WU women continue to rush in increasing numbers
Evan Freedman | Student LifeOf the 376 women who participated, 345 in recruitment received bids. The total number of women participating has expanded by about 20 to 40 people for each of the past five years.
Washington University’s Greek Life Office is currently working to figure out the causes of the increases through pre-surveys and follow-up surveys about the recruitment process, according to Lucy Morlan, coordinator of chapter development for Greek Life.
“We still need to analyze the data,” Morlan said. “We’re obviously excited about it but are curious to know what’s changed in the course of the past five years that’s gotten interest much higher than it’s been in the past.”
She noted that one possible factor for the elevated interest could be that students who have positive sorority experiences promote Greek life to their friends.
Morlan added that sorority recruitment has begun to see greater involvement from athletes due to a more flexible rush schedule.
Previously, women participating in rush had to attend all of the activities for the full amount of time. But for the past couple of years, recruitment has become more accommodating to athletes’ practice and game schedules.
“We do more individualized schedules to allow them to still be able to participate,” Morlan said.
While about 100 more girls rushed than four years ago, she said that sororities are not more selective in their bids.
“When you look at the percentage of people that go through versus the number of people that actually receive bids, the numbers are about the same,” Morlan said. “The way that recruitment is set up is to maximize the number of people that actually get bids. The goal is to put you someplace in our Greek community that matches up with you.”
She said the increase in recruitment numbers is causing chapter expansion as well. For this semester, the average chapter has 158 members.
Morlan noted that the larger numbers are pushing chapters to find new ways to make sorority involvement a special experience.
“If these numbers are going to increase, how do we still make this an intimate setting and experience [so] that it’s not just this really huge group there?” she said. “It will be interesting to see where the women take that. I think it will be fun for them, but I think it will also be challenging at times.”
Freshman Emi Tagashima, who accepted a bid from Alpha Omicron Pi, explained the efforts of her chapter to introduce new members to the rest of the chapter community.
“It will probably be hard to know all [members], but they do a really good job of introducing you to a lot of people. But there’s a lot of people and a lot of names,” Tagashima said.
that’s really funny how some girls come to school a week early and pay money to not even receive a bid.
This is such a shame. As a former member of a sorority at Wash U, I am disappointed in the way Wash U Greek Life has evolved. I am originally from the South, and live there now, and Southern schools actually understand how sororities should operate. Sororities are not meant to have such large new member classes and such large membership.
This is something that should never be said–>“It will probably be hard to know all [members], but they do a really good job of introducing you to a lot of people. But there’s a lot of people and a lot of names,” Tagashima said.
The purpose of a sorority is to build a sisterhood, to have closeness and friendship with your sisters. That cannot happen in such a large group of women! The classes inevitably divide into cliques, defeating the purpose of a sorority.
“…larger numbers are pushing chapters to find new ways to make sorority involvement a special experience.” Sororities should be a special experience. If larger numbers cause that to come into question (and they do), the numbers need to go down.
I would highly encourage Wash U Greek life to promote selectivity. Not everyone needs to or should get into a sorority. It is not even necessary for the majority of women rushing to do so. If you need help making change, I highly suggest conferring with a Southern school’s Greek Life Office.
I’m from the South, and part of what makes sororities so selective at big southern state schools is that there can only be so many people in each sorority because they have houses, and they have more sororities. Part of what makes Greek Life popular at WashU is the fact that it’s NOT like it is at some of those other schools. Also, if a student wants to be part of a sorority and the members of that sorority want you to be a part of their chapter, why should numbers change that?
Why should numbers change that? As I said, if you read what I wrote, is that it is a far less personal experience and it’s impossible to be close with that many sisters, defeating the purpose of a sorority. Are you in one?
This is misinformation. Many large southern schools have new member classes that are similar in size to Washington University, or bigger. Quota at Vanderbilt this semester was 49. Quota at Alabama was 73 fir freshmen. Quota at Ole Miss is usually around 80. University of Central Florida has quota that is well over 50, and has been for 15 years. Quota at Arkansas was 131 this year. Quota at Kentucky was 58 this year. Quota at Texas Tech was 52 this year.
Quota is not a function of how selective the Greek system is. Very competitive Greek systems (like Arkansas!) can have huge new member classes.