What We Wish We Knew Before Going Through Formal Sorority Recruitment

Going through recruitment is a decision that has the potential to change not only your college experience, but your life as well. At the time, you don’t have to completely trust your decision of going through recruitment. Sometimes people think, sororities are not for me. And they’re absolutely right, they aren’t just for you, they’re for everyone. Looking back we wish someone had told us that what we were feeling was completely normal, and this article is going to try to do that for you. Here are some of the things that we wish we knew before going through Sorority Recruitment.

1. It’s okay to be unsure

Maddie: I was not going to go through recruitment. It was as simple as that. My sister was in a sorority and at the time I didn’t see a lot of similarity between us (note: I was a stubborn freshman – my sister could be my twin). I also didn’t know a lot about sororities, only the things I saw online and on TV. I also thought that once I signed up for recruitment I was going to be forced to join one, even if I didn’t find my perfect fit. This is not the case by any means. I was so unsure of myself and the whole process until I ran home to my sisters on Bid Day. But if you are freaked out and need to talk to someone, talk to your recruitment counselor.

2.Recruitment Counselors are the best resource for all of your questions prior to and during recruitment.

Each school has their own version of “recruitment counselors.” They may be called Pi Chis, Gamma Rhos, Greek Life Guides etc. They are members of the greek community who give up their letters so you can find yours. At JCU there are two Recruitment Counselors per group of 10-15 girls and they are there to help you through the entire process.

Maddie: These are the girls you should be expressing your concerns to, not your other friends going through because you don’t want to affect your bestie’s decisions.

Jamie: My biggest regret of recruitment is that I didn’t get to know my recruitment counselors. I thought it was weird to talk to two strangers about what I was thinking or how I felt throughout the weekend so I kept to myself. Talk to your Recruitment Counselors and get to know them because you never know when you’ll run into them again – one of my recruitment counselors ended up being my grandbig!

3.Everyone is nervous, especially the girls trying to recruit you.

While it is true that you are trying to show your best self for the sororities you are talking to, what you might not realize is that the girls talking to you are trying to show the best version of themselves/their sorority. Not to mention, not every girl you talk to is actually the super bubbly talkative person they appear to be in ‘real life.’ There is a lot of pressure to recruit girls and it lays in the hands of the initiated members. Girls have been preparing for weeks, even months to get ready to have the 20 minute conversation you just had with them.

Maddie: Looking back I was significantly more nervous last year on the other side than I was going through recruitment. If you do find yourself to be especially nervous while talking to a girl, be honest. Take a second and breath. She will absolutely understand. 

Jamie: I thought I was nervous going through recruitment as a PNM, but I can honestly say that my nerves as a PNM were not nearly as bad as my nerves when I was on the other side. Recruiting girls comes with a whole new set of worries, such as ‘What if the conversation doesn’t flow?’ or ‘Is the PNM going to enjoy this round?’, and many more. If anything, we all just want our future sisters, both in our chapter and in the Panhellenic community as a whole, to like the people they got to meet during recruitment.

4. Wear what makes you feel good, not what your friends told you to wear

Maddie: Each day of recruitment has a certain ‘dress code’ and I cannot stress this enough. Wear what you think you should wear. Sure get advice on whether your shoes match your outfit but don’t wear some dress you can’t breathe in just because it’s designer. Recruitment is already so stressful the last thing you need to worry about is your feet hurting or that you can’t sit properly. Yes you need to look appropriate and nice. But I will 100% remember a girl more for her personality and her confidence.

Jamie: I’m a firm believer in the fact that wearing something that makes you feel good is a huge component to success in everything you do. You look your best when you feel good in what you’re wearing, and what you wear for recruitment should make you feel confident and ready to take your rounds by storm.

5.Your friends might all join different sororities, and that’s totally fine.

The amazing thing about greek life is that it’s a community. And just because you find your home in one sorority, and your friend finds their home in another doesn’t mean you can’t stay friends.

Maddie: When we went through one of our best friends, and my freshman year roommate, joined a different sorority. Fast forward 2 years, and guess what? She’s still one of our best friends. The only thing different is the letters on our sweatshirts.

Jamie: Joining a different sorority than your friends isn’t the end of the world. It’s actually one of the greatest things that could’ve happened to me because I’ve had the chance to meet so many great people in other chapters. It’s important to remember that no matter the letters, you’re all Greek together.

*Bonus Tip*: “I’m a legacy…what do I do?”.

Maddie: So I have a confession, I joined the same sorority as my sister. This makes me a legacy. Usually a legacy is the sister, daughter, or granddaughter of an initiated member of a sorority. For the most part, if you are a legacy, you know it prior to going through recruitment. And while yes, being a legacy helped calm my nerves because I already knew some of the girls, I still had to earn my place in Kappa Delta. I also felt a ton of pressure to join KD. But at the end of the day I didn’t receive a Bid from KD because my sister had been a member, I received a bid from a sorority that found value in me becoming a member or their sorority. They wanted me for me and it just happened to be the same sorority as my sister. And if you figure out that your home isn’t the same as your sisters, or mothers, or grandmothers, know that they will still love you no matter what your choice. Whether that might be finding your home in a different sorority or finding out that Greek Life isn’t for you. So if you are a legacy going through recruitment, do yourself a favor and reread items 1-5, breathe, and go find your forever home, wherever that may be.

Our last piece of advice is to be yourself and go confidently, because any sorority would be lucky to have you.

XO Maddie + Jamie

P.S. Prepare yourself to get attacked with hugs on Bid Day. Your future sisters are already obsessed with you.

• greek life
• recruitment
• rush
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• sorority