When I lined up for sorority recruitment as a freshman in college, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified. Standing on the sidewalk in alphabetical order, I also couldn't stop thinking about Harry Potter. I mean, when it came to finding a House, Hermione Granger had it absurdly easy. She sat on a stool for maybe five seconds, then voila, the perfect House for her was announced. No Bid Card anticipation, no second-guessing, and absolutely no question that she was born to be a Gryffindor. But there's no Sorting Hat for sororities, and finding the perfect chapter for your personality can seem daunting at first, to say the least.
Some people love high school; others would gladly erase those four years without hesitation. No matter which side you fall on, leave high school behind when you step on campus. College and sororities are completely different from which lunch table you sat at in the high school cafeteria. There's no longer a singular "it crowd" when it comes to Greek Life because each chapter brings something special to the campus and to their members. Because of this, there isn't just one perfect house on campus, and every Potential New Member (PNM) will have a different experience during recruitment. Tip: When you find the right house for you, you won't feel like you need to impress anyone or change yourself to fit in. Your natural personality will be all you need to belong.
Nationally, all Panhellenic chapters are moving toward something called "no-frills" or "values-based" recruitment. Instead of wowing PNMs with Pinterest-worthy decor and synchronized clapping, sororities are catching up to the 21st century and realizing that you're going to be happier in a chapter where you naturally feel at home. The best way to do this is by encouraging sororities to promote their organization's values while also telling PNMs to talk about their own values.
If you're stuck on this, think about the people you look up to — celebrities, family members, teachers — and pinpoint what characteristics you admire in them. Then, search for those same characteristics in the sorority members you talk to. If you walk into recruitment with a strong idea of your passions and what you value, you're going to feel more comfortable sharing those and ultimately finding the chapter where you belong. I wanted a sorority filled with driven and fun-loving people, so when I walked into Kappa Alpha Theta and met a member who already had my dream job at 18 years old AND could make me laugh, I knew these women embodied what mattered most to me as an individual.
Cute Instagram photos and fun social events are definitely highlights of Greek Life, but they're something that every chapter offers. Anyone can tell you about their crush party themes or the photo booth at formal, but not everyone has a moment that showcases their sorority as a support system. My moment? The year after I joined my sorority, I was driving home from work in a blizzard, and my car stalled and died. The storm was so bad that AAA and the police wouldn't go on the road. I texted a girl in my sorority to tell her I'd be sleeping in my car, and she immediately grabbed a jacket and the keys to her pickup truck to come get me. During recruitment, imagine yourself stranded in a blizzard. Then, think about which girls you talk to would pile into that pickup truck for you.
It's really easy to get into a routine of asking each girl about their major or their favorite part of being in a sorority. Spoiler: those are the questions that every PNM and every sorority member will ask and answer throughout the week. There's nothing wrong with building a conversation off those initial questions, but to stand out and determine if a house is for you, think about the make-or-break qualities you want to gain from Greek Life, and steer the conversation in that direction.
Confession: getting involved on campus was my top priority as a freshman — meaning I signed up for everything at the Activities Fair and applied for jobs before even stepping on campus. I wanted to find a house that would encourage and challenge me, so I asked every sorority, "How has this house helped you grow?" and "What leadership opportunities are there for freshman?" Pointed? Yes. Effective? Most definitely.
5. Can You Brag to Your Family?
You'll hear that sorority sisterhood isn't "four years, it's for life." That's true — but only if you choose it. For some people, Greek Life just means four years of costume parties and crazy nights without much to hold onto. For others, it's that and so much more. During recruitment, I'd encourage you to not just find the chapter you can brag to your friends back home about joining, but also the one you can brag to your family about. Find the women who will walk you home on Friday night at 3 a.m. but will also make pancakes and have a ridiculous dance party with you on Saturday morning. At the end of recruitment, if you can honestly tell your family that you found a chapter of passionate, driven, and kind-hearted women, there's a good chance you've found where you belong, and you're going to create friendships that will last a lifetime.