As sorority rush week ends, number of girls accepting bids holds steady

Though the University does not formally recognize sororities, Greek life has continued to attract a steady number of freshman and sophomore girls in the past few years.

While this year fewer girls initially chose to participate in rush — which ended this weekend — more girls continued through the rush process to its conclusion, according to Helena Phillibert '03, chair of the Panhellenic society on campus.

Last year, about 165 girls registered to rush, while only 150 registered this year. However, last year only 107 girls stuck with rush until the end to find out which sororities gave them bids, while this year 111 girls went through the entire process.

"We had less to begin with but a lot less drop outs," Phillibert said. Overall, Princeton's sororities only had a difference of four or five girls as new members, she said. "It's been pretty steady."

After registering to rush, the girls are separated into four groups that attend the sororities' parties where they meet members and learn about the each sorority's qualities. After two days of attending all four parties, girls are selectively invited back for the third night, and must narrow their choices down to three if they are invited back to all four. After the third night the girls must pare their choices down to two, and after attending final parties write down their preference. If the sorority a girl "prefs" also chooses her, she becomes a new member.

"It's intense, but it's pretty painless," Phillibert said.

Each sorority takes between 20 and 30 girls each year, but the number of new members can vary. This year the quota set by the Panhellenic society was 27 new pledges per sorority, a number based on how many girls rush.

"Tri-Delt takes a lot less [new members] because it's smaller," said Phillibert, who is a Tri-Delt herself. She also added that most of the girls who drop out do so because they did not get a bid from their desired sorority.

Though the national office of Tri Delta has the policy of not disclosing rush information to the press, Lucy Milligan '04, the vice president of public relations for Delta Delta Delta said in an email that the group is really excited about its new pledges. "It looks like this is going to be a great year for Tri Delta," she said.

Kappa Alpha Theta filled the quota with 25 freshman and two sophomores as new pledges, said sorority president Erin Tunstill '03. "Since I've been on campus, we have always filled to quota, but the quota has been bigger" in previous years, Tunstill said in an email.

"We have a great new group of girls . . . who are already very actively involved in other activities on campus," she said.

All 27 girls Kappa Kappa Gamma sent bids to accepted, Kappa president Angela Giron '03 said in an email. "I am so excited about the upcoming year. Our new member class is vibrant, talented and diverse," she said. "Now that Rush is over, I definitely feel that the renewed energy of the 93 women in our chapter will make the year fun and memorable."

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Pi Beta Phi also accepted 27 new pledges, said president of the sorority Alison Franklin.

Each of Princeton's sororities hosts social events and mixers, but they also do a lot of community service, and each sorority is affiliated with at least one philanthropic cause, Phillibert said. Kappa works with the Rose McGill Foundation, a scholarship program.

The Tri-Delts raise funds for Children's Cancer Charities, which encompasses many charitable organizations including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The Pi Beta Phi sorority supports the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, while the Court Appointed Special Advocates is the national philanthropy of the Thetas.

The fraternites on campus are also concluding their rush process. Unlike the sorority rush process, potential male pledges rush one fraternity. Most campus fraternites are now in the process of initiations.