An Open Letter to the Girls Going Through Sorority Recruitment

Ahhhh, sorority recruitment season, also known as one of the most important times on a southern college campus. It is a time full of nerves, stress, and anxiety, but sorority recruitment also brings out a feeling of excitement. Whether it be excitement for finding a place at this huge university, finding a sisterhood full of extraordinary women, or being a part of something that is bigger than yourself and your university, there is a place for everyone in Greek life. 

So it’s the day of your very first round of recruitment. You are trying to find the perfect outfit, while trying to figure out what in the world you are going to do about your hair and makeup, AND freaking out about how you are going to get all of these sororities to like you. Take a deep breath, and just relax. What you don’t know is that the sorority women who are trying to recruit you are just as nervous as you are. In a nutshell, recruitment is sticking 60 girls who are all strangers into one room and making them interact with one another. Talk about awkward! Don’t freak out if your first round is really awkward with some sororities. The first round is meant to give you a perspective and a crash course on what each sorority is all about. You don’t have to like all of them, so don’t be afraid to start narrowing your list a little. If you love all of them, don’t fret either! You have plenty more rounds to narrow your sights. 

“How will I choose between all of these awesome organizations?” This is one of the most common questions from girls going through recruitment. There really is no other way to answer this besides saying, when you know, you really know. It could be that you fall in love with one girl in the sorority, or you fall in love with everyone you talk to that day. You could love everything about their philanthropy or just their sisterhood in general. There’s so many possibilities in every sorority, and it really is just personal preference. Maybe you will feel that connection on your first visit to a sorority, or it will be pref night when you are making that fateful ranking decision. Even if you choose a sorority and they do not choose you, you just have to take it with a grain of salt and open your eyes to the other organizations that DO want you. It will sting and it will hurt if your favorite one drops you, but as everyone will tell you: IT HAPPENS FOR A REASON. That sorority probably wasn’t the best fit for you in the long run. Just because they drop you, though, doesn’t mean you can’t still be friends with the girls you liked during recruitment!

One of the most important things to stress to you is to really try to get to know the values, philanthropies, and sisterhood of the different organizations. Contrary to popular belief, Greek life is NOT all about parties, getting “turnt,” and frat boys. Sorority life is about being a part of something that is bigger than yourself. It is about giving back to the university that is giving you the best four years of your life. Being in a sorority is not just for college, it is for your entire life. You should be proud to look back and say that you were a part of that chapter. 

All in all, sorority recruitment is one of the best experiences of your college career. It is full of pain and hurt, but also excitement and joy. The long, exhausting hours of talking that cause you to starve and ache all over, the long nights when you hardly get any sleep at all, and the rawness of your throat are all most definitely worth it when you find your place and run home to your new sisters on bid day.

So my advice to you all: don’t stress, get sleep, and relax. Enjoy recruitment. Take this time as an experience to step outside of your comfort zone. And more than anything, BE YOURSELF. You want to be in a sorority that shares your interests and values. Always make sure you are thinking: “Would these girls be good sisters?” Pick the place where you feel most comfortable and the women that you feel connected to on a more than just surface level. Everything is going to work out the way it should. When you open up your bid on bid day, you will be in the place you were meant to be. 

• recruitment
• sorority