Is Greek Life Right for Me?
When considering going through Greek Life Recruitment, keep your mind open to the possibilities that Greek life offers. Even If you are not sure about Greek life, recruitment offers a way to get to know the three sororities on campus, no strings attached. At any time throughout recruitment you are able to drop out, but it is strongly encouraged that young ladies stay with the recruitment process through Bid Day, when you can then decide if you want to accept the Bid your were given.
Greek life is built on the individuality of its members. Organizations want to build a chapter with well rounded, involved students with unique skills and personalities. It is important to keep in mind that Greek life is NOT as it is portrayed on TV. Rather it is a community that values philanthropy, community service, the promotion of leadership in young women, a support system that provides networking during and after college, and above all a place to make life long friends.
Common Greek Life Terms
Active: A collegiate, initiated member of a sorority chapter.
Badge: An insignia of fraternity or sorority membership worn by initiated members. Each sorority has its badge.
Bid Day: The last day of recruitment, when potential new members receive bids to join chapters and become new members. Each chapter will usually host a Bid Day activity to help the new members get to know each other and the rest of the chapter, like bowling or roller skating. The Unanimous Agreements state that there is to be no alcohol use or men associated with recruitment or Bid Day.
Big sister: An active member of a chapter who is paired with a new member as a mentor.
College Panhellenic Association: The cooperative campus organization of collegiate members of NPC fraternities
College Panhellenic Council: A council for all of the National Panhellenic Conference sorority chapters on a campus. This council serves as the governing body for all NPC chapters on campus and organizes the recruitment process. Each chapter chooses a delegate to sit on its College Panhellenic council.
Continuous Open Bidding (COB): An opportunity for chapters that do not reach quota during primary recruitment to bid to total and/or quota. The continuous open bidding process is less formal, and not all chapters will participate in continuous open bidding.
Initiation: A traditional ceremony that brings a new member into full membership of a sorority or fraternity. Once you are initiated into an NPC sorority, you are ineligible for membership in any other.
Legacy: A daughter, sister or granddaughter of an initiated member of a sorority. Typically, different groups have different definitions of legacies. Being a legacy does not guarantee a bid to a particular sorority. Each inter/national organization has its own policy for invitations to legacies during recruitment
New member: A person who has accepted a bid from a sorority but is not yet an active member of that chapter. Chapters will have some sort of new member process during which the new members learn more about the sorority and prepare them for initiation.
NPC: The National Panhellenic Conference, or the umbrella body for 26 inter/national women’s fraternities and sororities.
Potential new member (PNM): A woman who is eligible to participate in recruitment. On campuses that hold deferred recruitment during second semester, chapters might use the term PNM to refer to any woman eligible for recruitment.
Quota: The number of potential new members to which each chapter can offer bids during recruitment. This is determined with a formula involving the number of chapters and the number of women participating in bid matching.
Recommendation: A form completed by an alumna member of a sorority recommending a potential new member for membership. Recommendations may be more important at some campuses than others. Check with your fraternity and sorority life office to find out more information.
Recruitment counselor: A sorority member who is disassociated from her sorority to serve as a recruitment guide. Each PNM will be assigned a recruitment counselor during primary recruitment.
Ritual: The private traditions and practices of a sorority deeply rooted in the shared values and purpose of the members. Ritual serves as a reminder to each member of her responsibilities and inspires her to fulfill them. Rituals connect the past with the present and the future.
Total: The allowable chapter size on a campus, as determined by the College Panhellenic, including new and active members. Chapters that fall under total may be allowed to participate in continuous open bidding until they reach total.
Values-based recruitment: A recruitment style that focuses on meaningful conversations between active members and potential new members with the goal of recruiting women who will have a positive impact on chapters and the Panhellenic community. Nonessential features such as skits, elaborate decorations and costumes are removed from the process, and the focus is on the values, benefits and obligations of membership for each organization.
Tips for Recruitment
1. Do Some Research. Before Recruitment starts, do some research of the sororities on campus. Get a feel for the national organization as a whole, before personally getting to know the chapter at Shorter. You can do this by going to Chapter websites, Instagram, Facebook, and National websites.
Alpha Delta Pi:
Alpha Delta Pi:
Phi Mu:
Zeta Tau Alpha:
2. Get the Full Experience. Recruitment is a great way to meet new people! Even if you decide Greek life is not for you, you still make connections with new women on campus. Stick with recruitment to the end. Even if you choose not to accept a Bid, recruitment is a great experience!
3. Ask Questions. During Recruitment you are going to get a very large amount of information. This information includes: What the sororities philanthropy is, what the values and goals of the sorority is, the different mixers and sisterhoods the sorority does, and what the dues of the sorority is. If at any time you are confused about what something is, don't be afraid to ask!
4. Be Yourself! We are thrilled to get to know you and show your what our organization is about, not pick you apart and overwhelm you. Recruitment gives us an opportunity to get to know you. Don't be afraid to be yourself and tell us about yourself!