sorority comments

Technically yes, the amount of girls rushing for COB ratio to the amount of spots is better BUT there are some cons:

1.) Not every house will have COB. Interest in the Greek community has shot up because of it being a sensible/low-cost housing option

2.) If you do Fall COB: You wont have a bid day, and inevitably your "new member semester" which is usually between 5-8 weeks, is cut shorter.

3.) Because you didnt go through formal recruitment, you dont know if the house your "cob-ing" is the best match for you. You could have been matched with a better fit through formal recruitment.

4.) PLEASE KNOW that NO HOUSES are particiating in Spring COB/Rush during Spring 13. This is to allow the new Panhellenic expansion sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, to recruit members. They may be an option, and will have a segment during fall recruitment where they will talk to PNMs. ZTA doesnt have a house, but they have a STRONG nationals, and will most likely have the lowest dues.

I agree w/below. The only pro to COB really is that you save 50 bucks not having to register for formal fall recruitment. If your interested in COB, check the panhellenic website shorty after FFR concludes. They'll have dates/times for each house's COB events, and what the dress is.

Wow, the ranks on the left are really accurate! This is how I would place the houses.

Top
KKG
DG/SK
PiPhi

Mid
AOPi/ChiO
AXO
APhi

Bottom
GPhiB/DDD
ADPi/Theta

Yeah, I agree that reputation is important. More than the "tiers," however, I'd specifically advise PNMs to avoid houses with shady reps and rumors of hazing (you don't want to risk this, trust me!), no matter what their tier. I'm calling you out Pi Phi, Alpha Phi and ADPi. I'm warning you to beware. Bad reps also causes houses to slip in the rankings year by year. Go for houses that enjoy clean reps instead, you'll be much happier there.

Top tier: you'll get in if you're hot and/or rich. Often envied, because they're top, but the downside is people often assume they're snobby or not intelligent.

Middle tier: you'll get in if you're pretty and have a good personality. These houses are very good looking but not quite like the top, and very good personalities but not as friendly as bottom tier.

Bottom tier: you'll get in if you're really nice an friendly, even if you're just average or below in looks. These girls are known for sisterhood above all, but not remarkable in appearance. If you don't consider yourself a sorority type, look to these houses which are more low key.

Do the houses have a certain "look" and do the mainly try to find girls who fit in with that look?

Sororities are very white compared to Cal in general. The tops are almost all white. Middle sororities are more diverse but you have to be pretty and get along with the girls. Bottom houses have less of a certain look. Specifics: Kappa, Pi Phi are blonde. DG is more brunette. SK/APhi have the fake tan look. Chi O and AOPi and AXO are pretty and kind of a mix. ADpi is plain. GPhi is okay, lots of minorities, same with DDD. Theta is a mix of 'unattractuve

Agreed with below, the top 3 sororities are almost all white, though DG is far less blonde. And yes, the middle sororities are pretty selective, but it matters more that you're pretty and friendly versus having a specific appearance (i.e., very thin or very tall or having a certain hair color). GPhiB, Tridelt, Theta, and ADPi don't focus so much on image. That's why some people say that all the houses are attractive except the bottom.

Is it really true that some houses just take freshmen? Iread this on here somewhere and was just wondering if this is really the case. Which houses take juniors rushing and isit that much harder to get picked as a junior? I plan to rush next fall and I'm currently in my sophomore year here at Cal.

not at all! all houses do end up taking sophomores/ juniors, but the top houses tend to take very few. to get a bid from the top houses you need to be exceptional during rush or already have friends in the house that can put in a good word for you. middle houses don't care about your year as much but if it comes down between two people equally as good, they will probably take a freshman over you. also, be prepared to kind of have an "excuse" for why you didn't rush earlier because they will probably ask during rush.

overall, yes it is more difficult to get a bid from some houses if you are older, but it is definitely possible and i've seen it a lot!