CSU students take on rejection post-rush week

Colorado+State+University+students+sit+on+the+lawn+at+the+Lory+Sculpture+Garden+Sept.+20.

Collegian | Cat Blouch

Colorado State University students sit on the lawn at the Lory Student Center West Sculpture Garden Sept. 20. These students were participating in bid day, which is a part of the formal recruitment process for Greek life organizations on campus. Many chapters at CSU participate in the formal recruitment — or “rush” — experience. At the end of this experience, participants come together for bid day, when they find out which sorority or fraternity they have been accepted into.

Katherine Borsting, Life and Culture Reporter

The rise of #RushTok and Alabama rush content on social media has shown sorority rush week as a glamorous, multi-day process that can make or break a woman’s college experience.

Colorado State University held their recruitment Sept. 17-20. Many women on campus attended the events in hopes of finding a group they would fit best with.

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Compared to other schools around the country, CSU has a much simpler process. On the first day, each person attends every sorority, and they can return to up to five sororities the following day. As day three comes, they are only allowed to return to two sorority houses. 

Not everyone is given their top choice on the third day; some may get called back to houses they did not enjoy, and some don’t get called back at all.

“I feel like you have to be on your A-game all the time.” -Ingrid Dierkhising, first-year rush participant

A student at Colorado State University participates in bid day at the Lory Student Center West Sculpture Garden
A student at Colorado State University participates in bid day at the Lory Student Center West Sculpture Garden Sept. 20. “I just remember when I was a freshman, finally feeling that sense of home,” bid day participant Emma Hall said. (Collegian | Cat Blouch)

First-year Ingrid Dierkhising participated in recruitment this year and hoped to meet new friends and find a sense of home on such a big campus. She was not given a bid, although she was able to find some good in the process. 

“I’m glad I did it,” Dierkhising said. “It was interesting to go through, and I met a lot of people.”

She went on to say how sometimes conversations felt forced and there are a lot of do’s and don’ts on what can be said. It is encouraged to avoid discussing partying, relationships and other related things.

“I feel like you have to be on your A-game all the time,” Dierkhising said.

Initially, she was disappointed she did not receive a bid but is now happy she does not have to follow the rules that come along with it. 

“My biggest takeaway is you don’t need to be in a sorority to make a lot of friends,” Dierkhising said.

Many people hold the recruitment process to a high standard and anticipate being a part of their top choice during the experience. The CSU Panhellenic Association tries to stay away from a “top house” narrative. 

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Gilli Ryan was a recruitment coach during this fall’s recruitment and explained how the Panhellenic Association really tries to push the idea all the sororities are one large community.

“Recruitment is value-based here, and we try to let the girls know whatever house they end up in would be great,” Ryan said.

She went on to explain she thinks it is important to go through the process because it allows them to find a smaller circle in such a large school and meet people similar to them.

Many people do not end up staying in a sorority once given a bid. The term for leaving is “dropping” and can be done anytime while active in a sorority.

The process of recruitment is marketed as finding a “home;” however, some people are not able to click with a group, resulting in the decision to drop.

“I ended up leaving my sorority because I did not find what I was looking for,” CSU junior Isabelle O’Neill said. “I ended up meeting wonderful people outside of my sorority and did not have the friendships I thought I would get from being in a sorority.”

She went on to say how she just was not as passionate about the Greek life lifestyle as others were.

When asked if she regretted the decision, O’Neill said in the beginning, she had doubts, but as time went on, she was more sure of her decision.

Enjoyment of sorority life depends on the individual. There are many different outcomes of participating in recruitment, and there is no evidence that being in a sorority will be a deciding factor in the amount of fun someone has in college. 

Reach Katherine Borsting at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @katbor2025.