to fall rushees: about sororities

That being said, you're probably looking for a picture of some of the houses on campus, so I'm going to try to help out in an unbiased manner.

In alphabetical order...

AΔΠ: These girls are a diverse group. For the most part, they're seen as the "brainy" ones, as they generally have the highest GPAs. Many of them are also very involved in a lot of areas of school. Sometimes they can be seen as kind of awkward, some of them are very "sorority-ish," and a lot of them are somewhere in the middle. Partiers exist but aren't as prominent. Their pledge classes can be especially cliquey, but this year (2012-2013) was better.

AOΠ: This sorority, like ΑΔΠ, is very diverse, but more in a way where there are a few noticeable groups of girls. Some of them are partiers, some of them are more on the awkward side, but a lot of them are really, really nice. They have some involvement in their individual members but aren't known for it on the whole - unfortunately, their reputation has been that it's the sorority you join if you don't get a bid from the others. Lately, though, they've been improving - a lot of girls have found really great sisterhood here, and some of last year's girls have potential to set a great foundation for future girls.

ΧΩ: Chi O has a reputation for being very similar nationwide - a lot of these girls are not your conventional "sorority girl"; instead, many of them are pretty hipster or "granola." Some of these girls like to party, but overall...

...their reputation is that they're very laid-back and cool. They aren't as notably involved in campus leadership as some of the houses, but they're very well known and well liked by many.

ΦΜ: These girls are probably the most "cookie cutter" of all the houses on Samford; aside from a handful of partiers, they are all very, very similar: beyond sweet, somewhat quiet, and not overly involved. As far as sisterhood goes, they aren't overly cliquey, but they aren't as strongly unified in sisterhood as the "ideal sisterhood" might be. Overall, though, they are sweet girls.

ZTA: Zeta probably has the most various opinions of them on campus, and part of that stems from the fact that Zetas differ from each other - maybe not as much as ADPi or AOII, but a cookie cutter won't fit these girls as well as Phi Mu or even Chi O. For the most part, Zetas are widely regarded as the socialite partiers of campus (which is still nowhere near as severe a label as it would be at a bigger school). Though this label does cover a larger portion of their girls pretty well, several Zetas are the complete opposite - sugary sweet, toned down, and not big on the party scene.

I hope this is helpful, and remember - choose your sorority (or choose not to join!) based on YOU and how you feel that you fit. Rush may not be ideal, you might not get your first pick, or you might decide to drop, but the one thing that most people agree on about the process is that it shows you where you need to be. Good luck!

If Phi Mu is not "overly involved" how did they end up winning 4 Greek Life Year End Awards last year, Philanthropy, Academic, IM Champs and Greek Woman of the Year? That was more than ANY other house! Also 2 homecoming reps, lots of Miss Samford's, Miss Alabama, Orientation Leader, Ambassadors, several SRTs , SGA, cheerleaders and the list goes on. They even one a big national award for several years running for raising so much money for Children's Miracle Network. As far as sisterhood, my roommate last year was a Phi Mu and she was always doing stuff with her sisters and her big and Phi Mu family. Hmmmmm... Maybe they are just humble or you have another reason why you want people to not get a real picture. The one thing you got right is they are sweet. Oh and I have lots of Zeta friends too. Nice girls. Stop planting seeds of poison under a veil of "concern"...

You know exactly what you are doing, and that is fomenting rumors. You are not being helpful, you are being tacky, under the guise of being "helpful."

Don't want to disparage any of the houses? Then don't post statements like you did. If you are sincere in not wanting to disparage, remove your posts. You are not promoting good feelings, good will, or the panhellenic spirit. Shame on you!

Furthermore, why don't you just let the PNMs discover each chapter for themselves, form their own opinions and make their own decisions.

I wrote a really long message breaking down things about the houses, for the most part they agree with whoever "upperclassmen" is, but I decided to delete it because I looked back on my rush experience and how hard it was for me to let go of "labels" because of sites like this.

To incoming freshmen:
take everything you read here with a (huge) grain of salt. Sorority girls get on here to tear down (or self rank) other chapters so all you're hearing is the worst. I let what other people thought of me get in the way when I rushed, and I wish I hadn't. You're not in high school anymore (though it can at times feel like it when there's only like 15 people in your class); you find your group and nothing outside of that really matters. The only time labels matter is during rush when you're sitting in that waiting room and people are gossiping with one another. Cliche as this sounds, be yourself and stay true to your heart and you'll end up in the right place... Even if it isn't your first choice.