FAQ’s About Recruitment
What should I wear during rush?
This is the most important question to most participants of recruitment! Each college will provide you with guidelines specific to each day of events. Ask your recruitment counselor college Panhellenic as soon as you register with them. This is another advantage of early registration.
Recruitment is not a perfect system, and the women will have very little time to get to know you. Therefore, it is suggested that you dress as you would for school, religious gatherings, or family parties, not as if you were going out with friends. The recruitment process can be compared to an interview. Any distracting clothing and jewelry could move the focus from you to these items.
Look your best on any videos you submit.
Also, consider that from the moment you apply you should look your best and try your best.
Please visit Collegefashion.net, mysororitylife.org or Instagram- @sororityscoop
Am I required to have recommendations?
Some, but not all, NPC groups require references or letters of recommendation. It is up to the sorority members to find a recommendation for you.
The local Reference Chairwomen want potential new members from the Deep South Texas Area to pledge a sorority. Do not, be afraid to publicize that you will be entering formal recruitment. It is a goal of all sorority women to keep the "Greek system" strong. Alumna that you may know casually or have lost touch with will usually be thrilled to help. Just ask!
Will my membership force my grades to suffer?
Sorority women take their grades very seriously. Scholarship is always a focus in chapter goal setting, and the women are always striving to have the highest GPA on campus. A certain GPA is required to remain a member in good standing and to maintain chapter and campus leadership positions.
What will my financial obligations be?
Dues vary by university and sorority. Typically, the first semester includes new member and initiation fees along with regular dues and is therefore the most expensive semester. Your college Panhellenic should have more specific information. Don't be afraid to ask questions. It is well within your rights to determine what your financial obligations will be.
Why are girls I have talked to before, now only nodding and smiling at me?
Sorority members are not being rude or unfriendly; they are protecting the ideal of a fair formal recruitment. Every College Panhellenic has "silence" rules that restrict members from speaking with potential new members outside the recruitment events. Women that you have known for years are under strict guidelines, particularly during the week of formal recruitment.
What is a legacy? If I’m not a legacy will it hurt my recruitment chances?
A legacy is usually -defined as the sister, daughter, granddaughter, or great-granddaughter of an initiated member of a sor'6rity. Being a legacy does not guarantee placement in the particular-legacy sorority.
Not being affiliated with an NPC sorority will not impact your recruitment.
Why pledge now, as a freshman?
There are many advantages to pledge as soon as your first semester:
Sororities tend to favor freshman because they can maintain their membership for four or more years. Freshmen have an advantage over Upperclassmen on most campuses. There are some campuses that have a strict quota placed on the number of sophomores and juniors they can accept as new members.
The sorority house gives you a home away from home. Your sorority sister can be a surrogate family or support network. You will have the privilege of this support network· as you adjust to experiencing college life for the first time.
Sororities provide a strong academic program for their new members. An officer responsible for your academic well-being typically oversees study hours. You will most likely gain instant access to upperclassmen in your major. In addition, if you are struggling with, a course, you are likely to find sorority members who can help.
What if I am an upperclassman? Should I still participate in recruitment?
Absolutely. Although freshman will have a slight advantage, upperclassmen have a proven college scholastic record and organization participation. This is important to chapters ensuring their scholastic standing.
Should I be afraid that I will be mistreated (hazed) as a new member in a sorority?
No. Unfortunately, Greek members are portrayed very negatively in the media and in Hollywood today. The image of an ex9lusive party culture is exploited. Philanthropic, academic, and personal development activities are often overlooked. Greek members are more likely to have better GPA's and act in leadership roles in their communities and college campuses. Greek life departments continue to support programs that educate young men and women on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as date rape and other important issues. Research each sorority on your campus to find out more about their mission, values, and beliefs.
All NPC groups and universities have adopted a "no tolerance" approach to hazing violations. Abuse of any sorority member is immediately confronted, and the party involved is often stripped of their membership. Groups that frequently break the no-hazing policy are forced to remove their chapter from· campus. NPC sororities adopted this strict policy many years before the heightened attention to it, and they have lead the rest of the· Greek community in this direction.
What is a “rushee,” “guest,” “potential new member” or “PNM”?
A prospective rushee, guest, or potential new member is any high school graduate, college transfer, unaffiliated student, or woman unaffiliated with a sorority while a student.
What is “Recruitment”?
Recruitment is defined as any activity engaged in by sorority college members, pledges, alumnae and agents which attempts to persuade or influence a prospective new member in favor of some particular sorority.
Recruitment includes participation by prospective new members in the following activities: (1) attendance at a legacy party, a sorority-sponsored mother-daughter affair, or a sorority alumnae function; (2) The writing or receiving of recruitment information letters, or “RIF,” to and from sorority college members, pledges or alumnae, unless not allowed by a particular College Panhellenic.
Are there any rules to Recruitment?
Yes. Sorority members, pledges, alumnae, and potential new members are bound by College Panhellenic rules. An infringement of the rules can bring penalties to the college chapter of the sorority involved. These rules can be obtained from the Panhellenic office at your particular college or university.
The Deep South Texas Panhellenic cooperates with the Recruitment rules of the individual colleges and universities and urges that each potential new member learn and obey the rules for her school. Potential new members who have not yet made a definite choice of campus should be guided by the strictest set of rules among the schools being considered.
Potential new members are responsible for knowing and abiding by the Recruitment rules of their College Panhellenics and are subject to penalties for infractions of Recruitment rules. A violation of the recruitment rules could make the potential new member ineligible for pledging.
How do I get information on registering for Recruitment at my college?
Participation in the forum of the Deep South Texas Panhellenic does not register you for Recruitment with the college Panhellenic of the school you plan to attend. Registration for Recruitment with the specific college Panhellenic is a MUST for each rushee. After the college Panhellenic has received your registration, you will be sent its set of recruitment rules and details about Recruitment on your chosen campus. Recruitment registration is a potential new member’s responsibility.
What does the recruitment process look like?
The recruitment process typically includes three or four events. These events are intended for you to learn more about sorority life and the personalities of each sorority. Recruitment is a selection process made mutually between· the sororities and you, and each sorority is unique. The period of recruitment varies by campus and usually lasts for several days, but it may go as long as a couple of weeks. If you would like to join a sorority, it is best to go through the recruitment process your first year in college, since recruitment classes are limited in size.
What is recommendation (rec’) or reference?
When you return the questionnaire in this booklet you are signing-up with the Deep South Texas Panhellenic, and making your personal data available to all sorority women in Hidalgo County. This is a signal that you are ready to go to college and wish the sororities on your chosen campus to consider rushing you.
Therefore, it is important to fill out at least one form completely. Have as many copies made as instructed in this handbook or as is required for your respective college. You may use any commercial firm, the library or private office to reproduce the copies. Your high school counselor can tell you your class position and size of class.
Once the applications are returned to the Deep South Texas Panhellenic it is the responsibility of the sorority alumnae chapter in Hidalgo County to secure recommendations. Neither the rushee nor her family should seek sorority recommendations, though they may tell friends where she is going to school and that she plans to go through recruitment. It is the sorority’s privilege to choose those who will receive invitations to recruitment and to pledge. Let THEM take the initiative.
Why are we sending so many photos with the Deep South Texas Panhellenic form?
Many alumnae attach photographs to recommendations or reference forms. Be sure they are a good likeness because members want to recognize you when you arrive at their houses.
How do I find out more about a particular sorority?
Many sororities now have home pages on the Internet. You can look them up by typing in the full Greek name, or access them through the home page of the school you will be attending. Many are listed under “student activities” or “organizations” on your school’s home page.
General information about each National Panhellenic Conference sorority and a listing of their campuses may be read in Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities.
Are some sororities better than others?
National Panhellenic Conference, the advisory conference of our Greek-letter sororities, has formally denounced arbitrary priority rating of member groups, either nationally or locally. All groups listed here have similar ideals and goals. All are worthy of membership.
Do each sororities have a GPA Requirement?
Although- some universities/colleges publish a GPA requirement of 2.5 for admittance, many sororities require a 3.0 or above to be considered for membership.
What does it mean to be a “legacy”?
Each sorority has its own definition of a legacy. It is generally defined as a daughter or sister of an initiated member, and often as a granddaughter. Sororities try to extend every courtesy to legacies and try to get to know them, but sororities cannot guarantee them a membership. At times there are more legacies entering rush than a college chapter has membership openings. A legacy must meet the same standards of qualification that non-legacies meet.
What if I am a shy person?
Recruitment is simply the method of getting acquainted with prospective members. Let good taste and good manners guide your conduct during recruitment as at any other time.
BE YOURSELF! SMILE AND BE INTERESTED IN OTHERS AND HAVE A GOOD TIME!
What do sororities look for in a prospective member?
Scholastic Ability:
Every sorority wishes to maintain a high chapter grade point average, therefore, each must consider a woman's ability to adhere to its scholastic standards. There is an expectation that each student recruited will place importance upon the completion of her education and that she remains involved with the sorority for the full four years.
Compatibility:
Sororities are based upon friendship, congeniality, and mutual ideals. The ability to get along with others and the enjoyment of being with people of diverse personalities are desirable qualities.
Interest in Involvement:
Those who are group-oriented and who enjoy working with people are more likely to contribute to sorority operations and to benefit from membership. The Potential New Member's (PNM) resume that will accompany their RIF should show a desire to not only "join" an organization, but to also be invested in that organization through their time and leadership. A resume showing the quality of involvement in an organization is more important than the quantity of activities.
How can I get any other questions I might have answered?
Email any questions to Deep South Texas Panhellenic at DeepSouthTexasPanhellenic@gmail.com.
Remember
Our Sororities, members of the National Panhellenic Conference, are private social organizations whose collegiate members have the right to invite into membership the girls they deem to be most congenial. The privilege of choice is mutual. Although a sorority has the right to choose whom it will invite to pledge, the rushee also has the right to choose which sorority she wishes to join.
Do not make up your mind about joining any sorority until you have met its active college members. Remember that you are not joining a “name” but choosing a closely knit group in which you expect to make lasting friendships in college and alumna life. Also, remember that individual sororities differ from campus to campus.
At the end of rush you will be asked to list the sororities which you would most like to join. We urge you to list more than one by order of preference—the first being the one that you want. Sorority Membership is for life! All sororities were created with the desire for friendship, leadership, achievement, and philanthropy in their pursuit of higher education. There are numerous benefits in joining a sorority including: they offer you a home away from home; they help make the university/college smaller by providing an easy way to connect with others; they give you an opportunity to develop leadership skills; membership provides a lifetime of friendship through alumnae associations across the globe. Alumnae groups are among the most noted organizations throughout a community due, in large part, to their support of non-profit organizations. Sorority membership IS for life. For more information on the benefits of joining a sorority (along with numerous other topics) go to:www.thesororitylife.com.
It's a Mutual Decision - National Panhellenic Conference (N PC) sororities are private, social organizations. These collegiate groups have the right to invite those PNM's into their membership that they consider to be the best all-around fit for their organization. The privilege of choice is mutual for both the sorority and the PNM.
Clean up your Social Media
Sororities will google you, they have a girl whose sole responsibility is to look at all your social media links. Please clean yours up. Take time to take off anything that is questionable.