We just finished sorority recruitment (a few weeks ago) at my school, the University of Kansas, and we’re now in the full swing of classes. I wanted to share all my favorite pictures from bid day! (For those that don’t know, bid day is when all the women going through recruitment get to see what sorority they’ll be in, and it’s a party celebrating our new members from there! I have several posts about sorority recruitment here.)
I’m a senior this year and graduating in May so it’s my last bid day. I’m sad to see this chapter of my life end but for now, I’m not trying to dwell on all the lasts…at least til next semester!
Me with my roommates Kelsey and DaytonMe and my little, EmilyMe and my roommate ZoeMe and my friend Maddy
All the roommates except Jordan
Our theme was just ADPi, which was so fun to see how people dressed up. Some girls even went all out with fun blue wigs! We all had our matching shirts of course, and I found these super cute star flash tattoos on Etsy to put in the corners of my eyes. It was a really fun theme and I’ve noticed that as I grow older, I tend to care less about what people think of me so it was fun to just go all out and have fun dancing and taking photos with my friends.
Of course I still had to go into work an hour later and the stars wouldn’t come off easily haha
Hi everyone! We just finished sorority recruitment over at my school and are in the swing of classes. For now, I wanted to share all my favorite pictures from bid day! (For those that don’t know, bid day is when all the women going through recruitment get to see what sorority they’ll be in, and it’s a party celebrating our new members from there! I have a post about different sorority terms if you’re interested.)
Me with my roommate JordanMe with my friends Zoe, Dayton, Jordan and KelseyMe with my little EmilyMe with my roommates for this year- Marysa, Zoe and JordanMe with Jordan and Kelsey
Me with my friend CrystaMe with my friends Zoe, Dayton, Jordan and KelseyMe with my friend Natalie
Our bid day theme was ‘the adventure starts here’ and we had a bunch of fun camp-themed props. You can see a little bit more of the decor in my video below!
Hi all! Today I’m sharing my tips on mastering small talk during sorority recruitment. I’ve been through sorority recruitment twice (as a freshman and as a recruiter), so I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on how to feel comfortable during those short conversations in the first few rounds. These tips are also from other girls in my sorority, so it’s not just my own experience!
The most important part of recruitment isn’t your clothes, or your shoes, or the way you look—it’s how you connect with the girls in the house! Here are some of my go-to tips to feeling comfortable and confident throughout recruitment.
Don’t let others influence your opinion
One thing that my recruitment counselors constantly told us was “no chapter chatting,” and it’s for a good reason! “Chapter chatting” means you’re discussing your experience with each house with other girls throughout recruitment. While gossiping about each house may seem like a good way to bond with other girls through recruitment, it may hurt you in the end. If you had a great experience at one house, but you heard your friend had a terrible experience, don’t sweat it!
If you had a great experience at one house, but you heard your friend had a terrible experience, don’t sweat it! Some girls are better at recruiting and connecting than others. Sorority recruitment is about your personal interactions with each girl, not about how much money or how popular the girls in the house supposedly are. You’ll find your fit.
Ask questions
This was the biggest tip that I used as a freshman going through recruitment, and it helped so much! I was a little nervous about the whole process, but having questions on hand helped me feel more confident and keep the conversation flowing. As a recruiter, when girls asked me questions, it felt like they were genuinely interested and engaged.
Some good questions to have in the back of your mind are…
What’s your favorite part about living in the sorority house?
What’s your philanthropy?
Why did you choose this chapter?
How did you know that this sorority was the right one for you?
Some questions not to ask are…
Can you bring boys into the house?
Do you drink in your house?
Who’d you vote for in the last election?
Those questions are all ones that can be asked later, and will most likely be answered later for you as you join a chapter. Remember that recruitment is about you, so it’s not the time to bring up your significant other!
Don’t be afraid to be open with your questions, but be careful how you phrase things. For example, asking “How many events do I have to attend?” sounds like you’re trying to get around the rules before even joining. Instead, phrase it as: “I’m an athlete here and I’m concerned about the time commitment between athletics and a sorority. Are there sisters that are able to maintain sorority life, athletics, and a good GPA?” This poses you as willing to be flexible and wanting to be active in the chapter. This will also help your recruiter learn more about you and be able to talk about other sisters in the chapter in the same situation as you.
Be engaged
When we go through training to learn how to be better recruiters, we learn about things to take note of about the girls. Having good posture and smiling are two of the easiest ways to come off more confident, and in turn, feel more confident! The days are long and you’ll be tired (and trust me, they will be too), but just taking a little extra effort to smile and pay attention goes a long way.
Talk to the girls in the house like a friend
This one is a trick from some of the girls in my chapter. Act like the girls you’re talking with are friends that you haven’t seen in a long time, and you’re catching up and filling them in on everything. I haven’t tried this trick personally, but it seems like a great way to get to know the girls in each house better and feel comfortable!
Be honest
Sorority recruitment isn’t the time to try and fit yourself into a person you’re not! I heard so many girls going through recruitment tell me “I’m not really the sorority girl stereotype,” and there are so many girls in my sorority house that have said the same thing. Talk about your passions, what you did in high school, what makes you unique.
This will also help you stand out to the recruiter. There’s a pretty good chance that they have similar interests as you! It’s easier for me, as a recruiter, to remember that I talked to a girl who loved photography than to remember that I talked to a journalism major.
Your major, where you’re from, etc, is important, but that’s not what makes you who you are. Why did you choose your major? If you’re from California, are you passionate about surfing, or if you’re from small-town Kansas, why did you want to get out of town and move to a big college? All these things will help girls get to know you better and connect with you.
Give it a chance
I fell in love with a chapter during recruitment, and I was cut in the middle of the week. I wasn’t super happy with some of the choices I had left, but I chose to continue recruitment and ended up loving my sorority. My roommate also preferenced a different sorority than the one she ended up in on bid day, but now she can’t see herself anywhere else!
Even if you think you’re not interested in the house, give every house a chance and be engaged. You might end up loving it later in the week or even be on their lawn on bid day. This is my biggest tip about recruitment—I saw so many girls in my dorm drop throughout the week just because they didn’t get their ideal chapter. (Note that their ‘ideal chapter’ was based on three days’ worth of conversations, which definitely doesn’t give you enough time to know the chapter!) It may even take you a month to feel at home, but it all works out in the end.
If you have any questions, let me know below—I’m happy to help!
In the third part of my Sorority Recruitment 101 posts, I’m showing every girl going through recruitment this fall the survival kit they need to have to stay sane and polished during sorority recruitment! I’m the kind of girl that’s always overprepared for new things, so if you’re the same way then this is the guide for you.
I got this monogrammed clutch from my graduation party, but you can find similar ones online if you want it for yourself. Below I have all the essentials (that can all be found at Target!) for a recruitment survival kit.
A mini bottle of lotion You can find these just about anywhere, and they can multitask for just about anything. I’ve used this for frizzy hair/flyaways, getting rid of staticky clothes, and even for a subtle perfume. Most of the time, girls are advised not to wear perfume during recruitment because it can be overwhelming to have 80 girls packed in a room all wearing their ‘signature scents.’
Bobby pins You know the drill. If you can actually find these in your room in the first place, these are handy to have.
Lip balm Even if you’re not a lipstick girl, just swipe on some lip balm or chapstick. You’ll thank me later after talking for hours on end.
Hairbrush My recruitment week ended up pouring one day, being super windy another, and way too hot the rest of the week. This saved me from looking like a mess at the end of the day! (P.S. This won’t fit in your bag, but throw in a small umbrella just in case. It never hurts to carry it around!)
Lipstick I’ve been using this sheer lip crayon all summer for the perfect hint of pink.
Pens Having one or two in your purse will be essential for number 12…
Granola bar The rounds in the first couple days of recruitment go by fast. If you have a small snack to hold you over until lunch or dinner, then you won’t have to concentrate on how hungry you are the whole time you’re talking to a girl.
Mints Most likely your recruitment counselors will have a ton of these on hand, but having one of these needs no explanation.
Scotch-Brite™ Lint Roller I have two dogs at home, and I found myself with stray hairs on my clothes all the time (even when I hadn’t been home in a month). This is easy to just pop in your bag and to have on hand as a ‘just in case’ item.
Powder/oil blotting sheets If you’re going through recruitment in August, the summer heat is still something to tackle. These will help you retouch your face if needed.
Scotch™ Essentials Permanent Hem Bonding Strips These are new to me but I’ve learned that these are actually perfect to use for recruitment. If you find the perfect dress that is just a little too long, you can easily hem it with this sticky tape.
Notebook This small notebook is one of the best things you can have during recruitment. After every round, write down a small note about what you liked about it–what the girl was wearing, something that made the women of the sorority stand out. This will help you preference every sorority at the end of the day after you’ve gone through over 12 rounds or more.
Scotch™ Essentials White Mark Eraser We all have those moments when you’re in a hurry and swipe deodorant on..then find out it’s all over your shirt. All you have to do is just swipe this eraser onto the deodorant marks and they’re gone in seconds.
Medicine I have this small container with a couple ibuprofen just in case for headaches.
Scotch™ Essentials Adjustable Hem Tape Picture this: You just bought the perfect dress for recruitment but you’re trying on again the morning of..only to find out that you’ll be tripping on the hem if you try to wear that dress in heels. Adjustable hem tape is a great option for quick and easy adjustments the morning of!
The Scotch Essentials brand can be hard to find in Target, so here’s a display of the aisle. You’ll find it in the closet aisle by the sewing machines, irons, etc.
Just for my readers, I have a deal for you! Use this link to get $1 off all Scotch Essentials products. To learn more about Scotch Essentials, go to this website for more information.
I tested out the White Mark Eraser today, as seen above, and it worked so well and was super easy to use. Definitely a must-have in a pinch.
Are you going through sorority recruitment this fall? Let me know what’ll be in your essentials kit!
Sorority recruitment is confusing enough in itself, let alone the world of Greek life and what every little term means. Today in my sorority recruitment series, I’m filling you in on the sorority slang you’ll hear the most during recruitment and beyond! (If you haven’t read my other article yet on how to get recommendation letters, read it here.)
Recruitment: This is also commonly referred to as rush week, but formally referred to as recruitment. Recruitment is the week-long process in which every sorority chooses their new members.
PNM: A PNM is a potential new member. This is what the girls going through the recruitment process that are not yet in a sorority are referred to.
Panhellenic: The Panhellenic Association is the organization that is comprised of 26 sororities in total that hosts recruitment. My university has 13 of the 26 Panhellenic sororities on campus, which is a pretty common number.
Preference day: This is the last day of recruitment in which girls will typically go to up to three houses for the last rounds of recruitment. After going to each house, all the PNMs will then rank their sororities in order of what they want to be in most.
Bid: At the end of recruitment, each sorority will extend a bid to every PNM that they want in their house. PNMs will only end up with one bid at the end of the week. For example, if the PNM ranks Sorority A, Sorority B, and Sorority C in that order on preference day, then Sorority A can extend them a bid. If Sorority A doesn’t want to extend that PNM a bid, then Sorority B will have the opportunity to extend a bid to the PNM.
Suicide: This term is used on preference day when a PNM only chooses one house. This means that if they don’t get a bid from this sorority, then they won’t be in a sorority at all. (At the University of Kansas, they are unable to go through informal recruitment or repeat the recruitment process until the following year.)
Rho Chi/Gamma Chi/Rho Gamma: These are terms used to refer to your recruitment counselors. Several schools call them by different names and these are a few of the Greek names used to refer to them. Your recruitment counselors will be girls that are disaffiliated from their sororities for the week and they will be your primary point of reference to help you navigate recruitment week. They’ve been through both sides of recruitment, so be sure to ask them questions throughout the week to help you decide what’s best for you.
Disaffiliation: Your recruitment counselor will disaffiliate from their sorority during recruitment week, meaning they’re supposed to take any trace of their sorority off of their social media. The PNMs are not supposed to know which sorority each recruitment counselor is in, in order for the PNMs to have an unbiased experience.
Maximizing your options: I heard this so many times during recruitment from my recruitment counselors! We were always told at the end of each day when we were preferencing, or ranking, our sororities in order of which ones we wanted to be in. To maximize your options, you should rank the maximum amount of houses instead of just putting the ones you only want to be in and leaving out the ones that you didn’t like as much. You might not have had a great conversation at one house, but if you come back the next day and talk to a different girl, you could end up loving the sorority.
Bid day: Bid day is the day when each PNM figures out which sorority extended them a bid. The PNM then becomes a member of that sorority.
Big/little: In your first year of being in a sorority, you will be assigned a ‘big sister’ and you will be the ‘little sister.’ (In Alpha Delta Pi, this pairing is referred to as being a diamond sister.) This is an older girl in your sorority that will essentially be a mentor to you throughout your first year of being in the sorority, and she’ll be someone to turn to if you have questions or you just want someone to hang out with!
Philanthropy: Each sorority has a charity or organization that they support through philanthropy events to raise money for the organization.
Legacy: A girl who has an older sister, mother, or grandmother that has been in a sorority. Typically this does not mean much in terms of guaranteeing you a spot in that sorority except past the first day. If you don’t end up in the sorority that you have a legacy tie to, don’t stress! Just because your mom was in that sorority or your sister is in one at a different school doesn’t mean that you fit in that chapter now, 20 years later. Different sororities vary on which relatives count (i.e. step-mothers, cousins, etc.).
Sister: The term a girl in a sorority will use to refer to another girl also in her sorority. If you talk to several different girls during one round of recruitment, one will often introduce the next girl to you as her sister–don’t take it literally! If you do, no sweat. It happens more than you’d think.
Active: A woman who has been formally initiated into her sorority.
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments! Are you going through recruitment at your university?
Recommendation letters. Most likely, if you’re going through sorority recruitment, you’ve heard all about them and how you just have to have them in order to even make it through the first day. This all depends on your school–some schools require them, some schools suggest them, and some schools won’t even mention them at all. You can find out which type of school yours is by searching “[insert school] panhellenic” and look it up on your Panhellenic organization’s website. (Tip: Panhellenic is the governing body over all sororities, so you’ll hear this word a lot.)
Step one: Just ask
My mom was in a sorority, so I posted on her Facebook page back in June last year to search for recommendation letters. My post went something like this: “Hi everyone! This is Hannah posting. I’m going through sorority recruitment at the University of Kansas in the fall and I’m looking for recommendation letters for [insert all 12 sorority names]. If you’d be willing to write one for me, please let me know and I can send you all the information. Thank you!” This was the easiest way for me to get recommendation letters–you’d be surprised at how many women were in a sorority in college. (If you’re having trouble finding certain sororities, ask women who are already writing you one if they have any friends in that sorority. It never hurts to ask around!)
You could also post this on your own Facebook page and you might have friends of yours telling you that their mom was in a sorority. Usually, a girl who is currently in the sorority can’t write you a recommendation letter for her own chapter, but she can for a chapter at a different school. Keep that in mind if you’re planning on asking girls you know who are at your college and in a sorority already.
Step two: prepare the packet
Make it easy for the woman that’s volunteered to write your recommendation letter and put everything together for her. This packet should include four things: a picture of you, your resume, a pre-addressed and stamped envelope, and a cover letter.
PRINT: The photo that you include will be sent to that sorority, so make it a nice headshot or senior photo, not just a photo that you cropped your friends out of. Be sure you print this on photo paper, not printer paper. Your resume should include all the activities you were involved in during high school, your GPA (weighted and unweighted), class rank, leadership positions, test scores (ACT/SAT) but only if they’re ‘good’ – I would say 24 and above for ACT, and community service. This is an easy sample resume you can use that I had during high school. (A lot of my information is redacted, so be sure to fill in the parts with the x or [ ].). Make sure you put how many years you were involved in everything!
The cover letter isn’t like a professional letter, instead, it should be more like a thank-you note to the woman writing your letter. Here’s a sample cover letter to refer to. Finally, include a 11×14 envelope that is pre-addressed and stamped to each sorority’s recruitment/reference chair. Be sure not to mix these up! To find these addresses, go to your university’s Panhellenic website and you should be able to find a listing of all the chairs under the recruitment page. Women aren’t living in their sorority houses during the summer, so don’t send the envelopes to the chapter houses.
DIGITAL: Some recommendation letters are done digitally now, which makes it easier on both you and the woman writing your letter! But you should still include all the information above when sending to the woman writing your letter.
Step three: follow up
Always, always, always be sure to follow up with the women who are writing your letters. It’s likely that your letter isn’t their top priority, so follow up with them to make sure that they got your packet in the first place and that they sent it out on time. Don’t forget to thank them for taking the time to write your letter. I would send out these packets at least a month before you move in so you can have time to resend an envelope and sort things out if it gets mailed back to you.
Are there any other posts you’d like to see about going through recruitment?
