Hundreds of thousands of women join Greek life each year, but the recruitment process can be significantly stressful. Here are some of the most important pieces of advice to stay healthy and positive throughout the process!
1. Be yourself.
They will tell you this all through recruitment, and it is true. If you are looking for lifelong friends, being honest about yourself and your interests is the best way to find like-minded people.
2. Stay hydrated.
You really need to always have a bag with all the daily necessities like water, snacks, makeup, and spare shoes. Recruitment typically happens at the beginning of the semester in either extremely hot or cold weather, so be sure to pack extra items like sunscreen or tights and slippers.
3. Wear what makes you comfortable.
Typically each round of recruitment has a dress code, and it is important to use this to your advantage. When picking out a casual outfit, for example, pick something you actually would wear on a regular basis as a way of expressing your authentic personality.
4. Your Rho Gamma or Pi Chi is a valuable resource.
These people are sorority women who have gone through recruitment before, and now their job is to help you through the process! They are there to answer any and all questions you might have, so take advantage of this resource and stay informed!
5. Get as much sleep as possible.
There are many long days and nights in recruitment in addition to classes and homework, so do your best to sleep whenever you can!
6. It is normal to cry.
Plenty of women are not asked back to their favorite house, and some women do not even have the option of continuing recruitment. It is a nerve-wracking experience for everyone, but it will get better.
7. They will say, "Trust the process," but you do not have to.
Almost everyone will get cut during recruitment, but this is ok because in the end, those who make it to bid day only have one sorority to choose. To trust the process means that even if you are not asked back to your favorite sorority, you can still hope to find a home somewhere else with people who want you. With this philosophy, however, it is also important to listen to yourself, and if you really do not find the right fit in recruitment, you do not have to go through with accepting a bid.
8. People do fall through the cracks.
It is a fact that not everyone going through recruitment finds a home or even has any option to choose. It happens, it sucks, BUT it is going to be ok. For women who still look for sisterhood, there are informal options for recruitment, or you can go through the process again. Otherwise, there are plenty of other social and philanthropic opportunities on campus.
9. Bid day really is the best day ever.
If you do make it through recruitment, no matter where you get a bid, meeting your new sisters and getting to hang out with them is so fun and makes all the stress of recruitment worth it!