rushing

Yes, you absolutely have to have connections!

It's possible to get into a house without any connections to the sisters but it is not common. Actives are more likely to speak up for PNMs that they are friends with beforehand because they have these connections established and know them personally. I mean think about it, when choosing between a friend and a complete stranger, the friend is going to win every time.

Every chapter takes a couple sophomores but that can be anywhere between 1-15, it really depends on the house (ZTA will take 2, Phi Mu probably more than that) so you can't be terribly sure considering that PCs usually contain 50 or so girls. It would depend on your definition of "decent" to know really how many sophomores get in a certain chapter.

If you really care about how "decent" a house is though then don't bother. Greek Life should be about making friends and having fun, not reputation.

Just a little bit of advice, if you couldn't make friends with them without rushing what makes you think you could be friends with them living in the house with them? There's not one sorority girl in any of your classes or activities or jobs or whatever that you can atleast get to know so that you can make "connections". You don't have to be bffs but it would help knowing people.