An IU Sorority Recruitment Guide
UPDATE 2017: Can't believe it's been a year since the first version of this article was published! I've updated this post to include the changes for the 2017 IU recruitment season. See changes in italicizes below & good luck with recruitment!
If you're reading this, you'll probably be going through Indiana sorority recruitment in a few days. Needless to say, it can be a very exciting but nerve-wracking process. Over the course of the next few weeks you'll be hearing a lot of different things about the chapters and what you need to say or do. Below, I've tried to give you a comprehensive look at IU sorority recruitment, broken down by each round of recruitment. Hopefully it help you have the most positive recruitment experience possible.
Open Invite
This is the first round of recruitment and you will visit all 22 chapters in the course of 2 days, so make sure you get enough sleep! The morning of, your recruitment counselor will let you know your list of chapters of visiting. Make sure to arrive EARLY and bundle up since it’ll probably be chilly. When the round starts, the members will be singing/yelling through the door, so don’t be alarmed! When you get up to the front of the line make sure to have your white card ready, and have a smile on your face. Typically, in this round you might have a tour (if the chapter is housed), and you probably will be led into a room to watch a skit. After the skit, you will remain seated, and the girl who picked you up at the door will come and take you and take you to another chair.
This year the first round of recruitment will not include any skits. Each new member will have 30 minutes to meet each chapter.
What to talk about:
These round are typically pretty quick and you’ll probably be talking to 3-5 girls. Some topics of conversation might be: hometown, the dorm that live in, your major, and your involvement in on campus.
What to pay attention to:
The Skit- When I went through recruitment I remembered the chapter by the skit that they did. They are normally pretty funny and give you a good insight on the chapter’s personality.
The House Tour- When being led around the house pay attention to the rooms especially. Do they have cold dorms? What’s their live out policy? How often are roommates switched?
What to wear:
Panhellenic Shirt
Jeans (dark washed!)
boots/shoes (not heels)
purse (see what to pack below!)
jacket
What NOT to wear:
anything distressed or with holes in it
leggings
Philanthropy & Service Round
This is called first invite, or philanthropy round.. On the morning of your rho gamma will hand you a new sheet and you can receive up to 16 invites back to chapters on campus. One thing you might notice is that you might have to go across campus from chapter to chapter, so make sure you are prepared with your coat and other winter gear. At the beginning of the round, the girls will chant again, and another girl will pick you up and take you to a room to watch a movie about the chapter's philanthropy and service. After the video you will be sat down again in a chair to do a craft with chapter members.
What to talk about:
When you sit down, you'll have a craft to make with an active. The conversations will be pretty similar to the first round, but you'll probably talk about their philanthropy and service. Some chapters will recruit new members in the bedrooms of the sorority house, so make sure to look at the room sizes, and location.
What to Pay attention to:
Make sure to ask/listen about the chapter's philanthropy events and service opportunities. Is this something that you'd be interested in? Do the girls seems really genuine about their philanthropic endeavors?
What to wear:
Nice looking jeans, nice looking leggings (no distress, no holes, no see through)
Nice top (sweater, casual blazer, cardigan, etc.)
Flats, boots, or booties
What NOT to wear:
anything short or revealing
gym shoes
Sisterhood Round
This is called second invite and will be about an hour longer. This round is definitely more serious than the previous two. The girls will all be dressed up in dresses and instead of chanting at the, door, you probably will be invited in before the round to change your clothes and put down your purse. When the round starts, the members will probably be singing and you will be called one by one and taken to a room to watch a video about the chapter. This round you might be given food and or something to drink at every round.
What to talk about:
During this round you might be talking to someone you have talked with before (or maybe not), regardless, you should try to go into deeper conversation than just your major/hometown. These conversations should be more about understanding if you could see yourself in this chapter.
What to Pay attention to:
For this round, pay attention to how the sorority members interact with each other, especially during the video. Are they having fun with each other? Are the paying attention?
What to wear:
No jeans, leggings, casual shoes, jersey or cotton skirts
Nice shirt with pencil skirt or dressy loose skirt or dress pants
Nice-looking semi-formal dress – no homecoming dresses yet!
Can wear heels, wear warm shoes for walking and can change inside while
Wear sweatpants over your legs when walking between chapters so you don’t freeze!
What Not to wear
jeans or leggings
casual or revealing shirts
gym shoes, boots, etc.
tight shorts or skirts
Preference Round
This is the last round of recruitment, which is also known as preference round. At the beginning of the day, you will receive up to 3 chapters to visit. Sometimes there will be huge cuts right before the last round, so you may not be happy with your list (this can occur at any round of recruitment). While you may not be 100% happy with your list, PLEASE visit the chapters and give them a chance. I know a lot of girls who dropped during recruitment and then regretted it later.
What to talk about:
This is the most serious round and people can get pretty emotional sometimes. This is the time to really decide if the chapter is right for you. The person/people you are talking to might have been selected to talk to you because you have something in common.
What to Pay attention to:
The People. This is the most important thing I think. Look around at the girls waiting in line for their names to be called. These girls could be your new sisters. The same thing goes for the sorority members. Look at how they interact with each other (this round especially). Can you see yourself sharing a room or eating dinner with these girls?
What to wear:
Formal attire – think Homecoming or winter formal
Dress with heels or really nice flats
What NOT to wear:
prom or patent dress
very high heels
WHAT TO PACK IN YOUR PURSE
mints/gum
pen
phone charger
phone
small notebook
snack
chapstick
makeup bag
feminine products
LAST MINUTE ADVICE
Throughout the recruitment process, you will be told multiple times to “keep an open mind”. This is good advice, but it can be difficult to actually put into action. Here are some last minute tips for you to keep in mind:
Keep your feelings to yourself
I know it will be extremely difficult, but try not to talk to other girls about your recruitment experience. This is something that you should only discuss with your rho gamma and your family. The reasoning behind this is so that other pnms will not be affected by your thoughts on a chapter. Imagine if you were trash talking AAA, but another girl on your floor loved AAA going through recruitment.
Be nice to everyone
This is something I cannot emphasize enough. Do not be rude to anyone. This includes your rho gamma, Panhellenic executive members, sorority members, and girls in your walk-a-round group. There have been PNMs in the past that have been kicked out of formal recruitment for rude behavior and its not worth risking it (also why spread negativity?).
Act like you want to be there
When I went through recruitment, there were girls who felt like they were better than a chapter. Their body language and their attitude showed that they didn’t want to be there. Other PNMs and the sorority members will notice this, even if you think you are hiding it. It is honestly in your best interest to not do this. Why would you hurt your chances at a certain chapter?
Research the chapters
Before going through recruitment make sure to look through the little booklet that your rho gamma gives you. In it there will be every single chapter on campus along with information about their chapter. Beyond that, go to their Facebook page, website, Instagram, etc. and see what is important to them. What does that chapter value? What organizations do they support? Where is the chapter located?
At the end of the day, be yourself. Indiana sorority recruitment is notoriously one of the most difficult rush experiences in the country. Make sure to be honest with yourself when ranking chapters... Do you really like this sorority? Can you see yourself living, eating, sleeping, showering, etc. with these girls? Give yourself the best recruitment experience possible by promising yourself to choose chapters that are consistent with your values and I promise that you won't regret it. Good Luck!
