Fraternities use RushTap to streamline rushing process

Two Penn graduates and one current student have developed what they believe to be “the Common Application of the fraternity rush process.”

RushTap — which is being used at Penn for the first time ever during fraternity rush this semester — is a free website that allows students who are rushing to create profiles for themselves and keep track of the rush events they are attending. It also gives current brothers the opportunity to decide electronically which rushes they would most like to have in their fraternities.

The website — which was created by College senior Jayson Weingarten, 2011 Engineering graduate Sam Oldak and 2011 College graduate Jake Wischnia — is being used by six fraternities this rush cycle, Oldak said.

“We wanted to take the entire rush experience online,” Oldak said. “With RushTap, we wanted to make the rush process more efficient while increasing brotherhood and communication.”

Weingarten, who is a brother at Sigma Alpha Mu, one of the fraternities that is using RushTap, believes the current fraternity rush process is “outdated.”

“Ordinarily, brothers would have to provide their information at each house they visit,” he said. “With RushTap, rushes only have to create a profile once. Afterwards, brothers can view these profiles, leave comments and communicate online about upcoming events.”

Oldak, however, conceded that many rushes and brothers may not be aware of the website during this rush cycle.

“We reached out to all the fraternities in the Interfraternity Council, but we only started advertising two weeks ago,” he said.

Engineering junior and Delta Tau Delta brother Anthony Stroffolino said his fraternity decided to use RushTap to better organize its rush process.

“You’re dealing with over 100 people, so it’s hard to keep track,” he wrote in an email. “RushTap creates profiles of each rush including pictures, email addresses and phone numbers.”

On Wednesday night — the first night of open rush — 636 students made RushTap profiles, Oldak said.

Engineering freshman Sai Parepally, who used RushTap Wednesday night, said the system helped to streamline his night.

“The profile took less than a minute to create,” he said. “We didn’t even have to upload photos. We could just use the webcam of the fraternity’s laptop. I think this will become more useful once closed rush begins because brothers can message rushes invites.”

Stroffolino, who feels that RushTap’s electronic voting system will prove useful, agreed.

“So far, RushTap has been flawless. It is everything you need to have a successful rush.”

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