Joining a sorority can be a rewarding experience. Each individual chapter provides its members with unique experiences, friendships and memories that enhance the academic experience at RPI. The Greek community can provide endless opportunities for personal growth and development, as well as leadership.
Recruitment is the time when the Greek community opens its doors to potential new members, referred to in the abbreviated form PNM. Panhellenic Formal Recruitment takes place at the beginning of every fall semester and lasts six days. To help with the process, several women from each sorority become Recruitment Counselors who temporarily disaffiliate themselves in order to best answer questions and concerns without any bias so you can feel comfortable about choosing a house on your own. Recruitment Counselors are a great resource available to assist all potential new members throughout the recruitment process, whether with questions regarding recruitment events and requirements, academics, leadership opportunities, social events, and athletics – they are here to help!
Choosing whether or not to “Go Greek” and join a sorority can be a big decision, so there are various opportunities to learn about the Greek community and about how to participate in formal recruitment. Before formal recruitment begins, there will be events such as “Meet the Greeks” and the Activities Fair during the first week of classes. There will also be a Sorority Info Session a few days before Formal Recruitment begins describing recruitment events, requirements and terminology-providing a virtual “walk through” of recruitment- and answering any questions. These events are a great way to meet Greek women on campus, get more information about recruitment and meet other potential new members who may go through recruitment with you.
The second week of classes marks the beginning of formal recruitment in which two rotationals will take place. All unaffiliated women are invited to meet sisters of each house and learn more about what each individual chapter has to offer at these first two events. Following the rotationals, invitational events occur for each house. The invitations to these events are set using mutual selection- if a PNM and a house are mutually interested in each other, an invitation will be extended to attend an invitational event. There are two invitational events: the first is a rotational in which a PNM will meet with up to three houses while the other invitational event is held at the individual houses. Following the invite event is a preference event immediately followed by bid signing, which is an official agreement to become a new member of a specific sorority on campus that is binding for one year. Within a few hours after bid signing, the PNMs are notified if they received bids.
In order to participate in formal recruitment, there is a quick online registration process that is open all interested women. The Panhellenic Recruitment Council and Recruitment Counselors will pass along information at the various information sessions and be available to assist with this process. Further information about recruitment will be available upon arrival to campus. For example, Recruitment Counselors will drop off calendars with recruitment events at your dorms during the first couple weeks of school.
It is important to know that recruitment is a mutual selection process in which potential new members choose the best chapter for them and the chapter chooses the best women for their house. Joining a sorority is an important decision, and should be given a great deal of thought. There are different requirements for membership in each chapter that should be explored before making any major decisions.
Being a part of a sorority is a very personal decision, and isn’t necessarily for everyone. However, it is certainly important to explore, especially for those new to RPI as around 30% of female students are involved! Many women who are now in sororities comment that they never thought they’d be a part of Greek life in college until they really found out what it was like. Formal recruitment is a great opportunity to explore what RPI has to offer, and it is a worthwhile experience to get to know chapters on campus and what it means to be a Greek woman.
Kaitlin Howe
Rensselaer Panhellenic Association