What Exactly Happens During Sorority Recruitment At Penn State University

Are you thinking about sorority recruitment at Penn State University? As an incoming freshman, I had no interest in rushing a sorority because I never really knew much about it. However, after realizing about how prominent Greek life was like in Penn State, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to rush since all of my friends were doing it. I went through formal recruitment, which takes place during the fall, and honestly, I wish I had someone tell me all of this when I rushed so I was better informed. Well lucky for you interested in rushing next fall, I’ve got you covered on what to expect, so you can stay mentally and physically ready for the week long process.

1. Register for recruitment!

The very first step is to register for formal recruitment, which is a $40 application you would need to fill out (basic information, picture, bio, etc). This might seem like the least of your worries, but your picture actually matters a lot! Your picture ultimately decides whether or not you would fit into a certain sorority during the pre-screening process, so make sure it accurately depicts who you are.

2. Orientation

During orientation, you will be thrown into a huge lecture hall (most likely Thomas 100) with all of the other hundreds of girls who are rushing. The executives will then try their best to give you a rundown on what to expect during the rush process, you’ll get your recruitment t-shirt, name tag, and get set up with your Pi Chi groups. You will most likely still be confused after orientation, so don’t be afraid to talk to your Pi Chis and ask them about anything! Pi Chi = Recruitment Counselors.

3. Open Houses

The next 3 days of open houses will be long and tiring, but it’s important to keep your game face on because you will only be getting to know the girls in each sorority for 15 minutes! Think of these days as “speed dating” rounds, so be ready to be as engaging as you can in order to leave a lasting impression. You will 99% be asked what you did over the summer or how are your classes, so either divert the question or think of an interesting story to go along with it because shit gets repetitive after a while.

FYI: You will go to the suites in alphabetical order, so try to be a courteous human being and 1. Give your partner a chance to speak. 2. Be patient because you will know their entire life story by the end of open houses.

This is probably the worst part of rush because you’re emotionally drained and you’re tired from smiling so much, so if you can get through this — you’re smooth sailing for the rest of the week. At the end of this, not only will you get to take notes on which sororities you liked/disliked and then drop your bottom 5, but they also get to rank you as well based off of how well you connected.

4. First Rounds

You’ll receive a slip of all the sororities that have asked for you to come back (a max of 13) and don’t be surprised if the ones you liked dropped you because it happens to everyone. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. You can finally throw the recruitment t shirt in the wash and wear your cutest clothes. Panhel will usually give you a guideline on what to wear, but remember– dress to impress (in a classy way of course). You’re given 30 minutes with these girls, the conversations will be less basic, but it’s still important to stay lively and interesting.

Common conversation topics include: fav television show, classes, fav food, shopping downtown, etc. You will also watch a short clip about their philanthropy, so if you have social anxiety like me, then you will only really be talking for like 20-25 minutes! Keep in mind that by the end of this process, you will have to narrow it down to 8 sororities, so you really have to keep in mind which ones you vibed with or did not like~

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5. Second Rounds

Yay, you’re so so close to bid day!! Again, just to reiterate– when a sorority drops you, you might have thought the conversation went really well, but maybe you just weren’t what they were looking for. So it’s the same exact thing as first rounds except you will be talking for 40 minutes and the attire will be a lot dressier. Just because you’re closer to bid day does not mean you can relax… NO. This will probably be the most nerve wrecking experience because you’re narrowing it down to your last two sororities, so this is where you have to squeeze every bit of life into your conversations. The moment you start to get bored, your paired sister will probably be just as bored, so make sure to keep the conversation poppin’!

6. Preference Night

One. Day. Closer. Whip out your heels and cocktail dresses because you are finally down to the last two sororities! These ceremonies are low key special, low key emotional since they give you a glimpse of what values and ideals each chapter embodies. After this night, you might think that it’ll be a tough decision choosing between the two, but trust me, it’ll be so crystal clear. These were the two that mutually wanted you as much as you wanted them, so if you don’t get your first choice, it’s not the end of the world because you might like your second choice a lot better.

7. Bid Day

The day has finally come. You have never been more nervous and excited in your life as you wait to open your bid, and once you do… you have two options: run towards Old Main or low key hide in the bathroom. Just remember that if you’re not happy with your bid, you are not obligated to accept it. Also, if you gave a certain sorority a chance and you decided it wasn’t for you after Bid Day, you can always drop before initiation and rush again. See, that’s the beauty of the whole rush process — you always have an option!

A few words of advice:

• Dress to impress and don’t be afraid to show off your personality through your style! Your trendy fashion pieces could be a total conversation starter and you could end up really bonding with these sisters.
• Fall rush w/ 1000+ girls in one area = hot, sweaty rooms. Wear waterproof everything.
• Be punctual because the last thing you want is to sprint all the way to South looking like a hot mess (@me).
• Try your best to come in with an open mind because this happens to everyone, but they don’t always get their top choices.
• Don’t be persuaded by what other people think. This is college — you should be making your own decisions!
• And lastly… Trust the system because you will end up where you’re supposed to be! The last thing you want to do is be close minded, since a sorority you would’ve never considered could actually end up being your sisters for life!

Featured photo source: instagram.com and pennstatephc.org