Not sure what your house is but I haven't noticed an edge of unfriendliness in most houses. I have friends in almost every house. We have classes together and may end up at the same parties. I think there is a great deal of good will among the houses. During rush, there is a friendly competition because in the end we are all Greeks. There is no way to stop the insane who are always on greek rank bashing houses as they do slip in. Unfortunately, they hurt the overall rep of the Greek community. I disagree about your impression of the selection process because there are opportunities for pnms to get to know members. Pre rush parties, classes, common friends, extra-curricular activities, etc. Many freshmen are included in some of the parties during the first semester where there are additional opportunities to get to know each other. I can tell you it's one of the best ways to forge friendships and assess whether you would have a comfort level.

It's not necessarily looks, but first impressions that unfortunately play a big part in it. Especially when you consider that the short time frame involved in rush is really not sufficient for assessing some of the other qualities you mentioned. Don't get me wrong, they get assessed -- but pretty much based on the second-hand opinion of other sisters in the house or those sisters' friends or family. I was always of the school of thought that anyone who wanted a bid should be extended one and then given the entire pledge period to make a more honest and thorough impression. I think that might be part of the reason we see so much animosity and a edge of unfriendliness between our houses. Afterall, this really is NOT a competition, but rush seems to set it up to be just that. Just my thoughts. I have enjoyed my experience in the Greek system and certainly don't regret the friendships I've made -- ones that I am sure will last the rest of my life!

Not sure if it really is all about looks because every single house wants to have members they will enjoy living with first and foremost. Every house wants the girl who is involved and smart and it's a bonus if she has the looks too. I agree there are always going to be the elitists, you'll find them in every house. You'll find just as many jerks outside the Greek system too. I don't put too much into the comments as I think most of them are coming from people that are not even Greek or from a very very small number of Greeks who are in the last spots in the rank. I prefer to read the comments on the side rather than participate in the silly ranking.

Greek life is not for everyone. While there are opportunities for leadership and motivation, there is also an air of elitism that frankly comes with any organization that hand-picks it's membership. Especially when you are gauging people based heavily on their appearance or political/family connections. Still, lifelong friendships have been forged throughout the Greek system so we shouldn't forget that it is not without its merits. When I see some of the petty comments strewn about these rankings from the sisters of other, "competitive" houses, however, I do begin to wonder if the good outweighs the bad.

Greek life is not for everyone. While there are opportunities for leadership and motivation, there is also an air of elitism that frankly comes with any organization that hand-picks it's membership. Especially when you are gauging people based heavily on their appearance or political/family connections. Still, lifelong friendships have been forged throughout the Greek system so we shouldn't forget that it is not without its merits. When I see some of the petty comments strewn about these rankings from the sisters of other, "competitive" houses, however, I do begin to wonder if the good outweighs the bad.

Set back the women's movement? In what way? Greek women have many opportunities to lead, create and motivate. They are well prepared for employment or grad school. It is a skill to be able to live within such close proximity, especially for women. There is no such thing as paying for friends. It's called joining an organization.