“It can be intimidating to attend a school of 17,000 people. Greek Life here at UConn comprises about 11% of the university” (Coblenz, 2011). I can adequately inform you about the Sorority Recruitment Process because I rushed in the fall and went through the whole process. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made! I am a student at the University of Connecticut, but most schools have similar recruitment processes. My goal is to put your curiosities to rest so you understand how each potential new member makes a decision whether or not Greek life is for her, and which sorority fits her best, through the journey of getting to know the chapters, making decisions, and finding her home.
A few sorority women pose by their table at the Greek Barbecue!
Recruitment counselors have everything under control at orientation!
To start off the process, Potential New Members (AKA PNMs) are invited to get to know each chapter and learn about recruitment at the Greek Barbecue. This event takes place on the Northwest Quad. Each chapter has a table set up with representatives from their sorority available to answer questions and give you a feel for their organization. It is extremely important to get a feel for each chapter early in the week. While keeping an open mind, PNMs should be observant while visiting each chapter in order to learn what each sorority has to offer. The first event in sorority recruitment is called Orientation, which takes place in the Student Union Ballroom. At Orientation, PNM’s learn the ins and outs of the recruitment process. Upon arriving at Orientation, PNMs learn the lingo of sororities. “Chapter- A local group at an individual campus of the larger international organization, designated by a special name” (Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life). Another key term to know is “Recruitment Counselor- A neutral member of a Panhellenic sorority who temporarily dissociates from her chapter to serve as an unbiased guide during Panhellenic recruitment” (Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life). This sorority woman will be your mentor and confidante throughout the week. Each PNM is placed into a “recruitment group” who they will be meeting with every morning during the process. Next, PNM’s will watch a slideshow that educates them about the values of each sorority. This is not shown in order to sway you in any direction, but rather to give you a greater understanding of what each chapter represents.
Sorority women may introduce you to their chapter by showing PNMs scrapbooks and pictures!
The first official night of Recruitment is “Scholarship Night” which is the first time that PNMs start to form opinions on each chapter, and vice versa. I would advise you to wear nice jeans and a cute, classy top. Whatever you do, do not wear heels. Personally, I wore gladiator sandals and I was much better off than the few girls who thought they could handle being on their feet for hours at a time, trying not to look miserable. The rooms also get very hot because there are filled with so many people, so I recommend wearing something cool that won’t show how much you’re sweating! A rule that you should follow throughout the week is to not wear any article of clothing that you would wear to a party or a bar (ie bandage skirts, low cut tops, etc).
Scholarship night is similar to “speed dating.” PNMs walk into each chapter’s assigned room in the Student Union and are paired up with a sister. Depending on the compatibility between the PNM and the sister, the conversation will either flow easily or feel forced. Judgment of this relationship will help you start to see which chapters you is most compatible with. Next, a representative from each chapter will give a brief speech about their sorority’s academic incentives and accomplishments. After PNMs have visited all 8 chapters, they will reunite with their recruitment groups and rank each chapter, their favorite being number 1 and their least favorite being number 8. When ranking the chapters, it is important to reflect upon the sorority that you can see yourself being a part of, no matter the rumors of that chapter’s reputation. If you rank chapters based on image, you may end up surrounded by women that you do not necessarily fit in with. A sisterhood is a lifetime bond, and being part of a group of women that you truly connect with will benefit you in the end.
PNMs and sisters sit at round tables on Philanthropy Day!
The next day is Philanthropy Day. The dress guidelines from the day before apply. It is very similar to Scholarship Night, but instead of the theme being academics, it is philanthropy (AKA community service). Each sorority has a different philanthropy that they represent. When you meet with your recruitment counselors in the morning, you will receive a slip of paper with a maximum of six chapters that you have been called back to. This is your schedule for the day. If you do not get called back to 6 chapters, you will wait with your recruitment counselor and other girls in your group who have a break between “parties”.
PNMs are placed in sororities based on a “mutual selection” process. This means that if every sorority asks you back, you will go back to your 6 favorites, but if they do not all ask you back, you may be going back to sororities that you didn’t originally want. Don’t be too discouraged if your favorite chapter didn’t ask you back; this does not mean that they didn’t like you, but rather that they didn’t see you finding sisterhood in their sorority. Remember that no matter how much you felt like you belonged in that chapter, they know their sorority better than you do, and the girls who truly see you being their sister will be asking you back. This day is identical to Scholarship Day in the “speed dating” aspect. PNMs are not paired with the same sister that they talked with the day before. The group is shown a short video on the chapter’s philanthropy and why it is meaningful to them. Lastly, PNMs and the sisters complete a craft together to donate to their philanthropy cause. For example, if the philanthropy was for children with cancer, PNMs might decorate cards to be sent to the hospital. Since you will be seeing fewer chapters, you will be in each room for about ten minutes longer than the day before. At the end of the day, you will reunite with your recruitment counselor and rank the chapters that you were asked back to.
Once you have a feel for each chapter, it is time to really start thinking about where you feel at home. After the first two days of recruitment, the interactions with each chapter become more intimate. At this point, most of you will have a few sororities in mind that you are hoping to receive a bid from, which is an invitation to join the sorority.
Sorority women chatting in Husky Village on movie day!
Day three is called Movie Day at UConn, but at other schools, sorority women might perform skits for you. PNMs dress in business casual and meet their recruitment counselors in Husky Village (located behind Towers), where all of the sorority houses are located. Since you will spend more time sitting down than you did on the previous days, you can wear high heels if you want to. After learning about scholarship and philanthropy, it is finally time to learn about each sisterhood. Each PNM is asked back to a maximum of four houses. These four sororities are seriously considering the girls that they invite into their homes. The speed dating aspect still applies on this day, but you will be in each house for about 45 minutes, so there is a greater chance of finding a true connection with a sister. It also takes place in a more quiet and open environment, so distractions are minimal and the chaos of the two previous days dies down. After an in depth conversation with one or two sisters, you will be invited to the living room to watch a video that includes pictures from sisterhood events and memorable moments from the last year. There is also usually some kind of snack for you to enjoy during the movie! After visiting each house that you have been called back to, you’ll meet with your recruitment counselors and rank the chapters 1-4.
The last day of formal recruitment is called Preference day. For the most part, PNMs wear nice sundresses or the kind of thing you could wear to an outdoor wedding. This is your last chance to make an impression on the sisters and decide which sorority is right for you. PNMs are asked back to a maximum of two houses in Husky Village. If you are very interested in one chapter and you continue to be yourself, you have a decent chance of receiving a bid. You are usually paired with a sister that you met with earlier in the week. This makes the process less nerve-wracking because since you are still here, the sister obviously liked something about you earlier in the week. Similarly to during Movie Day, after talking with the sister, PNMs and sisters go downstairs to the living room. During this time, however, an intimate and emotional ceremony takes place called the Preference Day Ceremony. The lights are turned off, candles are lit, and depending on which chapter you go to, some kind of emotional ceremony will take place.
After you visit the last one or two houses, instead of filling out a preference sheet, you sign a MRABA, which is a more formal, binding preference sheet. By signing the MRABA, you are saying that you will not go through recruitment again until the next fall (which would only happen if you were unhappy in the sorority in which you ended up). It is not mandatory that you write down both houses if you feel that they would only be happy in one, but it is encouraged that you go through in “full faith” meaning that you put your trust in the sorority women to guide you to your home. “Greek life is an exciting opportunity to take advantage of when you are in college, but remember that it isn’t for everyone. Some students may easily fit into the Greek scene. Others won’t find the appeal. Check it out if you’re curious. Typically, after a week, you’ll know if you are meant for Greek life or not” (Rodriguez, 2012).
Happy PNMs are now “new members” of a UConn sorority!
Once you have filled out the MRABA, it is a long 6 hours that you have to wait until Bid Night. Bid Night is all about finding your home. By this point, PNMs know where they feel like they fit in, and the sisters know which PNMs will be happy in their sorority. If you were to not receive a bid at all (don’t worry, I have never heard of this happening), you will receive a phone call from your recruitment counselor so that you do not have to come to bid night. When you arrive at the student union theatre, you are given their bid in an envelope to sit on until you are told to open them! The recruitment counselors put on a show and reveal their affiliations (which sorority they are a sister of). There is a countdown to opening your bid envelopes. Once you see the name of the sorority that you have been asked to join, everybody runs outside and is greeted by a few sisters from their new sorority, who drive them to Husky Village. New Members run together to the house of their sorority, where they are greeted by the entire sorority. There is then a celebration in the middle of Husky Village.
Now that you have heard about each stage of the process, hopefully you have a greater understanding of formal sorority recruitment. The journey of meeting each chapter, making a decision, and finding a home within a sorority is not for everyone, but I would advise every college woman with an interest to give it a try! Whether you find your home in sisterhood or elsewhere, I wish you all the best of luck!
For more information, go to http://greeklife.uconn.edu/