does gpa matter a lot during rush?

Nobody cares about you act. If you don't have at least a 3.0 you will be cut by at least 6 if not more sororities after the first round. Guaranteed.

As long as your GPA is at least a 3.0 you'll be fine

The easiest cut for the sororities to make is for grades. With a 3.0 you should be fine. Below that and you have problems. Having a 30 on your ACT and a low GPA signals a problem. The alumnae will see you as somebody who doesn't care about academics. Same as somebody who has thousands of volunteer hours and a low GPA. Academics usually comes first especially since having the highest GPA on campus is huge bragging rights!

I honestly don't think it matters. I had a 3.8, 31 ACT, long résumé of awards and honors, extracurriculars. I spoke to the president at several houses. Girls complimented my outfits and my manicure. I was only invited back to three houses for skit. I love my house, but honestly, the lists are mostly made before you even walk in the door. Girls in several sororities told me I was from the wrong area because they'd met their quota for that area. I'm from MS.

If you are being honest as you said in your post, based on personality and looks phi mu and kappa are not only as selective but more selective when it comes to those standards. Chi O,Kd and DG have way more "Legacies" and girls with questionable personalities than DDD,Phi Mu or KKG. Just take a little look on facebook and you will see that pictures don't lie. And photos don't' care what city in MS you were from or what your grade point was in high school. Looks like you are getting a little nervous that people are starting to say top 6 instead of always top 4.I'm completely confident in my sororities top tier status and I welcome competition. The true cut off is after six.

Yes, it matters. No, your mom is not making it up. Reputation matters, too. As does everything else on your resume unless you are a legacy. You can still come in and charm everyone but if you want to cover your bases keep your grades up. Some houses take more legacies but then they also get their choice from the non-legacies who want their daughters to be legacies someday. It's been going on 50+ years so that isn't a bad plan, ha.

Grades are the easiest way for sororities to cut girls by the masses. If you have a 3.0 or higher and have a good personality and looks you should be fine. Don't expect bottom tier houses to take you with bad grades either because that's a big thing they look for when rushing girls and first cuts are based on grades

Yes, you need at least a 3.0 or you will get cut from the majority of houses!

There's only a need to be concerned if you're GPA is lower than a 3.0-- You can still get in with a lower GPA, everything else just needs to be spot on. You're considered a "high grade risk" at Ole Miss if your GPA is lower than a 2.7-- I'm pretty sure the panhellenic average is a 3.1 (just for reference)

I am a sophomore transfer student, and want to rush next semester, however I have a 2.5 GPA. I am very likable and am confident in my looks and personality. I have had impressive summer internships and a good resume. Will sororities be understanding that I am adjusting to a new school and that next semester I will have better grades? Or will they immediately be turned off before meeting me? Thanks for your responses!