Tips for Colonization Recruitment
 

I am very interested in a new chapter that is colonizing at my school next Fall. The school I go to does not have a competitive recruitment (recs are not required and are hardly used) however this is the first new chapter to come to our campus in a long time, so I think a lot of girls will be interested. I have read a lot (if not all!) of the colonization threads, but I was wondering if anyone had some tips on how to stand out during colony recruitment. TIA! :)

Even if recs are rare and give you little to no advantage with members of the current chapters, having a rec would make you stand out to the colonization team. You have 6-7 months to find one alumna of one sorority through your own contacts. Very doable.

Just out of curiosity, where would she send it?

I colonized DG at North Carolina State University.

Things I think the colonization team looked for or noticed:

> Recommendations would definitely be noticed - and girls with them given special consideration.

> Desire to take leadership positions.

> Involvement on campus (other clubs, student government, etc.).

> Involvement in honors programs/classes.

We had to do personal interviews and I'm sure sharing a vision for what you want to get out of being a colony member would help as well (ex. giving ideas/suggestions for philanthropy events).

Good luck. Being a colony member is very rewarding, but a lot of hard work!

There are some pretty standard questions that will be asked during the interview process, and you want to have good answers. What's a good answer? Something that answers the question, but also tells more about you than the easy cliches.

Example:
Why do you want to be a member of XYZ?

Okay answer: I really want to be part of a strong sisterhood and make lifelong friendships. I also look forward to leadership opportunities and the chance to be more involved on campus.

Better answer: I moved around a lot as a military child, and while I always made friends where I was at the time, there were only a few who I could count on long after I'd moved away. This taught me the value of friends who remain even across time or distance, and I want to be part of the XYZ bond so I can be a committed sister for the rest of my life.

If it were me .. I'd send it to the sorority's (I)HQ with attention to MyUniversity's Colonization Team in the address.

Look on the organization's (inter)national website to see if there is information regarding that colonization. It should have contact information for someone on the colonization team who is accepting recommendations.

A description of the colonization recruitment process that one sorority is currently using at Lehigh U is at

http://media.www.thebrownandwhite.co...-3972157.shtml

This ^^ is a basic overview of the schedule and activities.

some groups may not need recommendations for women interested in joining a colony. your best bet will be to check with the representatives of the colonizing sorority, when they come to your campus(if they are not there now).

and speaking of the sorority's representatives, don't hesitate to go up to them and introduce yourself when you see them around campus. ask any questions you would like; that's what they are there for. they may set up information tables where you can learn more about the sorority and sign up to attend their first event.

Having very direct visions is awesome: colonization teams like that.

BUT (and this is a huge BUT) make sure to look like a team player. The team isn't looking for a girl to create her idea of a perfect sorority: they are looking for someone who wants the chapter to succeed, which is dependent on all the women selected, campus culture, etc.

Make sure the "team player" aspect comes across, along with leadership strengths. A colony of 60 individual leaders is never going to make it off the ground.

Thank you ladies very much for your help! I am going to work on getting a rec since it seems like that can't hurt!

I also am genuinely interested in a leadership position but I don't know how to let them know without being too overwhelming or pushy..

Also, I haven't seen any representatives on campus yet but I will definitely talk to them if/when I see them! I have also checked the chapters website but they don't have anything listed about my school yet!

This may sound a little silly but what kind of questions do they ask in the interview? Is there a thread with some more examples? I wouldn't mind being able to practice some answers before hand!

Thanks again for your help!

There's nothing at all wrong with aspiring to a leadership position. The difference is between "I'd love to help shape the future of the sorority as it establishes itself on campus, and I think president, activities, membership (whatever your thing is) would be really challenging and fulfilling" and "when I'm president I'm going to change the colors our chapter uses because I really had blue and yellow. We're going to..." I think you can see the difference.

When my chapter colonized, the interviews lasted 10 minutes each. There were 5-10 girls being interviewed in the same room by the expansion team members (they had little desks set up all around the big room).

The interview seemed very informal to me (like friends talking). My interviewer (who now is our Fraternity President and a friend of mine!!) asked me to first tell her about myself. I talked about my family, briefly about HS, and then I talked about collegiate involvement and why I had not been through recruitment up until this point. She then asked why I was interested in DG. I told her that I was excited to be a part of a new group on campus. And that setting our own traditions that will be followed for years to come really appealed to me. I was looking for something the current groups couldn't offer (especially to a junior). Etc.

And really that was about it! It was definitely something I was nervous about...but it really wasn't anything to stress over too much.

Here is my "recruitment thread."

Pretty much what she said^^

The one question that I was asked during my colony interview that I still remember was "What 3 words would your best friend use to describe you?" I'm not sure why but that one stuck with me.