Becoming a sorority girl during my junior year in college was something that I could’ve never imagined for myself. I joined in August 2024; going through the informal process in order to receive my beloved bid. Last month, I got to experience formal recruitment for the very first time. I thought I would discuss today the differences between the two recruitments and my advice on sorority life.Â
What is Formal Recruitment?Â
Formal recruitment is a process that involves multiple days of rounds to get “matched” with the perfect house. Each round may become more difficult due to being dropped by certain sororities. When you think of formal recruitment, think of Bama Rush. The OOTDs, the hundreds of screaming girls opening the yellow envelopes, and the lavish sorority house filled with beauty on the inside and out. Â
Although Virginia Tech’s sorority recruitment is not as intensive as Bama Rush, it does follow a lot of the same protocols. There are four rounds within rush: Open House, Philanthropy, Sisterhood and Preference. After each round, your house options become narrower, leading to the final day: Bid Day. Bid Day is where you receive an invite to the sorority you are matched with. Â
Being a recruiter, this experience was pretty cool to see. I loved seeing all the PNMs customizations of their outfits and seeing if they would fit well within my sorority. The process also helped me gain closer friendships within my own sorority, as we had to work together to make sure rush went as smoothly as possible. Â
What is Informal Recruitment?Â
Informal recruitment is a process that’s much calmer than formal recruitment. Usually, it is a COB process (continuous open bidding), meaning the sorority will gradually grant PNMs with bids throughout the timespan of the recruitment. Â
The process usually involves a small sorority event where you meet some of the sisters and then you might meet a sister one-on-one. Â
The cool thing about informal recruitment is that you can pick the house you want and not be forced to see the other houses. But the only thing that may happen is the particular sorority you want may not offer informal. This depends on the sorority’s numbers. If they have enough numbers and/or just don’t want to do informal recruitment, you might not be able to rush that specific sorority. Also, some sororities do invite-only informal recruitment. It is important to note that informal is a great option, but it might not be offered all of the time. Â
Which recruitment is better for me?Â
Well, it depends. If you want the chance to see all of the houses on your university campus, it is best to do formal. Formal gives you the opportunity to see all of the houses and learn more about the sisters and the history of the sororities. Â
If you are already set on what house you want, informal recruitment may be the best option. But again, you must beware that some sororities may not offer this option. Â
How do I know if I want to be in a sorority?Â
TRY IT! See if you like it. I didn’t know if I would like to be in a sorority and I was so scared to try it. But once I found my sorority, I felt that I found my home away from home. I felt comfort from the women I was surrounded by, and I feel so much love every time I walk in the house doors. Â
Sorority life is not for everyone, but I do believe if you put yourself out there, you will find the group you are met to be with on your college campus. Â