Are you considering joining a sorority? The first thing you should ask yourself is, “why do I want to go Greek?” Is it because you want to gain friends? If so, you have found the perfect solution. Joining a sorority not only allows you the opportunity to make friends within that sorority, but it will also allow you to gain friends within the entire panhellenic community (and that’s a whole lot of friends)!
The next questions you should ask yourself is, “Am I willing to support a philanthropy?” and “Am I willing to do fundraisers to support and raise money for a worthy cause?” If so, then you are sounding like a Winthrop sorority girl! Winthrop’s Greek organizations pride themselves on their core principles, leadership, academics, sisterhood and of course their philanthropies. If all of these values appeal to you, then I think you have made your decision… You’re ready to go Greek at Winthrop!
Here are some tips that will prepare you for formal recruitment at Winthrop:
1. Dress to impress
Let’s start by talking about every girls favorite subject… CLOTHES! Now that you have decided to go through recruitment, the biggest problem many girls is deciding what to wear. Here are some tips about what to wear for each day of formal recruitment.
The first day of recruitment is the service round. During this round each girl gets to visit all of the sorority’s parties (this means tons of walking, which will catch up with you!) This day is the most laid-back and casual day of recruitment. I suggest wearing dressy jeans, a snappy casual blouse or casual dress. Be sure to look cute and wear flats! Again, you will be doing TONS of walking and your feet will thank you when the day is all said and done.
Pictured below is an example of a Rho Gamma group on Day 1 of Formal Recruitment!
The second day is the fraternal values round, where you will visit up to four sororities. This day calls for more professional attire. I suggest wearing a business casual outfit which includes a dress or skirt with a blouse and heels.
The third day is known as preference round and a day to wear your best dress! I highly encourage that you wear heels for this day because it will help complete your professional look. On this day, you will be visiting your top two picks. You will have the privilege to see a slight glimpse of each sorority’s rituals. WARNING: this day is extremely heartwarming and you may cry, so bring some tissues! Overall, on the final day of recruitment, be sure to look your best and be as professional as possible because your outfit and presentation will be the sorority members’ last impression of you!
2. Bring a bag full of essential goodies
Here are some items you should consider when packing a bag for recruitment:
Flats – these will be much appreciated on the days that you wear heels. No need to wear a cute and uncomfortable pair, I made that decision and it was not worth it… I ended up with blisters. If flats aren’t your thing, you can wear UGG boots or crocks with your favorite pair of fluffy socks. But, regardless make sure you have an extra pair of comfortable shoes to wear in between part visits!
Sweats– this may sound odd, but ggain, no one is going to care that you have sweats on under your dress or skirt in between parties. Actually, they will probably envy you for being so brilliant!
Hair brush– this is a given. You never know what the weather conditions might entail and this will just possibly save you from having a bad hair day!
Hairspray– this may be your lifesaver! Not only does it fix those pesky fly away hair pieces, but it can also fixe runs in your pantyhose. Just spray some hairspray on the run and you’re problem is solved!
Makeup- touch ups are essential. Be preapared to fix those dark bags under your eyes, smeared lipstick, fading blush and running mascara. You want to make sure that when you go into a party that you look your absolute best!
Snacks- this is an absolute MUST! You will be starving if you don’t bring something to munch on, I promise!
Mints- although gum is prohibited, be sure to pack some mints to zap that embarrassing bad breath!
Extra pair of panty hose- this may sound extreme, but if the hairspray trick doesn’t work (or you simply didn’t notice the run until it was too late) then these could save you from walking around with winter-white legs!
Bottled water- because we all get thirsty.
Band-Aids- even if you are wearing comfortable flats, your heels may give you a few problems!
Notebook and pen- you may want to write down your thoughts after leaving the parties and this will allow you to do so! When it comes to making a decision, these notes may just help you choose correctly!
Tissues- trust me, the last day will get you! This may not make any sense right now, but once you begin to feel at home within a certain sorority, you will understand exactly what I am talking about!
3. Most importantly, BE YOURSELF!
The last thing you want is to pretend to be someone you’re not and end up in the wrong organization! So with every party you attend, be sure to stay true to yourself and let the sorortity members get to know who you really are. After all, these are your sisters for life!