Recruitment- Recommendations and Reminders

Are you counting down the days until Recruitment? We sure are! We can't wait to meet all of the women who have registered for Fall Formal Recruitment. If you haven't already registered, visit kupanhellenic.org.

Recruitment is a truly unique experience. We want to share some tips and advice so that you can have the best experience possible!

Lauren Edwards, the Assistant Director of Recruitment, shares her thoughts about Fall Formal Recruitment.

Advice: Keep an open mind!  The chapter I am in was not the chapter I thought I would be in at the beginning of the process. Immediately after receiving my bid, I became very close with the women in my pledge class and the upperclassmen welcomed me with open arms.  I cannot imagine being in any other chapter!  Even if it is not your first choice, give it a chance and I promise that you will love it!

Experiences:  I knew that because I was from Colorado, KU would provide me the opportunity to meet a lot of new people.  I never could have imagined forming the relationships I have with the women in my chapter.  It is so cheesy (and cliche) but these are the women who are my best friends, who I always can rely on, and always have fun with.  I have so many great memories from college so far, and there is not one where my sisters are not present. 

Memories:  My favorite recruitment memory was walking on campus my first week of class.  Women who I had met throughout recruitment week would see me on campus and wave.  It made me feel like I was part of something and not a lost freshman on campus.  Even though we were not in the same chapter, it was nice to know that I had friends in the Greek community.  

Dispelling Recruitment Myths: Chapter Selection

Some Chapters are better than others. FALSE

I won't be happy unless I am offered a bid by a particular chapter. FALSE


Fall Formal Recruitment can often be a hectic and uncertain week for potential new members and current chapter members alike. The pressure will only increase if you go into the process with preconceived notions about chapters. Until you meet the women of every chapter on campus, there is no way to know which chapter will fit you best.

Each and every chapter here at KU is unique in its own way. And every chapter changes with each incoming pledge class. Keep an open mind and make your own decisions. Being a sorority woman does not end with your four years at KU. You will be a sorority woman for life. You will come to cherish the time spent in your chapter and the women that surround you will be come your closest friends. This decision will affect you and you only. Don't allow anyone else to sway your decisions, you will be the only one who can decide where you belong.

It is my strongest belief that things always work out for the best. Try to keep this in mind during recruitment and especially on bid day. Sometimes, you might receive a bid from a chapter that was not your top choice. It is important to keep in mind that every chapter has a unique set of wonderful women. These women are scholars, leaders, philanthropists and most importantly, sisters. The women represented on your bid card want you. They see in you qualities that are important to them and they would love to welcome you into their sisterhood with open arms. They might not have been your first choice, but on graduation day you will look back and be unable to imagine your college experience any other way.

If you take any advice from these blogs to heart, let it be this. Go into recruitment with an Open Mind and always always always Be Yourself. Things have a funny way of working out in the end. You will end up in the chapter you were meant to be in.

Dispelling Recruitment Myths: Legacies

I am a Legacy for a certain chapter, so I will automatically get a bid.

My Mom/Grandma/Sister had a wonderful experience in "Alpha Alpha Alpha" so that's the only the chapter I will consider.

Both of the above statements are common recruitment myths. But before we start this blog we should define "What is a legacy?" A legacy is a potential new member whose mother, grandmother or sister is affiliated with a Panhellenic chapter.

In answer to the first recruitment myth, each potential new member is considered on an individual basis. Women who are legacies are not obligated to join a particular sorority and that particular sorority is not obligated to pledge her. The potential new member and the sorority are looking for a mutual compatibility, not family connections.

In reference to the second myth, we encourage all of the women participating in Fall Formal Recruitment to keep an open mind about each sorority. It is always wonderful to hear about the lasting friendships and bonds that tie a woman to her sorority. However, each campus is unique and each chapter changes and evolves every year with each new pledge class. It is important to follow your heart and choose the chapter and group of women you feel the most comfortable with. Keep in mind that which chapter to join is your own decision, no one else can make it for you.

Dispelling Recruitment Myths: Letters of Recommendation

You Need a Letter of Recommendation in order to receive a bid from a specific chapter. FALSE

We have received numerous calls in the Panhellenic office worried about this myth. The summer before I went through recruitment I was scrambling to find letters for all 13 chapters at KU. I asked almost everyone I had ever met, hoping and praying they were Greek. I wish I had known that this Recruitment myth was just that, a myth.

Letters of Recommendation are not necessary for membership in a particular chapter. Recruitment is a week-long mutual selection process, and I strongly believe that at the end of the week each individual ends up where they are supposed to be. Ask any member of a Panhellenic sorority here at KU and she will tell you that her chapter has become a home, and she couldn't imagine it any other way. Things always seem to work out the way they should.

However, if you would like to send in Letters of Recommendation it certainly can't hurt you. You can ask family members, mothers of your friends, friends of your mother, anyone that can speak to your character. If you are still really set on obtaining letters for every chapter at KU and you don't know women affiliated with a specific chapter, the Alumnae Panhellenic of Greater Kansas City is a great resource. These women will be happy to write letters of recommendation. Their website is www.kcpanhel.com or you can email info@kcpanhel.com for additional information.

Just remember that Recruitment is meant to be a fun process, allowing all the participants to meet new people and have great conversations. There are no "secrets" to recruitment. You don't need anything special, just yourself and a smile!