another soph post

I am a transfer student that will be rushing (gpa 3.7 and involved in extracurriculars and volunteering). Ive gone back and read all the posts about sophomore rushing. Everyone says to keep an open mind and I agree completely with that, but I want to know if that's just a nice way of saying you have a strong chance of being cut from "top house" because of your year. Also, someone said just not to mention your year in conversations during rush. I know that all houses are great but i really want to find a home that pushes me academically along with having great service and social opportunities. Any tips for my situation or opinions is great!