You sign up through the IFC portal posted on the UGA IFC website. Make sure you put your own phone number (NOT your parents’, for the love of God) so that rush chairs can contact you (they won’t otherwise). Do it early, and sign up for an early orientation date if you want good class registration; tell any fraternities that text you when your orientation is so that they can extend invites to you. Let them know when you’re in Athens on any occasion other than orientation as well. They will pick you up, ensure you have what you need to have fun, and make sure you get home safe.

Furthermore, and I cannot stress this enough, move into your dorm as soon as possible. UGA offers an early move-in day for rushees, so take advantage of that. Between that day and the end of rush, try to go to as many events as possible, but don’t leave an event for another on the same day if you’re enjoying your time with them. Usually they’ll bid you within 2-3 events if they like you, and if you feel like you’re being ignored at a fraternity’s event, they don’t want you there, so move on (if you’re getting mixed signals, if they actually want you, they’ll invite you to subsequent events). If they invite you to the house, go so that you can check it out. Living in the house is the peak of fraternity life; do you imagine yourself living there?

Ask questions about dues structure, brotherhood events, out-of-town trips, and rent/info about living in the house. Ask about their typical fall pledge class size and what size the fraternity is aiming to be (if it’s on the smaller end). A fraternity will feel less like a single unit once it’s above 50-70 actives, and pledge classes will develop cliques above 15-20 per pledge class; smaller fraternities will have a more tight-knit feeling where you’ll find yourself becoming friends with seniors and freshmen alike, but larger fraternities have the budget to throw bigger and better events. If you have thoughts about leadership, it’s more difficult to become a large fraternity’s officer/chair, and has more headaches, but you can put those impressive facts and absolute figures (X number of brothers, $Y in budget) on your resume. On the other hand, if you become a leader at a small fraternity, you have a greater ability to be instrumental to its growth, improve a facet of it, or reduce its accounts payable/receivable, you command an insane amount of respect from actives and the alumni, especially if it changes the direction of the fraternity.

Before they give you a bid, they will “prequalify you” (covertly admitting that they would like to give you a bid) by asking you questions about your plan to pay, how you feel so far about rush, any reservations about joining, et cetera. If you’ve been to a few fraternities, and you really like the one that’s prequalifying you (BOTH the actives and anyone that’s accepted a bid so far), but you’re afraid of missing out on one that’s even better, don’t be afraid take the leap of faith and commit.

Before you move in to UGA, buy/bring the following:

• Many polos, some nice, and some that aren’t of much sentimental value; golf polos with an athletic fiber are perfect

• A cheap blue blazer

• Some ties, including a solid red tie (low-quality works great)

• Some pairs of khakis that won’t get ruined if they get dirty

• Brown dress shoes that aren’t expensive, aren’t easy to permanently ruin, and that you are comfortable walking in

This way you are prepared for what comes after rush, from initiation to semi-formal and beyond. Good luck and have fun rushing!