On Thursday, Jan. 25, Panhellenic recruitment begins and runs through Jan. 28. Organizations included in Panhellenic sororities include Alpha Chi Omega (Alpha Chi), Pi Beta Phi (Pi Phi), Alpha Phi (A Phi), Kappa Kappa Gamma (Kappa), Delta Gamma (DG) and Kappa Alpha Theta (Theta). Panhellenic recruitment is open to “all female-identifying students, yet some organizations do have non-binary members,” Director of Campus Activities and Fraternity & Sorority Life, Frae Binder said.
To join one of the panhellenic sororities, potential new members (PNMs) will go through a three day recruitment process. In this process, PNMs will meet with members from each sorority as they get to know each other. Vice President of Panhellenic Recruitment Lexi Carr ‘24 explains that Panhellenic Recruitment is defined two different ways: first the “Mutual Selection Process [where] sorority membership is a social experience arrived at by mutual choice, selection, and, ultimately, invitation.” The second way is the “Values-Based Recruitment Process [where] the process in which women join sororities must be entirely values-focused.” PNMs may or may not be invited back based on these definitions.
Leading up to recruitment, PNMs “will receive a weekly email from the Vice President of Panhellenic, Lexi Carr, sharing with them more information about the process, information and history on sororities,” Binder said. After the sign up link closes, PNMs will be sorted into groups with a Rho Gam (Rho Gamma), also known as a recruitment guide. Madalyn Sailors ‘24, who was a Rho Gam for recruitment last year, said, “Being a Rho Gamma is all about answering PNM questions and supporting them through the difficult decisions they’re making.” While all Rho Gams are members in a panhellenic sorority, they stay unbiased when helping PNMs make their choices. Rho Gams are responsible for communicating with their group of potential new members. This includes what time rounds start, what to expect from recruitment and answering any other questions that PNMs may have.
After signing up for recruitment, PNMs will go through three days of recruitment, each day encompassing an aspect of Panhellenic values.
Round 1: Sisterhood
The first round is Sisterhood round. Before the round starts, PNMs will be given a t-shirt that they can choose to style with bottoms of their choosing. During this round each house will talk about what their sisterhood means to them. This is where PNMs get acquainted with members of each house. After visiting all six houses, PNMs will rank each chapter by what chapter they would like to accept an invitation back from and which they’d least like to accept an invitation back from. From there, chapters “will invite a pre-calculated number of PNMs, and PNM's acceptance of those invitations is determined based upon the rank[ings] they made…” Carr explains. Schedules for the second round will be given to PNMs before the second round starts.
Round 2: Philanthropy
During the second round, Philanthropy round, PNMs will only go back to a maximum of four chapters. Carr explains that PNMs should dress “like they are attending a dressed-up dinner with friends or family. This can be a sweater, cute top, jeans, nice pants, dress, skirt, or whatever they feel most comfortable in and shows off their style.” Throughout this round, each house talks about the philanthropy they support. Each sorority holds events throughout the year to raise money for their philanthropy. During this round, members may talk about the events they hold or why their philanthropy is important to them. After visiting their houses, PNMs will rank the chapters again, deciding which chapters they’d like to go back to. Likewise, each chapter will invite a certain number of PNMs back.
Round 3: Preference Round
On the third day, “PNMs are asked to dress in cocktail-type dresses or jumpsuits. [They] can be any color, short or long, and styled however they like,” Carr says. On preference round, members of each house hold a special ceremony for the PNMs, unique to each house. As this is the last day of recruitment, and the most important, the conversations are longer. Again the PNMs will rank their final choices of sororities, choosing which house they would like to join the most.
Bid Day
After this, the recruitment process has ended. Bid day, taking place on Jan. 28th is the last day where PNMs “will receive a paper invitation to the sorority to which they have been mutually selected,” Carr states. PNMs will meet other members who also got a bid to the same chapter and run home to their new chapter to meet the rest of the house for bid day activities.
Continuous Open Bidding (COB)
After formal recruitment, there is another form of recruitment– Continuous Open Bidding (COB). In the spring and fall, each chapter hosts events that PNMs can go and meet the chapter. Anna Jager ‘26, went through this process. She recommends for PNMs to “know that everyone's experience with recruitment looks different! I also recommend being open to whatever comes your way because you have so many options!”
Carr’s advice to PNMs is to “be your authentic and unique self! During recruitment, really let your personality shine so you can make the most genuine connections.”
To sign up for Panhellanic recruitment visit this link https://dpupanhellenic.mycampusdirector2.com/landing/ which can also be found on the Panhellenic Instagram page (@dpu_panhellic).