Ramapo is no big university, as we all know, so Greek life is one of the main ways to get involved on campus. Joining a sorority benefits both you and your resume; with charity involvement, academic support, and tons of mixers, outings, and a whole sisterhood of great friends, you can never go wrong. With rush-time just around the corner, my advice is to just go for it!
First, it’s helpful to know that there are two types of recruitment: formal and informal. As you may guess by the names, informal is a little less demanding, in the sense that the events may be a little more spaced out and you can choose which organizations you visit. During formal recruitment, you’ll most likely visit every sorority and then narrow down which ones you want to return to the following days; this normally takes place in a shorter span of time. At Ramapo, informal recruitment takes place in the fall, and formal recruitment happens in the spring.
Going into recruitment can be a crazy and hectic time, but the important thing to remember is to relax and not get flustered! This is supposed to be an exciting and life-changing experience, so make sure you cherish it. Here are some recruitment tips to help you out this semester:
Dress to impress. This doesn’t mean wear what you think people want to see you in! Wear what you want to see you in. Wearing something you feel good in will really help your confidence shine through! Make sure, however that your outfits follow the guidelines of each day—if one day calls for business casual, try to abide by that dress code. Recruitment can involve a lot of standing and hurrying around from one party to the next, so take that into consideration when choosing what shoes to wear.
Be yourself. If you’re putting on an act and not being genuine, and you’re saying things just to impress others, it will become obvious. Express who you really are and share your true interests, because you want to end up in the organization where you truly belong and feel the most comfortable. Which brings me to my next point…
Go into recruitment with an open mind. Don’t make judgments about certain organizations based off of what you’ve heard from other people. Go in and see for yourself where you feel you belong, because in the end, all that matters is that YOU’RE happy with where you end up.
Talk to as many people as possible. You want to make sure people remember you! It makes a huge difference if you introduce yourself to a bunch of people and show interest in their sorority. Remember, you’re not the only one choosing where you want to be—the sororities are also narrowing down potential new members (PNMs) and choosing who they want to have represent their chapter.
Just remember to have fun and make the most of the experience– never let your nerves get in the way of having a great time. Even if you’re not sure Greek life is for you, there’s no harm in seeing what it’s all about. GOOD LUCK!