pros/cons of joining a top vs mid house?

You need to visit all the chapters and meet the members with an open mind and decide for yourself who you vibe with. The top/mid/bottom is not real, it's all about YOU and what you FEEL. Trust your gut during recruitment, it's the ONLY way to make decisions; don't let anonymous people on greekrank with their own agenda influence your life decisions.

You also need to realize that you don't just pick your sorority, they are doing the choosing; it's not really a 'mutual' selection. Your ranks will be used in the event that you receive too many invitations back for a round, and then your lower ranked chapters will drop off your schedule. Otherwise, you don't 'drop' chapters and will continue to go back to as many chapters as possible, probably including the ones you ranked low, to give you as full a schedule as possible for each round. It doesn't matter how high you rank a chapter, they do not use your ranks of them, they don't even see them. The sororities are in the driver's seat for rush. Keep an open mind to the ones that want you.

i got a "top house" and it was awful. ended up dropping because of the toxicity, most of my friends in greek life are from mid/low houses, all super sweet. but tbh, most of my friends now were never in greek life. it's truly such a small part of uw and no one cares abt rankings except for the people on this site (pnms and top houses)

Try not to go into recruitment absolutely certain you will get a bid from a house. that's not how it works. You'll realize some of choices before starting school aren't a good fit, that some are a fabulous fit, and even house you weren't even thinking about may be the right place for you.

Ignore rankings here. Follow your heart and let the process play out. You'll find the home you were meant to be in.

People love to throw around “top/mid/bottom,” but those labels are honestly more about perception than reality.

Top houses: usually have the most visibility and social clout.

Mid houses: fun social lives, strong sisterhoods, and less stress about image.

So-called bottom houses: these are often the most genuine communities. They might not get the flashy reputation, but a lot of them have amazing philanthropies, super close bonds, and girls who truly love being there. The con is they don’t always get the same external “status,” but the pro is you usually get a more authentic experience.

My advice: don’t focus too much on tier talk. During rush, you’ll feel the difference in vibes, and the house that feels like home to you will matter way more than a ranking list online.