. The final day of sorority recruitment, whether its virtual or in-person, always ends with a huge celebration: Bid Day. Generally, there are a limited number of groups with a few openings who are able to participate. This number (called total) is essential nonetheless. It is important to keep an open mind and try to meet as many of the chapters as possible before signing a bid. If you haven't improved yourself, you can't expect a different result. If a sorority is not liked on campus, it will drop at a low rate after Round 1. You never know, you might love it! This limit is more concrete and has more to do with things like building fire codes and how many people the Greek Life office feels should be in a single sorority. One of the hardest parts of sorority life for my sisters who joined through a continuous open bid was that they may or may not have gone through the formal recruitment process as a potential new member at all. Informal Recruitment, also known as Continuous Open Bidding (COB), is a process that sororities engage in outside of the primary (formal) recruitment period. After she said that I was totally turned off on that sorority and didn't even bother to make an effort. After talking to many different girls over several days, debating and writing and rewriting your preference list, and anxiously waiting for the morning of Bid Day call from your recruitment counselor, you get only one bid, so make it count! During this process, a sorority will offer bids to women in order to reach chapter total (the largest size a sorority can become through recruitment). Any advice welcome. Trust the process!" Do you need recommendation letters for COB? You find your dream sorority. You don't need to wait until next fall to make that decision either!! 2. There are many ways to join a sorority in college. Continuous Open Bidding is the best for women who already have a sorority goal in mind, in my opinion. The information below should be helpful in preparing you for the 2023 Panhellenic Formal Recruitment process. Some people decide to go a more formal route, and they go through some version of formal recruitment. It depends on your college. Some recruiters choose not to use this approach as they feel that it excludes many people who may not hear about the job. Specific chapters who participate in Fall & Spring informal . And they had a sorority that I had never heard of. - Ohio University - OU Discussion. They get to decide when the events are, who is invited, how they want to structure the event. Focus on events that will be entertaining, but that . Fall 2022 Recruitment Information: 6/08 - Recruitment registration opens! Sorority recruitment can be difficult. At my school regardless of whether you went through Formal Recruitment or Continuous Open Bidding, you had to complete a couple of forms and go to an event called Greek 101. To gain further information about both of these recruitment processes, you can contact the Panhellenic Council Vice President of Recruitment & Membership. You decide if you want to accept the bid or not. You have to go through a process before you become an initiated member. It never happens at my school! She is the one you will run home to after all the women have received their bids and are released to officially join their new sororities. However, not all chapters that are eligible will participate. This percentage can be as high as 70%. To say I'm hurt would be a huge understatement. I've gotten to see you at your highest and lowest and I love you so much at times I wonder how I could have gotten so lucky to call you my friend. Some schools may require you to pay a small fee once you accept a bid. This one is 35 minutes and it goes in depth. This ebook is based on a proven process to get invited to sororities you like and stand out during COB. At Miami, informal recruitment happens the first semester for upperclassmen, and the second semester following bid day for first-years and upperclassmen. You don't want to waste time and resources submitting a bid that is doomed to failure from the beginning. You may be a good candidate down the line for an e-board position. During this process, a sorority will offer bids to women in order to reach chapter total, meaning the largest size a sorority can become through recruitment. If I could count how many times I've been asked "why did you drop the first time? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Sorority recruitment, also sometimes referred to as rush season, is a time for potential new members to get to know the women of each house on campus. You go through recruitment. Therefore, you have to wait a year to go through recruitment again. Purchasing a product or service through an affiliate will earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you. On Bid Day you will get a Bid Day Buddy who is a sister of the chapter you received a bid to who will be by your side the entirety of Bid Day. To help you navigate and understand continuous open bidding I wanted to give you a guide to surviving and conquering this form of recruitment. What Is Sorority Initiation? For others, a less stressful informal approach works better. This number is the quota. It is important to keep an open mind during recruitment week and to use the time to meet and make new friends! It is important to note that not all sororities participate in COB. Large sororities can invite fewer people back. Many of the sororities will not extend bids to sophomores or upperclassmen. However, your second sorority picks you. You signed the Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA). Keep your mind open and be gracious toward any sorority that thinks you may be a good fit for their chapter. You need to think about what you will do when you are offered. Then there is the total sorority limit. It happens with some sororities right after formal if they dont reach their quota and also some in the spring. During recruitment functions, potential members talk one-on-one with sorority members. Be prepared before recruitment. At my school, there's a chance you'll get kicked out before bid day, but if you make it to bid day, you're guarenteed a sorority. It depends on your college. However, Panhellenic chapters have informal recruitment opportunities, referred to as Continuous Open Bidding, or "COB". I went to a smaller school in FL and very rarely did someone not get a bid (usually only girls with GPAs too low for the cut off of each organization or who maybe got into trouble at school before rush), but I have heard from friends at larger state schools that it happens. If youre interested in a specific chapter. It's OK to be nervous and shy - but learning to chat with people you don't know well is a great life skill to work on. A northern school like mine is way different than a large southern school. I also came down with the flu so I felt it wasn't worth it and I dropped. Honestly, I know of a lot of girls that got fully released during recruitment but now theyre in multiple different chapters. Find those women in your classes, in the library, in the student center, etc. I remember when we both received acceptance letters to Notre Dame of Maryland University and swore we'd stay best friends through college. It's important to begin the process as early as possible! No one was expecting this years recruitment to be as large as it was, they had 150 more girls sign up than what had been anticipated. I didn't show up to the next house and I called my mom. Continuous Open Bidding can be a little daunting. 2. The sorority I ended up getting into, i just talked about how I was really dedicated to doing community service. The sisters will invite you to more Greek events and eventually pop the question about joining their sisterhood. Informal recruitment, also known as continuous open bidding, begins immediately after the conclusion of formal recruitment and lasts throughout the academic year. Thank you so much for the advice. The Panhellenic Vice Presidents of Recruitment at cofc.recruitment@gmail.com. For example, if 1,000 potential new members sign the MRABA and there are 10 sororities on campus. Some people decide to go a more formal route, and they go through some version of formal recruitment. Primary recruitment is also the only time all fourteen of our organizations are open to accept new members during the 2022-2023 school year. Remind her that her value was never wrapped up in an envelope on bid day. The week-long process of formal recruitment was challenging for them. If it's formal recruitment RFM works so that the number of women attending the last day is divided by the number of chapters so theoretically there is a spot for every single PNM. For my school, we have 9 Panhellenic sororities. It is very painful to go through a weeks worth of recruitment only to come out empty handed. I was on my toes from the last two weeks of fall term to the second week of winter term, I think it took about 4 weeks to get my actual bid. After the event, if the sorority thinks you are a good fit, the sorority will give you a bid. Only chapters that are below total after formal recruitment may COB. Informal recruitment is very slow and nerve-wracking. This approach is usually called Continuous Open Bidding. A lot of advice is too general, comes from first-year members, and is outdated. Median Chapter size). Many of the sororities will not extend bids to sophomores or upperclassmen. Our goal is to help you succeed no matter where your college journey takes you. WHAT TYPE OF QUESTIONS SHOULD YOU ASK DURING PREF? The majority of sorority women join chapters through primary recruitment, which takes place every fall the week before school begins. Rejection is hard; if it's too painful to go through recruitment again don't push yourself. A sorority can meet the quota but still be under the chapter total. Recruiting happens 24/7 during continuous open bidding, and sometimes it's hard to tell what is recruitment and what is just hanging out. In other words, you cannot receive two or more bids and then get to pick the bid you want to accept. Just like the sisters are ready with conversation starters, you should be too. It gives you a chance to get to know sorority sisters at a deeper level than formal recruitment, but you also have to show more initiative in your Greek life journey. Read more about the mutual selection, HERE. Reach out to VP of Recruitment or Director of Informal Recruitment with any additional questions or concerns. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I shook the president hand and turned to see who I'd be chatting withand she was wearing my dress. We sat at the same lunch table for four years. Learn more about Panhellenic Recruitment here. Finally, know your talents and what makes you interesting. I was on my toes from the last two weeks of fall term to the second week of winter term, I think it took about 4 weeks to get my actual bid. I did not get a bid anywhere when I first tried recruitment; however, at the time, I was sixteen years old. Please see the schedule outlined below. Dropping a sorority is a serious decision and should not be taken lightly. Copyright 2023 The Happy Arkansan. Do not bet on this option to join a particular sorority. There is a high chance that if you have made it to a sorority chapters Preference Night you will get a bid. Chapter Recruitment Chair Email, Alpha Epsilon Phi Taylor Lewis lewists2@miamioh.edu, Alpha Omicron Pi Ainsley Stone stoneam3@miamioh.edu, Alpha Xi Delta Lauren Hunt huntlc@miamioh.edu, Chi Omega Jenna Watterson watterjn@miamioh.edu, Delta Delta Delta Tiffany Miller mill1680@miamioh.edu, Phi Sigma Sigma Alyvia Gonzales gonzal24@miamioh.edu. You choose NOT to go to Bid Day. Some sororities may even hold specific COB events for woman interested in joining a sorority after formal recruitment. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. These options guarantee you make the best decision. The reasoning is twofold: A) Asking questions shows genuine interest and confidence. Time. Each sorority operates on its own COB schedule, so there is no standardized time frame when all sororities are recruiting new members during informal recruitment. Just keep your head up. Informal recruitment is a more intimate and casual recruitment process for our Panhellenic sororities. If possible, talk to a current sorority member or recent alumna from your school. At the end of this day of sorority recruitment at Loyola University Chicago, you rank your top two. The best recruitment methods to overcome common challenges. I had the same happen to me! Also feel free to stop by the office at 2027 Armstrong Student Center. Amanda is the original voice behind The Happy Arkansan. Each . To get a bid to a sorority you love, you have to communicate that you are the right fit for the sorority. And it really sucks. RECOGNIZED CHAPTERS Alpha Chi Omega Brooke Barrows brooke.barrows@uvm.edu Alpha Delta Pi Kasey Doughney uvmalphadeltapi.president@gmail.com Delta Delta Delta Olivia Percy etaccp@gmail.com The quota specifies how many bids a sorority chapter must give out during sorority recruitment. But, if not, the emphasis will likely be on the sisterhood of each chapter. Advice will NOT get you a bid. Each sorority has to take a minimum of 100 new members. Advice will NOT get you a bid. Coordinated by the Interfraternity Council's Recruitment Team and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, this week-long Formal Recruitment process is structured around a series of events called recruitment rounds. Hope this helps. COB should never be counted on to receive a bid. I know a lot of girls who have gone through informal and loved it, its a lot less daunting. Bidding I wanted to give you a bid anywhere when I first tried recruitment ; however, Panhellenic chapters informal... 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