Sorority rush week begins Wednesday with an information session in the Talley Student Center Ballroom at 7 p.m and lasts until Sept. 12 with Bid Day on Harris Field.

According to Elisabeth Chapman, public relations coordinator for the Panhellenic Council, women who are interested in rushing this year should first sign up online at the Greek Life Web site. She also said each girl is required to pay a $50 registration fee that will cover all of the necessary items for rush week.

Chapman said the registration fee covers transportation to different sorority houses, food and T-shirts, among other things.

She said Wednesday’s information night will enable potential new members to gain an overview of what being in a sorority entails, as well as what each different chapter stands for.

According to Chapman, women who have not already signed up for rush via the Greek Life Web site will be able to sign up at the information meeting as well.

Potential new members will be given a day to rest Sept. 6, according to Chapman. She said Sept. 7 will kick off with open house ,and Sept.8 the potential new members will participate in a service project along with various chapters.

“Each sorority has a different philanthropy that they donate service and collect money for,” she said.

Chapman said the potential new members are allowed to choose up to five houses to tour. She said then the women will rate their top-five chapters, and each sorority will also rate their top girls, and the mutual choices will be allowed to return to the houses for the service project.

“So, it’s a mutual selection,” Chapman said.

Sunday’s skit day activities are limited to three choices, according to Chapman.

“[Skit day] kind of shows you the spirit of the sorority and the history of the sisterhood of the sorority that you’re visiting,” she said.

Chapman said Monday will serve as a second resting day and Sept. 11, sororities will hold Preference Night.

“It’s more special and kind of a touching ceremony where the sisters show the potential new members some of the traditions of their chapter,” she said. “And by Tuesday, you’ll only go up to two houses — that’s kind of like ‘wow, you’re choosing which ones that you like the most,’ so it’s a little bit more serious.”

Chapman said Sept. 12, the final day of rush week, is Bid Day when the potential new members are finally allowed to join their chapters.

“All the girls will run to their new chapter,” she said. “It’s kind of like a celebration, and then each of the sororities have something different at their houses afterwards.’

Jessica Leslie, a freshman in biochemistry, said she has known since high school that she wanted to join a sorority once she got to college.

“I talked to a couple of girls that I knew, and they’ve had a lot of fun doing it, and it’s another opportunity to get dressed up,” she said.

Megan Lyle, a freshman in textile and apparel management, also said she has always known that she would want to join a sorority.

However, she said she was not always completely sure she would do it as a freshman.

“But everyone that you talk to that waited until they were sophomores to join say they wish they had done it their freshman year,” she said. “I mean, I may as well do it now so I’ll have longer time to be in it.”

Leslie said although she recognizes the time commitment she will have to make when she joins a sorority, she can’t wait for the upcoming rush week activities.

“I’ll be really busy,” she said. “I’ll have something to do.”

According to Lyle, she is looking forward to meeting new people while also participating in the community service and other events Greek Life is known for.

“I feel like I’ll make a lot of friends that will mean a lot to me and that I’ll have forever,” she said.