rush

So if I wanted to rush a top house but didn't grow up in the rich highland park or like McKinney/Plano/frisco area of Dallas then I probably shouldn't waste my time?

Maybe yes/no. As for me, I can only speak for myself. I'm currently in a sorority considered by some to be "snobby" but I didn't go to private school or HP/Memorial. My parents are both working professionals but not super wealthy by any means. My high school was full of nerdy kids who went to UT, Rice, Tulane, and northeast liberal arts schools and joining Greek Life would be like "oh my god that's so conformist" so I didn't have any high school connections. I knew of some older girls from other high schools in my area from debate and they knew of me but I wouldn't say we're close and we didn't talk often. Best comparison I could make to the DFW area would be Richardson HS. I've always had a passion for travel so during rush that's what I would talk about. It just so happens that at the house I'm in now I had the best conversation about my interests, and subsequent visits showed that we had similar interests so that's where I matched best. I also found their sense of humor best matched mine. Never think that you are wasting your time! Always be polite to the house that you are visiting. It just may be the case that it's harder to find common ground, but practice conversation and it will be easier!

When I rushed a few years ago, the houses were small enough so that each had a "type" and a certain culture, and yes there were the "rich" houses. However with the growth in number of girls rushing, those "rich" houses can't fill entire pledge classes with girls from the same handful of schools so I've noticed recently that they will branch out to the suburbs. Now if you're still from a teeny tiny town or from a more rural suburb, you might not feel comfortable, but a lot of the houses have gotten less exclusive lately.