so

probably a little bit of both.

the top 6 sororities are great, but so are the others... there's kind of just a two tier system at usc - not really upper, middle, or lower, but sororities outside of the top 6 would be top tier at any other school. the only difference i can tell is that outside of the top 6 is just more of a mixed bag - more girls from outside the south who might not have a good/neutral/whatever reputation going into rush, etc., but all of them have "hot" girls.

don't worry about the top 6 - come into rush with an open mind and go where you are happy, but most importantly, don't (negatively) cry, pout, or whine on bid day if you don't get what you "think" you want - it's deeply insulting and disrespectful to devoted sisterhoods and makes you look like an idiot. give whoever bids you a chance, and if it really isn't a good fit, you have some time to drop.

It’s just that all the sororities here are so great there isn’t really one or two that stand out as “top” or better than all the others. Each one has over 300 girls, which means there is a mix of all different types of girls in each one. Yes, each sorority does tend to look for certain types of girls that uphold their core values such as academics, leadership ability, etc. There is a “top six” that you tend to hear about, but that certainly does not mean that you “aren’t good” for being in a sorority that isn’t considered one of these top six. Everyone picks their house for different reasons and the point of recruitment is to find the best fit for you. People who choose their sorority based on “status” end up unhappy in the end.