Hi PNMs!
I hope all of you are having a good winter break so far! I hope you are taking the time you need to relax and spend time with family and friends. Now that recruitment weekend is coming up (less than 30 days away!!!), you’re probably starting to get curious and maybe even a little anxious about what the weekend has in store. I wanted to create a blog post to help give you an idea of what to expect! I hope by reading this you feel more prepared to enter your formal recruitment journey!
Formal recruitment can feel like a daunting experience. I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of stories. Maybe from your mom, sisters, cousins, or friends have gone through it before you. Or maybe you don’t know anyone close to you that has participated in sorority recruitment. When I was a freshman wanting to join a sorority, I barely had a concept of what Greek Life even was. All I knew about recruitment was what I had heard that past summer on Alabama Rush TikTok, which made it seem intimidating. Little did I know that recruitment weekend would be one of the best and most rewarding experiences I had ever been through.
Even though I started off knowing absolutely nothing about the recruitment process, I’ve learned a thing or two as a senior. I’ve experienced it as a PNM (over Zoom might I add), a sister recruiting, a recruitment chair, and now as the Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment! I hope my experience can provide you all with some helpful information.
FORMAL RECRUITMENT - WHAT IS IT?
You may be wondering what you will even be doing during this three day-long event. I remember as a PNM, I only had a vague idea of what the weekend would be like. I knew I would be visiting each chapter and learning more about them, but I wasn’t sure exactly what this would look like. Formal recruitment weekend mainly consists of conversation! You will get to talk to so many different women throughout the weekend. Philanthropy round, you will visit all seven chapters for a short amount of time, talking to around 3-4 members of the organization. During sisterhood and preference rounds conversations will get longer and the amount of chapters you return to will decrease throughout the mutual selection process. I know for those of us that are more introverted (myself included!), this can be a little bit out of your comfort zone. Just remember that these women are so excited to get to know you and are nervous themselves! They are looking for potential sisters that embody the values of their organization - this can come in all different personality types from super outgoing to more shy! As cliche as it sounds, the most important thing is to be yourself! The process is designed in a way that works for all different kinds of women, helping to match them in the organization that is best fit for them! Now I want to break down each of the rounds for you, giving some conversation tips, outfit inspiration, etc. for each one!
PHILANTHROPY ROUND
Philanthropy round is the first round of Formal Recruitment! Think of it as an introduction to each chapter. You will be learning about the philanthropies that they support. This round gives you the chance to see what philanthropic causes you are drawn to most and to simply get a feel for what chapters are out there!
Potential questions to ask sisters:
What is your favorite philanthropy event that your chapter holds?
What does your philanthropy mean to you?
What ways do your sisters get involved with your philanthropy (both before and after graduation)?
Questions sisters might ask you:
Get to know you questions (i.e. Name, major, hometown, hobbies/interests)
Were you involved in volunteering in high school?
Are there any causes you hold near and dear to your heart?
How are you feeling about the formal recruitment process?
These questions are just meant to give you an idea of what philanthropy round is like! For all rounds, the conversation will usually flow naturally, but it’s good to have a few go-to questions ready in case there happens to be a pause or a need to change to a different subject! It’s not necessary to prepare for recruitment in this way, but it may help you feel just a little more confident!
Outfit inspiration:
The rounds gradually go from more casual to more dressy. Philanthropy round is the most casual. Examples:
Nice tops
Sweaters
Jeans
Booties
Flats
Ideas:
SISTERHOOD ROUND
Sisterhood round is the second round of Formal Recruitment! It’s all about values and friendship - a celebration of sisterhood! Sisterhood round is my personal favorite round! You will get to visit the chapters you connected with more for a longer amount of time. The goal of this round is to see which chapters fit your values and interests most!
Potential questions to ask sisters:
What are the values of your sorority?
What is your favorite sisterhood event that your chapter has thrown?
How did you know that your sorority was home?
What are your favorite things to do with your sisters?
What leadership opportunities are there in your chapter?
Questions sisters might ask you:
What are you looking for in a sorority?
What is your best friend like?
What are some things that you value?
Are you interested in leadership opportunities?
By sisterhood round, you will be more comfortable and conversations will flow even better as this is your second time visiting them! Chapters are looking to get to know you on a bit of a deeper level - they want to find out what it is that you value to see if you would be a good fit for their organization! This round is super fun! It’s really special to get to see the unique bonds that have been formed by the members of each chapter! Each one has something so special to offer!
Outfit inspiration:
Sisterhood round is a mix of dressy and casual. You should wear something you can walk outside in. Examples:
Nice blouse
Nice pants
Skirts
Dresses
Flats
Heels
Sandals
Ideas:
PREFERENCE ROUND
Preference round is the last round of Formal Recruitment! You will only be visiting one or two chapters for a longer period of time (about 1 hour). This round is really special. This is your third time visiting this chapter, so sisters are looking to get to know you on a really deep level.
Potential questions to ask sisters:
How has your sorority experience helped you grow as a person?
How has being in your chapter helped you become a better leader?
What is a challenge your sorority sisters have helped you overcome?
What have you gained from your time in your chapter?
Questions sisters might ask you:
Who are your role models?
Do you have any sisters? What are they like?
What are your biggest goals/dreams in life?
What questions do you have about our chapter?
By pref round, you will already have developed a connection to the women you will be speaking with! They are looking to get to know what makes you you! Don’t be afraid to open up or get vulnerable! This round is super exciting as it is the final round before bid day!
Outfit inspiration:
Preference round is the most formal! You should dress up for this round, while still being comfortable enough to sit and talk. Examples:
Dresses
Skirts
Rompers/jumpsuits
Flats
Heels
Sandals
Ideas:
I hope you all found this information helpful and I hope I was able to ease any potential fears. I cannot wait for all of you to go through the Formal Recruitment process. I am so excited to see each of you find your homes and make an impact on the Panhellenic community. As we get closer to kickoff, I hope you all are feeling as excited as I am! It goes by super fast, so make sure to take it all in!
It is important to remember that you will not be invited to join a sorority based on your outfits, appearance, or anything surface-level! So take these outfit inspirations with a grain of salt. Chapters want to see your own individualized style! Do not feel like you need to purchase any new clothing specifically for recruitment! You should wear what makes you feel most comfortable and confident - not whatever you think fits the “sorority girl” mold! Panhellenic believes in something called Values-Based Recruitment. I encourage you all to take some time to reflect on what it is that you hold most important in life! That will be the subject of the next blog: Values-Based Recruitment - so stay tuned for that! You will get to hear from RCs about their experience going through recruitment!
I hope all of you have an amazing holiday season! Feel free to reach out to cnu.phc.recruitment@gmail.com with any questions or concerns related to recruitment. You can also DM us on Instagram @cnupc!
XOXO,
Sofie Valinote, Vice President of Recruitment - Panhellenic Council
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