Strong Recruiting Chapters

[LAblondeGPhi]

Hello ladies,

One of my favorite aspects of sorority life (aside from sisterhood, socials and the traditionally 'fun stuff') has always been recruitment. I'm just fascinated by the process and the work it takes to make a chapter more competitive.

So, what do you consider to be our strongest chapters in recruitment? Being in Southern California, I've heard the glowing praises of our University of San Diego and Cal State - Long Beach chapters, but I have no idea about most of the rest of the country.

Second part: how did these chapters get there? Was it a really dedicated recruitment advisor? A combination of many factors? Has that chapter just always been that way? Anyone have any great stories?

[gpb1874]

Zeta Lambda has done really great in recruitment the last 5 years or so, not bad since they are 9 years old. The first couple years were a little rough, but some dedicated members, recruitment advisors and CLC's really helped. Having a mindset that recruitment is important - especially conversation practice - made a big difference. Once you start to do well, you have to keep practicing it....they got good because they worked at it and they continually work at it every single year.

[navane]

San Diego State University, Beta Lambda, always has a strong recruitment. The girls are just on top of it; bottom line, their hard work pays off.

They do have a strong Chapter Adviser and Recruitment Adviser as well. SDSU's Recruitment Adviser just happens to also be University of San Diego's Chapter Adviser. So, both chapters here in San Diego are very strong!

.....Kelly

[bejazd]

I hear a lot of great things about many chapters close to me...I'd feel bad about naming one and unintentionally leaving somebody else unrecognized.

The chapters that earned the Order of the Crescent for overall chapter excellence, which includes excellence in recruitment were:

Epsilon, Northwestern
Xi, U of Idaho
Omicron, U of Illinois
Pi, U Nebraska-Lincoln
Sigma, U Kansas
Alpha Nu, Wittenberg
Alpha Chi, William and Mary
Beta Alpha, Univ So Cal
Beta Lambda, SDSU
Beta Omicron, Oklahoma City
Beta Upsilon, Kansas State
Beta Phi, Indiana U
Gamma Gamma, U Wisc Milwaukee
Gamma Tau, St Louis U
Delta Delta, Cal State Fullerton
Delta Tau, Colgate
Delta Omega, Oakland Univ
Epsilon Delta, Creighton
Epsilon Eta, Bridgewater State
Zeta Delta, Southeast Missouri State
Zeta Iota, Valparaiso
Zeta Kappa, U Southern Indiana
Zeta Mu, St John's U
Zeta Omicron, John Carroll
Zeta Phi, Univ Arkansas-Ft Smith

wow! that's just the ones that earned top honors in all 5 areas- there are tons more that may have received honors for recruitment!

[SWTXBelle]

I think it is Univ. of Arkansas - Fort Smith. (yeah for our first Arkansas chapter!)

[summer_gphib]

Zeta Delta, Southeast Missouri State

My home chapter!! Yea!

[kchaptergphib]

Gamma at Wisconsin-Madison is always AWESOME at recruitment. It's been this way for AT LEAST the last 10-15 years, possibly longer. The ladies work hard, but they also just have a really strong reputation on campus and a very committed Membership advisor. They are usually well over total (which is around 125-126) after FR and thus rarely have to participate in COB/COR.

Epsilon at Northwestern had a very solid recruitment (for the one year I've observed it, so far). Northwestern Recruitment is deferred, and it's still got quite a few frills (which is SO FUN for me to see). The ladies work incredibly hard, and their chapter is well-respected.

Kappa at Minnesota-Twin Cities (my home chapter!) has made great strides in the past 8 or so years. I signed my bid card (through COB) at the very end of Freshman year, so my first real FR experience was helping recruit my own pledge class (this would have been Fall 2002). That year we took quota PLUS for the first time in most collegiate members' memory (so, 3 + years). I think we had a solid reputation on campus, but were still a smaller chapter at around 55 members, when total at the time was about 85. So, clearly, we were still well below total, and I'm sure it had been that way for a few years (i.e. at least 3). One thing that Kappa has always excelled at, and I believe continues to do so, is COB/COR. It's a lot of additional work to arrange COB/COR events, but myself and many other leaders in the chapter joined that way, and appreciate its sometimes more personal feel. Kappa would often take quota (usually in the high teens) in fall FR, still be 10+ members below total, and COB like crazy during the second semester. But after seniors graduating, etc, would still be far enough below total that a quota-sized fall FR pledge class wouldn't get us up to the 85 member mark. Now, though, I'm happy to say that Kappa's continued to do well during fall FR, and COB, and that the U of M has realized that having 5 of its 9 sororities constantly below total means total should be lowered, and I've heard that Kappa is around/over 70 members and total is 72 or 75. If geeky penguin or someone else who's currently in MPLS wants to correct me, that'd be great. I hope no one minds my sharing. It just shows that it can take the better part of a decade for a house to boost numbers. And that if you don't take quota in fall FR, you have to work your a**es off for the rest of the year in COB/COR. And that one bad year of FR can set you back, etc., etc.
I don't want to make it sound like we were at all in dire straights at Kappa, because we weren't. It was just that we were always striving for total. I was so happy to hear that they've gotten there. Great work, ladies!

[LAblondeGPhi]

[QUOTE=kchaptergphib;1663448]
Kappa would often take quota (usually in the high teens) in fall FR, still be 10+ members below total, and COB like crazy during the second semester. But after seniors graduating, etc, would still be far enough below total that a quota-sized fall FR pledge class wouldn't get us up to the 85 member mark. Now, though, I'm happy to say that Kappa's continued to do well during fall FR, and COB, and that the U of M has realized that having 5 of its 9 sororities constantly below total means total should be lowered, and I've heard that Kappa is around/over 70 members and total is 72 or 75. If geeky penguin or someone else who's currently in MPLS wants to correct me, that'd be great. I hope no one minds my sharing. It just shows that it can take the better part of a decade for a house to boost numbers. And that if you don't take quota in fall FR, you have to work your a**es off for the rest of the year in COB/COR. [QUOTE]

I hear you, girl! I feel like most of the time, you take one step forward, then something happens where you slide 9/10 of a step back. I know it's the nature of the beast, but oftentimes, so much depends on the MVP! It's quite a lot of responsibility for one collegiate.

[LAblondeGPhi]

Apparently my quoting abilities are lacking...

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally Posted by kchaptergphib

Gamma at Wisconsin-Madison is always AWESOME at recruitment. It's been this way for AT LEAST the last 10-15 years, possibly longer. The ladies work hard, but they also just have a really strong reputation on campus and a very committed Membership advisor. They are usually well over total (which is around 125-126) after FR and thus rarely have to participate in COB/COR.

Epsilon at Northwestern had a very solid recruitment (for the one year I've observed it, so far). Northwestern Recruitment is deferred, and it's still got quite a few frills (which is SO FUN for me to see). The ladies work incredibly hard, and their chapter is well-respected.

Kappa at Minnesota-Twin Cities (my home chapter!) has made great strides in the past 8 or so years. I signed my bid card (through COB) at the very end of Freshman year, so my first real FR experience was helping recruit my own pledge class (this would have been Fall 2002). That year we took quota PLUS for the first time in most collegiate members' memory (so, 3 + years). I think we had a solid reputation on campus, but were still a smaller chapter at around 55 members, when total at the time was about 85. So, clearly, we were still well below total, and I'm sure it had been that way for a few years (i.e. at least 3). One thing that Kappa has always excelled at, and I believe continues to do so, is COB/COR. It's a lot of additional work to arrange COB/COR events, but myself and many other leaders in the chapter joined that way, and appreciate its sometimes more personal feel. Kappa would often take quota (usually in the high teens) in fall FR, still be 10+ members below total, and COB like crazy during the second semester. But after seniors graduating, etc, would still be far enough below total that a quota-sized fall FR pledge class wouldn't get us up to the 85 member mark. Now, though, I'm happy to say that Kappa's continued to do well during fall FR, and COB, and that the U of M has realized that having 5 of its 9 sororities constantly below total means total should be lowered, and I've heard that Kappa is around/over 70 members and total is 72 or 75. If geeky penguin or someone else who's currently in MPLS wants to correct me, that'd be great. I hope no one minds my sharing. It just shows that it can take the better part of a decade for a house to boost numbers. And that if you don't take quota in fall FR, you have to work your a**es off for the rest of the year in COB/COR. And that one bad year of FR can set you back, etc., etc.
I don't want to make it sound like we were at all in dire straights at Kappa, because we weren't. It was just that we were always striving for total. I was so happy to hear that they've gotten there. Great work, ladies!

Your numbers sound right to me - I am no longer in MPLS (sigh) and unfortunately was not very involved in the alumnae chapter in the last year because of school. I was really impressed with the Kappa chapter at recruitment - they were extremely hard-working and it paid off for them! A lot of my classmates in law school were Greek at the University of Minnesota and they all had nothing but good things to say about our chapter there.

Our Gamma chapter at Wisconsin is fantastic - I had a lot of high school friends rush at Wisconsin and lots of them wanted to be Gamma Phis - Gamma Phi and KKG both have incredible reputations on that campus.