University of Arizona Recruitment Fall 2011
 

Hi, I am going to be a freshman at the University of Arizona this fall and I am participating in Recruitment Week. I was wondering what to wear and what to definitely not wear? And how vital recommendation letters are?

Thanks, I read through all the threads, they were definitely helpful. Any other advice you could give?

Hopefully AZ Alpha Xi and AZTheta can provide you with some insightful tips.

With 1200 PNMs going thru recruitment at UofArizona, recs for every chapter are vital. Use the search function to find suggestions on how to obtain recs.

What to wear? Remember that it will be HOT during recruitment, for most rounds casual and cool is the recommended attire. Here's the UofA web page that talks about the rounds and what to wear. As usual with a competitive recruitment, you should consider dressing a notch above the suggestion.

http://arizonagreek.orgsync.com/org/pan/recruitment

So it seams like dress to impress and do everything possible to stand out and make an impression.

Well, yes, but think "dress to impress" girls not boys, and try to stand out in a good way, not the "oh that was the girl with the giant red bow on her head." Wear a piece of jewelry or use accessories (sunglasses, belt, bag, shoes etc.) that express your interests or personality or maybe reflect somewhere you've traveled or would like to travel.

You could drive yourself crazy trying to make the "right" impression when what you really want to do is be your best and true self.

Try out the shorts and short skirts/dresses and make sure you can sit comfortably in a chair, on a sofa, and possibly even on the floor without giving a free show.

Thanks crescent&pearls that actually some of the most helpful advice I've gotten! I just have to remember to be myself.

lolol!

I would also make sure your shoes are comfortable. Obviously don't wear 5 buck flip flops from Old Navy, but you're going to be walking.

From memory, Mountain has Pi Phi, Theta, and AEPhi. 1st street has ADPi, Alpha Phi, DG, Chi-O, and SK. Tri-Delt and Gamma Phi are on the street that I can't think of the name of (2nd I think). Either way, the houses are a bit closer together. SK and Chi-O used to be off the main row.

1. comfy shoes
2. water (super important in AZ)
3. pen (to write down your impressions after each round)

Advice
1. Keep your options open. U of A has AMAZING chapters! If you keep an open mind, you will probably (I won't say definitely because I can't) find your home.

2. Don't listen to tent talk. Very simple. Think for yourself, not for what every other PNM is saying. You're the only one who has to live with your decision. Your fellow PNM's don't.

3. With 1200 girls going through recruitment, get Rec's. Contact old teachers, family friends, etc.. They might either be greek, or know someone who is greek. Contact the Panhellenic Association. If you are in Phoenix I know there is one there. They might be able to direct you to someone.

4. Please make sure you understand the financial commitments of chapters at U of A. When I was there (back in the day) most, if not all, chapters had a live in requirement. This is probably the case for most of the chapters now. Because of the houses, this does increase the cost of membership (this isn't counting your first time fees as a new member). This advice is coming from first hand experience, I went into recruitment not really understanding how much the chapters were.
Please discuss the financial commitment with your parents, especially if you want them to help you. Again, personal experience I went through recruitment without the support of my parents and they really didn't want to help me pay for ADPi.

5. And last, I and everyone on greek chat cannot stress enough to PNM's, keep an open mind. :D

Good Luck!

Edit: G Phi is also on 1st St.; add Kappa, on 2nd St. across from the parking garage. All the chapters are close together. It's still hotter than hell and can be somewhat humid (ducks as all my Southern and Midwestern friends start chattering about humidity).

The rest of your post was Spot ON.

The UofA Office of Greek Life has a publication, The Bond, available online and it talks about all the chapters and recruitment. It also contains financial information about each chapter. Yes, there is a live-in requirement for chapters.

As the time gets closer, the website might post photos of suggested attire.

First round - please be cute, not sloppy. I've seen PNMs in Daisy Dukes and plastic flip flops. Not a good impression.

Good luck! If you maximize your options and keep an open mind, chances are good that you'll find your home.

That's right Gamma Phi is on 1st. Duh me. :D

Hey RosieGirl I'm Going Through Recruitment This Fall At The UofA Too!

This should pop up as a banner on every single recruitment thread that gets generated on this site.

(Okay, not really, but this is SO TRUE.)

Wohoo an Arizona recruitment thread! I went through recruitment last year and had so much fun. So many memories! I can honestly say that all the chapters are sooo great. So keep an open mind and you will be happy wherever you end up. Feel free to read my recruitment story (in my signature) if you want. And PM me with any questions. :)

As for clothing, you have to find a way to dress conservative, without getting too hot. Because it WILL be hott. Skirts are the best because its hard to over heat in them. Just don't pick one thats too short. You're impressing girls, not boys.

Also, they give you plastic bags to carry all your stuff around in. You're not allowed to have your own bag. But you can put anything in the plastic baggie that you want. I suggest bringing a comb. The heat will mess up your hair in between parties. I had a comb with me, and all the other girls said it was such a good idea and they wished they had brought one. Coffee filters are great for getting rid of sweat. But most of the RC's will be carrying that kind of thing around with them.

Oh, and recommendation letters are necessary but it won't be the end of the world if you don't have them. Recruitment at U of A is competitive and everyone told me I needed recs for every chapter. I ended up getting 2 recs for every chapter which helped. But I know girls who didn't even know what recs were and they had no problem getting invited back to houses. There's so many different factors, recommendation letters are just one of them.

Okay and finally, my most important piece of advice: Do not drop out of recruitment because you are unhappy with the houses you were invited back to. The only reason I think is acceptable to drop out is if you just feel greek life isn't for you. Don't drop out because you don't like the houses that liked you. There really aren't as many cuts as everyone thinks. It is mostly just girls who drop out.

Thanks for all the wonderful advice!

I thought of something else that might help you and other PNMs going through recruitment at various schools. Many (if not most) chapters have websites and Facebook pages. Do a little investigating and you'll likely see photos of what the members wear during some recruitment rounds. There may be videos on YouTube of Bid Day but that's typically much more casual and relaxed. It's just so hot in August and the first two days you want to be comfortable yet cute.

A caveat: don't form opinions based solely on the photos, or the websites! However, they can be helpful. The Bond (the UofA publication that's available on the Greek Life website) has information on how to locate chapter websites.

U of A bid day 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4XNDj7pcVY

U of A Bid day 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO5UnsqyOdw

You will notice that most of the PNM's are wearing shorts and tanks, mainly because you will be given a bid day shirt by your new chapter and the new girls will put their bid day shirts on.

Oh my gosh 2010 is my bid day video! At :52 I'm somewhere in the group with the girls holding up the Deltas. I can't believe I've never seen that video!

I remember seeing a girl that day wearing a dress and heels. She wasn't in my house so I didn't get to see her run, but I always wonder how that turned out for her. Too bad she wasn't in the video.

On that note, definitely don't wear heels.

You guys are really amazing! Thanks for everything! I can't wait for recruitment, all the chapters sound fabulous!

Wow...
 

All I can say to those videos is wow! Brings back memories. I remember making that run down the street; feeling so free, the future ahead of me, sensing that maybe, just maybe I had found my place in this world and finally belonged. It was incredible! I will never forget it.

If and when you make that run, cherish it with all your heart. It will only happen once. Things may not turn out the way that you expect them to. Nonetheless, value each experience for what it is; not only individually, but, as part of life itself.

...sheds a tear...okay maybe not, but, comes close and my heart hurts a little...

*Hug*

Hey everyone, I have a couple of quick questions.
1. Circumstances (mother getting surgery) and timing prevent me from making the first three days of 2011 recruitment in the fall, this makes me unable to participate, correct?
2. Could I be able to rush if I flew in and missed only the first day of rush? (low chance but I would try my best)
3. if I do decide to rush sophomore year, do my chances go way down that I will be able to receive a bid?
4. My best friend is hoping to rush in the fall, however her GPA is a 2.7 and the suggested GPA is a 3.0. Does she even have a chance of getting a bid with this GPA. Is there some way she can enroll i their academic success for greeks program or something to allow her to join or join on a probationary period awaiting the first semester grades?

Thank you!!!

Are you asking about the University of Arizona?

ETA: if you are, I will answer your questions. If not, I'll let someone else speak. BTW where are the other UofA GCers????????

These are questions best asked of the greek life office.

However, remember grades are very important to all chapters but on the other hand sophomores do get cut heavily unless you have a stellar resume and great grades.

Yes, these questions are about the University of Arizona, sorry for not clarifying!!

1. Circumstances (mother getting surgery) and timing prevent me from making the first three days of 2011 recruitment in the fall, this makes me unable to participate, correct? I never heard of anyone doing this but you need to check panhellenic to be sure.

2. Could I be able to rush if I flew in and missed only the first day of rush? (low chance but I would try my best) You'd be missing the first half of the houses in the first round. Even if they let you do this I think it would put you at a huge disadvantage. Check with panhellenic.

3. if I do decide to rush sophomore year, do my chances go way down that I will be able to receive a bid? I'm not going to lie. It is much harder to get a bid as a sophomore. You have to bring a lot more into recruitment than a freshman, very high gpa, activities and knowing a lot of sorority members. You also need to be careful not to do anything that might make you look bad in your freshman year. There are usually a couple of houses that do informal in the spring or open bidding so that's a possibility for you.

4. My best friend is hoping to rush in the fall, however her GPA is a 2.7 and the suggested GPA is a 3.0. Does she even have a chance of getting a bid with this GPA. Is there some way she can enroll i their academic success for greeks program or something to allow her to join or join on a probationary period awaiting the first semester grades? Chapter gpa is a really big competition and I don't think too many houses want to take on a grade risk unless she's got some other really outstanding qualities. I think she should go through but not have any expectations because all the houses have a minimum hs gpa requirement for membership of at least 2.8 and most are 3.0. I think all the houses have average member gpas of over 3.0.

hey, bear_down, thanks for stepping up! Nice to hear from you again, btw.

I will add this: this past spring all chapters were at or above total and there was no "informal" recruitment. At least, not that I ever heard about.

Total co-sign on chapter GPA and ASA (all sorority average). There is a chapter on campus now that really sets the bar HIGH!

Wow. You aren't kidding. I did a little Binging and kudos to Chi Omega. That is really fantastic!

What is their chapter GPA? Congrats to them.

Fall 2010
All chapter = 3.342
Actives = 3.375
New Members = 3.2814

Something else that struck me about that Chi Omega chapter is they have 224 members. That is a LOT of women pulling stellar grades to get a chapter GPA like that.

Either that, or they purposely don't pledge women with difficult majors.

http://www.joeydevilla.com/wordpress...on-191x300.jpg

Haha I wish I could say that but it isn't true. They have always been the smartie chapter.

hmmm...well...I remember that Kappa wore that crown for a while (but it would be before your time!)

ETA: new link about what to wear:

http://arizonagreek.orgsync.com/org/pan/whattowear

I just got a few dresses, and I was wondering if they're ok for recruitment?

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/produc...xx.esn_results

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...1t:429,r:4,s:0

Is rushing as a sophomore that much more difficult than as a freshman? I'm planning on having a pretty high GPA (carried a 4.0 through high school easily) and while i knoe the courses will be harder, I am a good student. I don't really do crazy things very much and get along with pretty much everyone, decreasing my chances of having a major incident that could tarnish my reputation. What could help me stand out as a sophomore?? I can get recs for nearly every chapter and the others I could get from members of the chapter at different schools. Do rec letters from another school even help?

Thanks so much to everyone, you're all so helpful in helping me make these important decisions :)

Hear the note of concern in my typing, please: re, the bolded - have you done so already for Fall 2011 recruitment? Have you already prepared as if you were going through Fall 2011 recruitment? Or are you just now thinking of recruitment, which is less than a month away?

Sophomores do get bids at the UofA, it isn't impossible, but it is more difficult. This has been answered already by others and there are lots of threads that address this. If you are asking for an exact "odds" or percentage, I don't have that data. The same things that help you stand out as a freshman (high GPA, solid activities, personality, leadership) will help you as a sophomore, but at the college level. Once you're in college, all the high school accomplishments fade and what's considered is your current performance.

I have prepared as if I were going through fall recruitment, but am thinking forward to the future if I am not able to rush this year. My recs have said that they would support me in whichever rush I decide to participate in. Also, if I have a rec from an alumnae of a chapter at a different school, would that help as a rec or are they less influential as recs from the school that you are attending?

RosieGirl, although those dresses would be cute to wear around campus, you may want to be a tad bit more conservative with your choice of clothing for recruitment. Then again, I don't know how it is to rush for NPC. I just know if we had an intrest to walk into rush for Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., with a dress that short or tight, my sorors would probably not grant her an interview.(first impressions should be your best impressions)

Just my $19.13 worth