The Ultimate Guide to Sorority Recruitment at Clemson University
Recruitment can be a fun, exciting, and stressful time for Potential New Members (PNMs) at Clemson! This guide is designed to help you to be as prepared as possible for what is to come during sorority recruitment at Clemson University!
Summer Preparation
Recruitment starts the first week of the school year, so to make sure you aren’t too overwhelmed in your first week of college, it’s a good idea to take care of some things during the summer!
1. Register for recruitment online.
2. Get letters of recommendation.
3. Plan your outfits for each round.
The First Round
WHEN
Friday and Saturday (with 25 minute rounds)
In the past, the first day of recruitment is always the longest; you have to go to all twelve sororities for 25 minutes each. This made both PNMs and the sororities (who all had to talk to 1,200+ girls) exhausted and overwhelmed. So this year the first round will be split into two days. As a PNM you will meet with seven of the sororities on Friday and the other twelve on Saturday.
WHAT TO WEAR
Recruitment t-shirt, shorts/skirts, flats or sandals.
When you register for recruitment you will be asked a t-shirt size and that is for a t-shirt that you will wear to your first rounds. Every PNM is required to wear the same shirt so the sororities can focus on your personality above all else. You can still show your personality and individuality through your shorts or skirt (which should not be too short) shoes, and accessories, but note that NO WATCHES are allowed during recruitment.
WHAT TO TALK ABOUT
Yourself
This round is mostly about the sorority getting to know you while you get a feel for how well you can relate to the sorority. You will be asked similar questions from most sororities, such as “Where are you from?” “What is your major?” “What are you hoping to get involved with on campus?” Just answer the questions honestly so the sorority can get a feel for who you are. Your conversations should give you an idea of what the girls in each sorority are like as well.
After the First Round
Voting
After you’ve visited every sorority for the first round you will vote. You will list your bottom three sororities and depending on how many sororities ask you back, you may drop these sororities.
The way voting works at Clemson is that it mostly matters which sororities ask you back. If all 12 sororities ask you back, then you will be able to drop your bottom 3, if 11 ask you back, you will drop your bottom 2, and if you are asked back by 10 you will be able to drop your bottom 1. However, if you are asked back by 9 sororities or less, you will be required to go back to each one.
The Second Round
WHEN
Sunday with 40 minute rounds.
Your schedule for Sunday may be more spread out than the previous days, with some rounds in the morning and some in the afternoon. For the second round you will be allowed to go to a maximum of nine sororities, based on which sororities you listed as your bottom three after first round and which ones asked you back.
WHAT TO WEAR
Shorts or a skirt with a shirt and flats or sandals.
Second round is still a more casual round and heels or flats are not necessary. The day will still be long and there might not be many opportunities to sit so be kind to your feet and wear comfortable shoes. A casual dress could work for second round, but dresses are not required yet due to the fact that you may be asked to sit on the ground to watch a short video. If you do wear a dress, make sure you will be able to get on and off of the floor comfortably.
WHAT TO TALK ABOUT
Philanthropy
Where first round was mostly about you, this round will require a little more talking from the sorority’s side. They will tell you about the philanthropy events they host throughout the year and possibly show you a video. If there is a philanthropy that really interests you, communicate that to the sorority, they will be excited that you’re interested in such a key aspect of their sorority. Asking questions and relating any previous volunteer experiences you have will be a great way to show your interests during second round!
After the Second Round
Voting
Just like after the first round, you will vote on the 3 sororities you liked the least. Again, you will be able to drop these sororities if you are asked back by at least 6 sororities, but if not, you may still be required to attend their rounds.
The Third Round
WHEN
The next Saturday with 45 minute rounds.
You will have a week between the second and third rounds and while this may seem frustrating because you will not know which sororities you will be going back to until Saturday morning, it is also good to have a week off to focus on your classes. For third round you will go back to a maximum of six sororities.
WHAT TO WEAR
A dress with wedges.
Third round is when the outfits get a little more formal. You should wear a dress with heels or wedges. You will be offered a chair to sit in during a portion of these rounds, so make sure your dress is long enough that you are comfortable sitting down in it.
WHAT TO TALK ABOUT
Sisterhood
This round is all about giving the PNMs a good idea of the sorority’s personality and sisterhood. In the past, each sorority would act out a fun skit for the PNMs, however, Clemson is no longer allowing this, and so third round will be a little different this year. Some sororities may show a video or do something new for this round to still make it fun. At this point in recruitment PNMs should have a feeling about which sororities they can relate to more-so than others, and this round will help give you an even better idea.
After the Third Round
Voting
Voting will be the same, with you listing your bottom three sororities, you will be left with at most three sororities for the fourth round, which is Preference Round.
The Preference Round
WHEN
Sunday with 50 minute rounds.
Preference Round, commonly called Pref Round, is the last round of recruitment and you will visit at most three sororities.
WHAT TO WEAR
A dress and heels.
Pref Round is the most formal of the rounds, so a dress and heels is typically worn by PNMS. Most sororities will be wearing either white or black dresses during recruitment so I would avoid wearing either of these colors, so you can stand out from the sorority itself. You will be sitting at a chair and table the entirety of this round, but you still have to walk in and out in front of the whole sorority so make sure you wear heels you feel confident walking in.
WHAT TO TALK ABOUT
How you’re feeling.
If you’ve made it to Pref Round, the sorority can definitely see you as one of their new members. This is your time to decide which sorority you want to join most and get a feel for where you really fit. Sororities may try their best to sell you on why their sorority is the best and pretty much all sororities will ask you, “Do you have a hard decision to make?” You can answer honestly but remember to still be nice and respectful even if you do not see yourself in a particular sorority at all. It is also good to show the sorority that you’re very interested if they’re your top choice.
After Preference Round
Voting
Voting after preference round is a little different, instead of voting with your Pi Chi, you will vote with online with a volunteer in Hendrix. You can rank your last sororities in order and although you are not required to list all of them, it is highly recommended to at least list 2.
Tip: If you only list one sorority, your name is put at the bottom of their list and your chances of getting a bid are greatly diminished.
While submitting your final ranking, you are asked to sign a contract that says you will accept a bid from any of the sororities you listed, and then recruitment is over!
Bid Day
This is the day you’ve been waiting for. You’ll get your bid and a t-shirt from your Pi Chi then you’ll go into Tillman for a short presentation before running down the hill on Bowman to your new sorority! Get ready for a lot of pictures, some gifts, and lots of face paint and glitter!
Oh, and WELCOME TO CLEMSON GREEK LIFE!
