We asked PNMs about the moment they ruined their chances of getting a bid

In the past four weeks, if you’ve noticed girls frantically running barefoot around campus with stilettos and note cards in hand, you’ve probably witnessed part of the Panhellenic rush process.

But what you may not have been aware of is the "girl flirting" that happens inside of the house, which is basically a first date with potential lifelong sisters. No pressure, right? While conversations centered around your hometown and current dorm usually go pretty smoothly, there's always room to mess up.

Common mistakes like knocking over the water glass that you’re given, or flashing girls in your favorite house as you try to maneuver your way off the glitter covered floor in a skirt, are little snafus you can recover from. Other mistakes, however, are a bit harder to bounce back from.

Here are the worst —or best—sorority rush fails of the season from UMich Potential New Members:

The straight-up transparent lie

“My sister is a junior here and looks exactly like me. She warned me not to mention her to houses in order to avoid houses dropping me if they assumed I wanted to be in the same sorority she’s in. So, at one house when the girl who was rushing me asked me if I had any siblings, I talked about all of my siblings except for my sister. The girl who was rushing me obviously knew my sister because she proceeded to ask if any of my siblings went here, trying to get me to admit the relationship between me and the girl who could be mistaken for my twin.

Taking my sister’s advice very seriously, I proceeded to tell her that only my cousin went here, which is another flat out lie. When she asked what year my cousin was, maybe trying to figure out if the girl she knew was my sister was actually my cousin, I said my "cousin" graduated last year. She looked confused, so I tried to change the topic as quickly as possible. I don’t know why I didn’t just say I had a sister but explain that we were different people. The girl rushing me totally knew I was lying, and I subsequently got dropped hard by that house… but it all worked out because now I’m in the same sorority as my sister.”

Gleek of the week

“While I was talking to the girl who was rushing me, she asked me what kind of music I liked. I told her I liked EDM, rap and that I enjoy the occasional Glee version of some classic songs. She then proceeded to introduce me to the next girl rushing me by saying “This is ___, she is like OBSESSED with Glee.”

Getting too caught up in the house’s tradition… literally

“During prefs, one the houses did a very serious tradition where they put a key necklace over you. While you’re wearing the necklace, the person who’s rushing you has her hands on your shoulders and says what the sorority means to her. Once my turn was over, I tried to slide the necklace off, only to feel it caught on my hoop earring. The rush chair was so anxious as I held the process up, frantically trying to untangle it. Everyone was staring at me not knowing what to do. After the longest thirty seconds of my life, I finally untangled it, only to realize it was stuck on my other hoop earring. They had to move on without the key necklace because of me. Once I finally managed to untangle it, it was attached to my necklace. Game over.”

While these girls may have ended up in the houses they actually wanted to be in, their fails were a great way to narrow down their house choices. If you plan on rushing in the spring, remember these girls and their tragedies of rush, and steer clear of hoop earrings and family talk.