The following is the basic breakdown of sorority recruitment. If you have decided to rush, first of all, congratulations, but keep in mind you are being recruited to join very prestigious groups of women. Prepare to feel very self-conscious. You will be judged by the chapters, the other girls going through recruitment and yourself. Just remember to be confident in who you are, and you will make it to the end.

1. Sign up for recruitment.

Keep in mind that everything you put on your recruitment application will be seen by all the houses.

2. Be assigned to a Rho Gamma group.

A Rho Gamma is a girl from one the sororities at your school. She has disaffiliated with her chapter for the summer to help you find your home. She can be trusted, so take full advantage of your opportunity to get her advice. They’ll probably want to meet up once you all get to campus!

3. Meet the Greeks.

At this event you will get your first opportunity to talk to some girls from each of the chapters. This is your chance to meet as many women as possible. Not only does this help you get a feel for what each of the houses has to offer, but the more women you talk to, greater your chances of being remembered. This could also change the way you view certain chapters because, let’s face it, even though they tell us to keep an open mind, we all know we have created a personal rank. Dress for the event! Remember cute, but comfy! You don’t want to be uncomfortable, especially if its outdoors in August.

4. PNM Convocation.

PNM stands for potential new member which is what you are! This is a meeting for all the women, like you, that are rushing. You will learn all the dos and don’ts of recruitment. What to wear, what to talk about and a tentative schedule for the next three or four hectic days of your life will all be discussed here.

5. Day One.

On the first day of the recruitment process, you will be given a schedule for all the parties you will be attending. You will visit every house on this day, and each chapter will present their philanthropy to you. Ask plenty of questions about each chapter because this is the only day you will get to visit all of the houses. Find something unique about each chapter that draws you toward it. Make sure you also talk about yourself! Show the girls what makes you special, unique and an asset to their chapter. Remember that recruitment is a mutual selection process, so not only do you need to find the chapter that you love, but also the chapter that loves you as well. Once you’ve visited all of the houses, you will have a private meeting to decide which house you could least likely see yourself in.

6. Day Two.

On the morning of day two you will get a schedule with the houses that you will be returning to. You can visit up to four houses on this day, and each chapter will give you a little insight into their sisterhood. This day can be quite disheartening, but just remember to trust the system, and you will end up exactly where you are supposed to in the end. You will be talking to more women on this day. Use the interaction time wisely. Ask yourself if you feel comfortable, is the conversation flowing easily and would you trust these women around your purse or boyfriend. This day can really make or break you, so just be yourself, and show them how awesome you are. You will also finish this day by ranking the remaining sororities.

7. Day Three.

This is the last day before you find your new home! If you can get through this day, it's clear skies from here on out. This day is also referred to as Preference Day. You will also receive a schedule on this day which can send you to only two houses max. When you are at the different houses on this day, you can relax a bit. By now, both chapters are basically saying “We want you!” so pay close attention to the ceremonies, and see what both chapters can offer you personally. You will probably be talking to someone that you have previously talked to, and now is the time to really make a connection with this girl. Your private meeting on this day will go a bit differently. Instead of simply ranking the chapters you will decide which house is your top preference and which is your second. You will then sign, saying that you will accept whichever bid you receive. At this point, you will have the option to suicide, which means you only sign to accept a bid from one of the two houses. By doing this you are taking the risk of being dropped from all houses, and ending up without a home after all the tough work. 10/10 DO NOT RECOMMEND!!

8. Bid Day.

This is the very last day of the recruitment process and very possibly one of the greatest days of your life. It will be referred to as bid day, and a bid is simply an invitation to join a chapter. You will meet up with all of the other PNMs while wearing a white t-shirt. You will sit with your Rho Gamma groups, and they will very slowly pass out little white envelopes. Once everyone has theirs, you get to open it and find out who you will spend the next amazing four years with. You may open your envelope and be slightly disappointed with the house you got. If this happens PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE just give your new sorority a chance. I promise it is where you are supposed to be, and you will love it! You just don’t know it yet! You’ll be lined up and presented to your new sisters, and afterwards, you get to go to the sorority house to take pictures and celebrate the best decision of your life!

Just remember, Go Greek and GO DELTA ZETA!!

(Disclaimer: This article depicts the recruitment process at Stephen F. Austin State University. Other schools may have a similar processes, but it could differ slightly, including more chapters, different terminology, and/or a longer or shorter process.)