ripped jeans

ripped jeans are fine for the two unity days! also, yes it is normal for girls to work.

It's great that you're already considering the costs of being in Greek - lots of girls in the houses at Cal do not come from wealthy backgrounds and work their way through college, are receiving financial aid and scholarships, and/or have taken out student loans. The dues and rent of the houses should be included in the PNM recruitment booklet, make sure to check those numbers out because they vary quite a bit (to the point that it's sometimes cheaper to live in!). Some of the houses also have policies on eating meals there that are included in your dues which can probably helpful in managing costs.

The way you physically present yourself is super important as there are so many people going through recruitment and its hard to stand out in a positve way. When people ask I suggest only that the outfit reflect who they are in a positive way and be appropriate to the situation. Ripped jeans are part of mainstream fashion these days but I am not totally sure that they would be considered 'acceptable' based on traditional recruitment standards. In general recruitment isn't a great time to take fashion 'risks' outside your comfort zone. I hear you on the financial issues of being greek. Its honestly expensive and just to be safe look not only at the listed costs but keep in mind that you need to budget a bit extra for socializing/clothes/events etc. Its hard to generalize on this category but you definately need some kind of cushion to protect yourself. Also seek out financial aid and award funds (not usually available until 2nd year) which can definatey help. On the wardrobe side to keep costs down I would suggest focusing on a basic wardrobe of classic mix and match pieces and a couple cute dresses and you should be good to go! Good luck and don't forget to SMILE!