Have you walked around campus and noticed Greek letters on the sidewalk? What about on
flyers or Facebook groups? Sororities are not just welcoming students back to school, but also
gearing up for Fall Recruitment.
Whether you are a freshman or sophomore, you may be faced with the common decision whether
you should go through recruitment in the fall or go through recruitment in the spring.
But which should you do?
It’s really a personal preference. Neither recruitment process is right or wrong. First, if you are a
freshman, to go through recruitment in the fall you must have 12 credits. However, even if you
do not have 12 credits, it doesn’t hurt to visit the fall open houses and see what the process is
like.
What’s the difference between Fall Recruitment and Spring Recruitment?
This fall, two panhellenic chapters will be taking new members. They are Alpha Delta Pi and Phi
Sigma Sigma. But there will also be a new addition to the University of Maryland this fall!
Alpha Xi Delta will be taking new members; however, they are a colony so their recruitment
process is different.
Fall recruitment is much more informal, flexible and more on the individual to figure out which
open houses they want to attend. Open houses are usually two hours and you can stay the entire
two hours or stay only 15 minutes – it’s up to you. Also in the fall, you can go to either one or all
the houses that are taking new members. Again, it is up to you. After one or two open houses,
you must receive an invitation to return. In addition, in the fall, you may receive your bid at
anytime from the first open house all the way to the last possible day to hand out bids.
“Fall Recruitment is a lot more casual and girls don’t have to go through the stress that usually
comes along with Spring Recruitment,” junior communication major and member of Phi Sigma
Sigma Emily Bloom said. “It’s easier for girls to feel comfortable during open houses and they
don’t have to go to a house that they do not want to go to. Where in the spring, you have to go to
every house.”
In the spring, all sororities take new members and you must go to each house at least once. Also,
you have specific rounds you attend and have an allotted time that you stay at the house. The
rounds in the spring include House Tours, Philanthropy, Skits and Preference. There is a mutual
selection process in which you pick which sororities you would like to return to, and they pick if
they would like you to return. Through this process, you narrow down your options after two
weekends of a rigid schedule that consists of the four rounds previously mentioned.
“I think Spring Recruitment is the best decision because it allows you to explore all your
options,” junior journalism major and member of Delta Delta Delta Rachel Chism said. “But the
advantage to the fall is that you immediately have a sense of belonging in a place where things
oftentimes seem overwhelming.”
So which recruitment process is right for you?
If you absolutely know you want to join Greek life, like junior government and politics major
Gab DeFranceschi, Fall Recruitment may be the right decision for you.
“I was already in a program on campus, but I didn’t want to be wrapped up in one thing,”
President of Alpha Chi Omega, Gab DeFranceschi, said. “Greek life gave me more
opportunities. And by joining the fall of my freshman year, it gave me a better chance of getting
an executive position early on.”
DeFranceschi had 12 credits fall of her freshman year and only had to visit Alpha Chi Omega to
know it was the perfect place for her. However, junior kinesiology major of Zeta Tau Alpha,
Sarah McCawley, is glad she decided to do Spring Recruitment.
“Even though Spring Recruitment is long, tiring and drawn out, it forced me to look at all my
options,” McCawley said. “I can look back and know that I have no second guesses.”
DeFranceschi suggests that if you do not know anything about Greek life, or if you’re a freshman
and it takes you longer to adapt to college and your new classes, Fall Recruitment is probably not
the best thing for you.
Yet, she said, “Don’t let the fact that it’s Fall Recruitment keep you away. Fall or spring, go in
with an open mind because you may fall in love with a house and become president just like I
did.”
For more information you can visit www.marylandpha.com or check out Meet the Greeks on
Thursday, Sept. 6th on the McKeldin Mall from 4-7 p.m.
Photo Credits (From top to bottom):
UMD Zeta Tau Alpha
UMD Phi Sigma Sigma
UMD Alpha Chi Omega
UMD Delta Delta Delta