all rushees, due to a low number of people registering.
With the first meeting taking place later today and round zero starting on Thursday, around 250 women have registered for rush, a number that continues to grow. By Thursday, 275 to 300 women are expected to have signed up, said Panhell Rush Chair Julie Calderon '01 said.
Although Panhell has not officially asked the houses to accept all participants of rush, "the feeling I get from the [sorority] rush chairs is that everybody is going to work their best to make it happen," Calderon said.
"Any woman that wants to be involved with the Greek system should be," she added. "I think that's something really positive."
Neither Calderon nor Panhell President Alexandra Kremer '01 believed that last year's disappointments contributed to the lower number of women who signed up. As many as 298 women joined the rush process last year, more than the number of available spaces.
"[The number of women] changes from year to year," Kremer said. "Each class is different, each year is different."
Although Kremer did not think this year's lower number can be attributed to anything, Calderon said that the Student Life Initiative might have discouraged some women from joining rush.
"[There are] a lot of changes are going on with the Greek system," Calderon said. "That probably accounts for a little bit."
Delta Delta Delta sorority's secession from the Council on Fraternities, Sororities and Coed houses will not affect their participation in the rush process. Tri-delt is still a member of Panhell, which is the organization that runs rush, which is in no way influenced by the CFSC.
Rush for the sophomore women starts Sept. 21, and will last for a week and a half. The first round is called the philanthropy round, and asks participants to make care packages for local hospitals. The IFC will hold rush from Oct. 3 to Oct. 5.
A computerized survey that tracked the success rate of rush implemented last year reported 95 percent of men successfully joined a fraternity house, alleviating concerns that the system was too exclusive.
"We're hoping to do something similar." IFC President Michael Johnson '01 said.
For the first time, the IFC will organize a question and answer session for participants on Sept. 25, in order to provide more information about the rush process. IFC Rush Chair Andrew Fishman '02 said that in past years, participants had been unclear exactly what rush procedures were, relying mostly on word-of-mouth.
"We're trying to make it so that people make the most informed choices that they can," Fishman said. "Our job is to provide as much information as possible."
The IFC recommends visits to the houses before rush period so that they have a better idea whether they would like to join the house. Participants are also encouraged to rush at least four houses, to increase the chances of receiving an invitation.
"Ideally we want everyone to get into a house," Johnson said. "We do our best to make sure that happens."
For those who rush four houses, the IFC will submit their names to houses that are looking for more members if they did not receive an invitation by the end of the rush period.
Pledge period will begin on Oct. 9 and will last until the end of Fall term.
