Sorority recruitment is terrifying. Having to present yourself to tons of sorority members is nerve-wracking. It’s by no means an easy process. That being said, you can prepare for it. Keep reading for Her Campus Maryland’s guide to recruitment from terms to know, what to wear and our tips on how to find your new home on campus.
Glossary of Terms
Sororities use some whacky words and just about a million acronyms. Here’s a quick index of some terms you’ll most likely hear during recruitment.
The Councils:
PHA- Panhellenic Association
NPC- National Panhellenic Council
IFC- Interfraternity Council
NPHC- National Panhellenic Council
MCGC- Multicultural Greek Council
Recruitment Participants:
PNM- This is the acronym referring to the people going through sorority recruitment. It stands for Potential New Member.
Rho Gamma- Also referred to as “Rho Gam,” these are recruitment counselors. They will take you through the recruitment process as well as provide you with advice and guidance. During recruitment, each Rho Gamma disaffiliates from their chapter in order to give PNMs unbiased support. The Rho Gammas are not allowed to reveal the sorority they are a member of until recruitment is over.
Rho Gamma Group- This is a group of 20-30 PNMs who are assigned 2 Rho Gammas to advise them. The groups will meet at least once a day during recruitment.
Types of Recruitment:
Primary/Formal Recruitment- This is the process PNMs go through to join a sorority during the spring semester. It has four rounds and lasts over two weekends.
Informal Recruitment- This is the recruitment process that happens in the fall semester. It usually involves PNMs going to events like game nights for individual houses and then one interview round.
COB- Continuous Open Bidding. Similar to informal recruitment.
General Recruitment Terms:
MRABA- Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement. This is signed by all PNMs ranking chapters during Preference Round (which we will explain later)
Mutual Selection Process- As PNMs choose which sororities they want to go back to, the sororities also choose to invite each PNM back.
Bid- An invitation to join a sorority.
Snap Bid- These are bids offered to PNMs who did not receive a bid to any sorority and did not sign a MRABA agreement.
General Sorority Terms:
Philanthropy- A specific cause or organization that a sorority raises awareness and money for.
New Member- A term to refer to a person who joins a sorority before their initiation.
Member Class- The group of people who join a sorority at the same time as you.
Active Member- Sometimes called an “active.” A member of a sorority who has been initiated and is participatory in their sorority.
Rituals- These are secret ceremonies and traditions that each sorority has. You’ll get to experience one during preference round.
Dues- This is the fee for being in a sorority. New members have the highest dues and as the members age, their dues lessen.
Legacy- A person whose parent or grandparent was in a sorority.
What to Wear
For every round, make sure to wear something you feel comfortable and confident in. This is a quick reminder that recruitment is in the middle of winter, and it is cold out!
Values Round is the first and most casual round of recruitment where each sorority presents the PNMs with their core values. During this round, each PNM visits the 16 sorority houses with their Rho Gamma group for 25 minutes each. This round is two days long, so you’ll go to 8 houses on the first day and 8 on the second day. PHA will provide you with a shirt, and for bottoms, wear some sort of casual pants. Be sure to accessorize with items that express your personality as well.
Philanthropy Round is the second round of recruitment. PNMs visit up to 12 sororities to learn about each of the house’s philanthropies. PNMS stay at each sorority for a lightly longer amount of time where they will watch a video about each sorority’s philanthropy and talk to an active member. Each round of recruitment gets more and more formal so for this round wear what you’d wear to a nice brunch. A sweater with casual pants and flats or booties would be appropriate.
Formerly called Sisterhood Round, the third round of recruitment is Community Round. This gives PNMs an in-depth insight into each sorority’s personality. PNMs can visit up to 7 sororities for 45 minutes each during this round. Skirts, casual dresses, jumpsuits, or anything you’d wear to a dinner with your parents at a fancy restaurant in the winter are appropriate for this round.
Preference Round is the last, longest, and most intimate round of recruitment, where PNMS can visit up to 2 sororities for an hour each where PNMs will be part of a special preference ceremony that is unique to each sorority. It will most likely also be referred to as “pref” round. A cocktail dress is typical for PNMs to wear for this round. If you don’t want to wear a dress, a jumpsuit or formal pantsuit is appropriate. Don’t be afraid to make your fit stand out!
Bid Day, best day! This is what the recruitment process culminates with. It is when bids are distributed and PNMs go to their respective new houses for a day of meeting their new sisters. Blue denim jeans and a neutral shirt that is perfect for layering a themed t-shirt provided by your chapter on top of. Wear comfy, neutral shoes, like sneakers.
Advice
Take it from those who’ve been there before. Recruitment can be intimidating, but there are some things you can do to make the process a bit easier.
- Have an open mind during the recruitment process. PNMs should also know that the sorority members recruiting them are just as, if not more, nervous. They want to impress you just as much as you impress them.
- Give every chapter the same chance. Forget what you’ve heard or read online because recruitment is all about finding a chapter that you identify with and think you can make a positive impact on.
- Don’t be afraid of setbacks. Everyone says it, but it all works out in the end and every girl will eventually find their home.
- Don’t share with your friends. It might be tempting to want to talk with your friends about your opinions on each house you visited. But, it is best to wait to share your experiences until after Bid Day. You should want to join a sorority because you felt a genuine connection with its members and if you talk about it with your besties their thoughts can influence your decisions.
- Be yourself. If you put on an act during recruitment, you won’t end up in the house for you.