Sorority recruitment is right around the corner which means hundreds of young women will begin the search to find their home away from home. During the recruitment process these girls will be referred to as Potential New Members, or PNMs. Recruitment can be a crazy time, so here are a few tips to help you find the right sorority for you.

1. Keep the conversation going

When going through recruitment you’ll be visiting several houses and talking to a lot of girls in each house. You’ll also be expected to be able to be able to hold a conversation. The women you’ll be talking to are supposed to be getting to know you well enough to figure out if you would be a good fit for their chapter. They will most likely be prepared with questions to ask you or certain topics to discuss so be sure not to answer their questions with one word answers. It will make it harder for the conversation to flow and it will make the girl you’re talking to feel like she’s talking to a brick wall, which is not a good way to be remembered.

2. Ask Questions

It’s also important to remember that the girls you’re talking to aren’t the only ones trying to figure out if you belong in that chapter. The most important person to decide if you’re a right fit for a chapter is you. Make sure you ask the questions you want to know. If you’re financially independent ask about the finances of the house. If you want to get more involved with service don’t be afraid to ask about that chapter’s philanthropy. Some other great questions to ask are, “Why did you join this chapter?” or, “What is your best memory about your chapter?” By asking her about her sisterhood you’re showing her you're interested in her sisterhood.

3. Don’t Mention Parting

While you should definitely have some questions for the girls you’re talking to there are several things you should never bring up during sorority recruitment, and partying is the big one. Greek life has a reputation for being full of crazy parties but it is definitely not the main focus of our organizations. Most, if not all, of the sorority women you’ll be talking to did not join their chapters because of parties. They joined because of the countless other benefits their chapter has to offer. A PNM who mentions parting or alcohol is a major red flag. It shows us that you’re looking to join a sorority for the wrong reasons.

4. Don’t Talk About Boys

Another topic that you should always avoid during recruitment is boys. This whole recruitment process is about finding the sisterhood that you were meant to be a part of, not which fraternity has the hottest guys. Even if you are mentioning one boy in particular you are taking the conversation into dangerous territory. You never know if the girl you’re talking to knows the guy you’re talking about or God forbid dated him.

5. Steer clear of controversial topics like politics and religion

It’s important to never bring up a controversial issue, even if the issue is important to you. By bringing these topics up you’re taking the risk of the girl you’re talking to feeling strongly about the other side of the issue. Sororities are full of women with diverse beliefs and opinions so just because you don’t agree with one sister on an issue doesn’t mean there aren’t any girls in the chapter who are on you're side. But bringing up an issue like this can ruin your impression of the house, and that house's impression of you. You don’t want to ruin your experience at a house by arguing with someone over Trump.