By lwilliams
Article by Melissa Pope
Hey there! Welcome back to Greek life Recruitment Week. We’ve already covered what you can expect on days 1-4, including registration,
Go Greek Days, and Philanthropy Day. If you’re just now joining us, you can check out my last post
here. But, for those of you ready to move on to the second half of the sorority recruitment week, let’s get started!
Day 5: House Tours
This round of Greek life recruitment is probably the most influential thus far. You will travel from house to house on your list of preferred five after Philanthropy Day, where you’ll receive a guided house tour from initiated members. This is your time to get a sense of what living in the chapter house might look and feel like. Again, you can (and should!) ask any questions you may have, as well as get to know the other members of the sorority. Some questions you may want to ask could be:
- “Do you get to choose the people you room with? If so, how does that work?”
- “If I have a car, does the house have designated parking spots for members?”
- “How much does it cost to live in?”
- “Is there a place to store food of my own in case I go to the grocery store?”
- “Can I have friends/family members from out of town stay here?”
Attire for this event is definitely more formal than the days prior. Instead of dressy-casual, you are encouraged to wear business-formal clothing for house tours. Sorority members do the same, but they will usually follow a color scheme chosen by each house. For example, during my senior year we wore white tops with colored pants and last year’s Greek life recruitment, my sisters all wore outfits involving nudes, whites, and corals – it creates consistency throughout the entire chapter (and looks really good). In total, house tours usually last about 10 hours, with just under an hour for each individual tour. Now, you may be thinking, “Why does it last 10 hours when I will only tour five houses, at most?” While that may be true, everyone is given a break for lunch, and there may be times during the day that you won’t be touring, but others will. So, each chapter house may tour eight different parties, while you may only tour five houses. This helps ensure that there is enough time for each party to receive a quality tour.
Days 6: Preference Night
While House Tours are very important to Greek life recruitment week, Preference Night (Pref Night, for short) takes the cake! By now, you have narrowed down your lists to only two houses that you want to join. Dress for Pref Night is very formal — essentially cocktail attire. Nothing too flashy, tight, or scandalous ladies! After all, you’re not going clubbing. This night usually lasts around five hours, providing a tight 60 minutes for each party. An important thing to remember is not only did
you choose to participate in Pref Night, but this is also the sorority’s way of showing you that it thinks you would make a great addition to its chapter and wants you to become a fellow sister. This is a very personal and thoughtful night. Food is served at each party—it may be an appetizer, dinner, or dessert—and at the end of the night, you and initiated members will make your final decisions. Just like any new relationship, the decision to join a house has to be mutual. You must both come to the same agreement that it will be a good fit for everyone involved. Now, it is possible that you might not receive an invitation to join your chosen, or possibly any, sorority. It can be due to a variety of reasons, such as the amount of girls going through sorority recruitment week (sometimes there are just too many women to house in a chapter). Or, it’s possible that the mutual agreement wasn’t completely mutual. Unfortunately, rejection is a possibility. You should keep this in mind before starting the recruitment process to consider how you may personally handle it.
Day 7: Bid Night
Tonight’s the night! You have finally made it to the end of Greek life Recruitment Week, and today you will find out which sorority you are now a member of! Gathering back in the MU—where it all began—PNMs are given an envelope concealing a formal bid to join their new sorority. Once you know which house you are in, you’ll find where your pledge class is grouped together and wait to be called outside. Similar to waiting inside, initiated members gather outside of the MU with signs, balloons, and gift bags for their new sisters! New members are called out by chapter house and rush down the steps to join the rest of their new sororities. After every chapter is called down, everyone disperses back to their houses to welcome their new sisters home. It’s a very fun night, and even fraternities join in cheering and welcoming everyone!
Rush To It
Recruitment is an extremely long, draining process for both initiated members and PNMs, but it is also very exciting and memorable. It is a week that can determine part of who you are for the rest of your life. Because this is a very important—potentially life changing—week, keep in mind that you want to choose whatever house
you think is right for
you. And even if you are still unsure, I suggest to just give it a try! I have a feeling that you’ll end up loving it and realizing that it was an awesome decision.
