What is the rush process like?
Rush (often called “recruitment”) is the process where prospective members (i.e. incoming freshmen and unaffiliated upperclassmen) sample various fraternities and decide which, if any, of those organizations they would like to be a part of. It is also a time for the organizations to sell their values and identities to prospective members. Northwestern mandates a delayed rush, meaning that freshmen are not allowed to receive “bids” (invitations to join) during Fall Quarter and formal rush does not occur until the first week of Winter Quarter. There is also a time called the “Freshman Freeze,” a time from the beginning of New Student Week until the end of the second week of classes when freshmen are not allowed to enter Fraternity houses. Rush week occurs during the first week of Winter Quarter, at which time Freshmen are allowed to enter houses and determine what fraternity is a right fit for them.
