Recruitment from the other side!
 

I'm so excited because this year I get to be recruiting the PNMs! I remember having the same conversations at almost every house during formal recruitment. I want my conversation to stand out among the several houses.

Do you think it's okay to skip the usual "So what's your major? Where are you from? How do you like xyz college so far?"? If so, how would you start off a conversation?

Thanks!

This is my first year recruiting as well and I can understand where you are coming from! Last year I talked about major and why I chose USF at every single house. Questions like what's your major may be interesting, but it isn't a open ended question. They can just be like "Nursing" and that's it. Personally, on the first day I would like to ask about hobbies, what did you do over summer, what is one thing you are looking forward to in greek life, what is important to you in a sorority (scholarship, leadership, etc.) how are you adjusting to the university. These are always ways you can implement how your sorority has helped you through college. :D

But is it awkward to just jump into "So, what did you do over the summer?" after handshake/name swap?

^ I wouldn't find it awkward. Just lead the conversation into it. Something like, "Wow, it's so exciting to see campus filled with people again. I had a great time over the summer, but it's good to be back. How did you spend your summer?"

That's a really great example of how to lead into the question. I think it's a great idea to skip "What's your major?" and such because they're going to be asked that over and over and over and over. As a PNM I remember understanding that it was hard for actives to talk to us, too, but I found myself wishing I could write "No major yet" on my forehead because everyone asked that question.

I'm not good at small talk with someone I've met approximately .01 seconds ago, so I would start generic ("What dorm did you move into?") and then get gradually more specific (Have you heard about the ghost yet?"), then lead off into something I hoped would spark an actual conversation ("As soon as you have time you HAVE to explore the campus at night, it's so creepy!"). This usually worked and helped break the ice so that we could get a more natural conversation going. And sometimes you get the best PNM's-the ones that ask YOU questions!

hmmm anyone else?

I guess it depends on if you are trying to stay focused on sorority/college or go straight for any topic that comes to mind. You might start by noticing something about the PNM and asking about that. For instance, the PNM is wearing a really cute dress. You could say, "I really love that dress. It is really a cute print. Where did you get it?" This could lead you into a talk about fashion.

If you didn't notice any thing special about the girl, ask if she has seen any good movies lately.

Or following AOII Angel's advice...music?

It can be hard to START with a really unique question when talking to a complete stranger, since it's difficult to gauge what they'll respond positively to, but if you start generic and get specific you'll still end up making a memorable conversation for her to keep in mind.

any other advice would be great as well! :]

I don't know about other campuses, but at mine, we always had some really big activities going on in the fall. Concerts, comedians, etc. So I always liked asking if they were planning on going to suchandsuch event, or if they did go, or if they were thinking about joining any campus groups. It got into the topic of everything the school had to offer, and how much we enjoyed attending things like that as sisters.