You don’t have to be a freshman to join a sorority. It is as simple as that. Because it’s such a big “thing” for freshman to go through recruitment, other students think they’ve missed their chance. THIS IS NOT TRUE! It doesn’t matter what year you are or if you are a transfer student, there is a good chance a sorority could be just what you are missing in your college experience.
Here is some advice to sophomore, junior, senior or transfer students interested in joining a sorority:
1. Sign up to go through Recruitment!!!
Here is the link for University of Utah Formal Recruitment 2017: https://utahgreek2017.mycampusdirector2.com/landing/. Trust me. Just sign up and do it. There is nothing bad that can happen from going through recruitment. At the very least, you will meet new people that you might not have met before and what is so bad about that? Recruitment is something unique that you can only experience in college, so take advantage of it while you still can! Going through recruitment does NOT mean you have to end up joining a sorority. It is just a way for you to see what going Greek is really all about.
2. Don’t knock if before you’ve tried it.
We’ve all seen the movies that don’t depict Greek Life in the best light. But the truth is that sorority and fraternity culture is very different than what those movies show; it’s not all just partying and drinking. Sororities and Fraternities do lots of things year round to help their Universities be a better place. Greek students are usually very involved and create a community within their school that they are proud of. You will never know if being in a sorority is going to be the right thing for you until you have tried it, so take a chance!
3. Do your research.
Go online and check out what sororities are at your school. You can look at their social media and websites to see what kinds of things they do around your campus. This might give you an inside look into what each house is like. You might even realize that you know some people in certain houses already! Like that nice girl you sat next to in chem or that other girl you met at the Rihanna concert. You never know!
4. Go to COB events (if sororities are offering them).
COB stands for Continuous Open Bidding which is sometimes called “Informal Recruitment”. This happens when a house is able to offer more bids after Formal Recruitment is over for the year. It is often much more casual and is a nice way to get to know the girls in the house. So if you miss Formal Recruitment… Don’t fear, COB is here! It might just be the perfect option for you. But be careful, not all houses do COB events.
5. Think about what you are looking for in a sorority.
Are you looking for a house that is strong academically? Or one that is known for their dedication to their philanthropy? Or are you looking for a strong sisterhood? These are all things you should think about before Recruitment. It is important to decide what you want to get out of this experience in the long run because being in a sorority will be such a large part of your college life, so you want to make sure you do it right!
Now you should be prepared to go through Recruitment! Recruitment can be stressful at times, but go into it with an open mind! In the crazy environment that is Recruitment you will be sure to find the group of girls you are really meant to be with. Good luck and Go Greek!