Why Sorority Recruitment is Horrible and Needs to Change

[BlueCarnation]

Originally Posted by AZ-AlphaXi

WRC - weak recruiting chapter
SRC - strong recruiting chapter

Duh... Thanks!

[ASTalumna06]

I understand the sentiments of the article's author and those that are in some way agreeing with her, but you simply can not have an unstructured free-for-all at these larger schools with thousands of girls going through recruitment.

Also, guys/fraternities are different from girls/sororities in major ways, including:
- number of fraternities vs. number of NPCs
- number of students seeking membership
- emphasis placed on legacies
- pressure from (inter)nationals to have larger chapters
- composition of chapters
- structure and length of new member programs

And the list goes on.

ETA: Instead of recruiting more like fraternities, maybe they should recruit like us. I would LOVE to see the chapters chanting, the potential members anxiously sitting on bid cards, and thousands of screaming guys running to their new chapters

It's no wonder they think we're weird.

[thetalady]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

ETA: Instead of recruiting more like fraternities, maybe they should recruit like us. I would LOVE to see the chapters chanting, the potential members anxiously sitting on bid cards, and thousands of screaming guys running to their new chapters

It's no wonder they think we're weird.

If men were sorority besties...

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

ETA: Instead of recruiting more like fraternities, maybe they should recruit like us. I would LOVE to see the chapters chanting, the potential members anxiously sitting on bid cards, and thousands of screaming guys running to their new chapters

It's no wonder they think we're weird.

Ohhhhhhh nooooooooo, women should aspire to the male standard. If men do it a certain way that means the men have a format that is logically sound and void of subjectivity, frivolity, ridiculousness, pettiness, and irrationality.

How dare you all have a format that is different from yet equal to that of the fraternities?!?!?!?!?!

/small font sarcastic lane swerve

[Allo]

Having very recently gone through the traditional fall formal recruitment myself, as well as having seen and heard intimate details of a less traditional spring formal recruitment at a very small school... I have to say that while I'm sure the Pi Chi who wrote the article means well and has a good basic idea, traditional formal recruitment works. I trust that system and I really think that it places girls where they were meant to be. It would be wonderful if chapters had a longer amount of time to get to know girls before making cuts, it is not always practical(Alabama, UT, other schools that draw thousands into rushing) and it does not always work in the PNMs favor.

Last year I attended a small private university that held their formal recruitment in the spring semester, I didn't end up going through recruitment last year but many many of my friends did and I heard all the stories and gory details. In theory this extended get to know you time is a good idea, it gives people a whole semester to get to know each other. But the real result is that PNMs spend the whole semester walking on egg shells and unintentionally screwing up their chances for recruitment for an entire semester. We are only human, sorority members and PNMs. People who can be jealous, caddy and vengeful. Everyone makes makes mistakes! So in my experience what I saw with that spring recruitment was that in the fall semester many girls who would have made wonderful members would hook up with or start dating a prominent sorority member's ex, not knowing the whole tumultuous relationship and break up had happened. Then prominent sorority member, because she to is a person with emotions, holds a grudge against unknowing PNM and when recruitment finally came around unknowing PNM doesn't gets cut.

I saw that situation quite a few times as well as many others. Some of my very good friends had their hearts broken in the spring because they didn't get a bid and had no idea why, only to later find that it was because they made some slip up the previous semester never knowing that wasn't something they should do. I also saw active members strike up friendships with PNMs and bid promise through out the semester. It was basically a huge mess! And from the stories the older girls told that happened every year.

When I think about what I witnessed last year and the experience I just had last week, I know that the traditional fall recruitment is really the best way to do things. Yes it would be nice if the first round was longer so that chapters could get more of an impression of the girls before making cuts, but it is a system that works and is successful! It was successful for me and and for that Pi Chi who wrote that article.

[FSUZeta]

Well said Allo.

[Katmandu]

I think a lot of the author's POV comes from the emotions at play during recruitment for the Pi Chi, (Rush Counselor in my day). We talk a lot about the emotions of the actives, PNMs, and Moms, but the Rush Counselors have a bit of a rollercoaster too. I served in that role back when dinosaurs walked the earth, and I remember walking into the door of my sorority on Bid Day and bursting into tears when I realized a girl in my group who had preffed KD and who I had absolutely (secretly) seen as one of my future sisters, happily went elsewhere. One of my sisters took one look at me and said, "Get her out of here! She's a mess. She'll scare the pledges" So much for my big reunion with my sisters, lol.

Pi Chis do get close to the PNMs and feel terrible when a girl is cut completely or has an embarrassing moment, or when a legacy girl actually wants to go elsewhere, but gets axed by everyone preemptively.

All that doesn't mean that the system is broken. It just means it is an intense and sometimes emotional experience. RFM is not perfect, but it's dang good. Look at the way some struggling chapters have rebounded in just a few years. Look at the pictures of Bid Day on large campuses....you could put the girls in different letters and very few people would be able to tell which group actually goes with which sorority.

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by Allo

Having very recently gone through the traditional fall formal recruitment myself, as well as having seen and heard intimate details of a less traditional spring formal recruitment at a very small school... I have to say that while I'm sure the Pi Chi who wrote the article means well and has a good basic idea, traditional formal recruitment works. I trust that system and I really think that it places girls where they were meant to be. It would be wonderful if chapters had a longer amount of time to get to know girls before making cuts, it is not always practical(Alabama, UT, other schools that draw thousands into rushing) and it does not always work in the PNMs favor.

Last year I attended a small private university that held their formal recruitment in the spring semester, I didn't end up going through recruitment last year but many many of my friends did and I heard all the stories and gory details. In theory this extended get to know you time is a good idea, it gives people a whole semester to get to know each other. But the real result is that PNMs spend the whole semester walking on egg shells and unintentionally screwing up their chances for recruitment for an entire semester. We are only human, sorority members and PNMs. People who can be jealous, caddy and vengeful. Everyone makes makes mistakes! So in my experience what I saw with that spring recruitment was that in the fall semester many girls who would have made wonderful members would hook up with or start dating a prominent sorority member's ex, not knowing the whole tumultuous relationship and break up had happened. Then prominent sorority member, because she to is a person with emotions, holds a grudge against unknowing PNM and when recruitment finally came around unknowing PNM doesn't gets cut.

I saw that situation quite a few times as well as many others. Some of my very good friends had their hearts broken in the spring because they didn't get a bid and had no idea why, only to later find that it was because they made some slip up the previous semester never knowing that wasn't something they should do. I also saw active members strike up friendships with PNMs and bid promise through out the semester. It was basically a huge mess! And from the stories the older girls told that happened every year.

When I think about what I witnessed last year and the experience I just had last week, I know that the traditional fall recruitment is really the best way to do things. Yes it would be nice if the first round was longer so that chapters could get more of an impression of the girls before making cuts, but it is a system that works and is successful! It was successful for me and and for that Pi Chi who wrote that article.

^^^ I agree.
Guys recruitment at these big schools works because guys look at chapters where they have friends or see like minded men with similar interests. They also have a bed quota more or less. Guys do not get upset when they do not get a bid from a group where they do not know anyone.

It does not seem to work with women because some women insist they belong in a certain group because that is the BEST group or because they like pink the most. They get upset when a group of women they do not know prefer a woman they already know or have a connection. It would put even more emphasis on legacies and connections or recs. There would be more women cut out of the process and more struggling chapters.

[BraveMaroon]

So, here's something I wonder about "Weak Recruiting Chapters". Does this label describe orgs that are genuinely not good at recruitment, or the ones that lack "name recognition" or both?

Before I registered for Rush back in the day, I could have named, offhand, seven sororities. My campus had 18. I would argue that regional popularity plays into the perception of strength and weakness.

I think the whole rec gathering process plays into this. If Polly PNM can't swing a dead cat* without hitting a Chi Omega who will write her rec, but searches for weeks for the elusive Tri Sigma who can help her, she's going to walk into rush with preconceived notions.

Also, I actually didn't like my Rho Chi (I know, I know) - so when she pointed at one of the two groups on my pref party list and made a favorable comment about them, it tainted them a little.

*I don't actually advocate swinging a dead cat for any reason.

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by BraveMaroon

So, here's something I wonder about "Weak Recruiting Chapters". Does this label describe orgs that are genuinely not good at recruitment, or the ones that lack "name recognition" or both?

Before I registered for Rush back in the day, I could have named, offhand, seven sororities. My campus had 18. I would argue that regional popularity plays into the perception of strength and weakness.

I think the whole rec gathering process plays into this. If Polly PNM can't swing a dead cat* without hitting a Chi Omega who will write her rec, but searches for weeks for the elusive Tri Sigma who can help her, she's going to walk into rush with preconceived notions.

Also, I actually didn't like my Rho Chi (I know, I know) - so when she pointed at one of the two groups on my pref party list and made a favorable comment about them, it tainted them a little.

*I don't actually advocate swinging a dead cat for any reason.

There are chapters that are just generally not good at recruitment. I think this is because women have one expectation of what recruitment should look like on their campus and that formal recruitment is not conducive to some personality types. Formal favors the bubbly and perky over thoughtful or introverted.

Having come from a WRC and advising a SRC, I only needed to see one party one round at the SRC to know what me and my sisters were doing wrong.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Allo

Last year I attended a small private university that held their formal recruitment in the spring semester, I didn't end up going through recruitment last year but many many of my friends did and I heard all the stories and gory details. In theory this extended get to know you time is a good idea, it gives people a whole semester to get to know each other. But the real result is that PNMs spend the whole semester walking on egg shells and unintentionally screwing up their chances for recruitment for an entire semester. We are only human, sorority members and PNMs. People who can be jealous, catty and vengeful. Everyone makes makes mistakes! So in my experience what I saw with that spring recruitment was that in the fall semester many girls who would have made wonderful members would hook up with or start dating a prominent sorority member's ex, not knowing the whole tumultuous relationship and break up had happened. Then prominent sorority member, because she to is a person with emotions, holds a grudge against unknowing PNM and when recruitment finally came around unknowing PNM doesn't gets cut.

I saw that situation quite a few times as well as many others. Some of my very good friends had their hearts broken in the spring because they didn't get a bid and had no idea why, only to later find that it was because they made some slip up the previous semester never knowing that wasn't something they should do. I also saw active members strike up friendships with PNMs and bid promise through out the semester. It was basically a huge mess! And from the stories the older girls told that happened every year.

When I think about what I witnessed last year and the experience I just had last week, I know that the traditional fall recruitment is really the best way to do things. Yes it would be nice if the first round was longer so that chapters could get more of an impression of the girls before making cuts, but it is a system that works and is successful! It was successful for me and and for that Pi Chi who wrote that article.

Bid promising happens at pre-freshman rush schools, too. If girls are doing that, it's not the fault of the timing. It's the fault of the girls not being educated that it's an uncool thing to do, and most likely pressured to maintain and increase membership numbers by any means necessary.

If your school is so small that you're continually going to trip over people's exes and drama, you need to learn to manage it sooner rather than later. Six degrees of separation....ha!! Half that. Quite frankly, I'd rather bid women who are already conducting themselves in a discreet and adult manner and have figured it out on their own, rather than bidding a girl and giving her a "dos and don'ts" list. That to me is just one of the worst sorority stereotypes come to life.

I hate to use the term "hookup culture" but it seems like that (which there's always been a certain amount of in college) and the increased photo/internet documentation of everything under the sun has made this sort of jealousy and pettiness worse. It's one thing when you hear that some random girl hooked up with your ex. It sucks but you usually pretty quickly get over it. It's another thing when you can Facebook/Twittter stalk her, obsess over her pictures and see her face all the time. The wound doesn't heal.

[als463]

Originally Posted by BraveMaroon

So, here's something I wonder about "Weak Recruiting Chapters". Does this label describe orgs that are genuinely not good at recruitment, or the ones that lack "name recognition" or both?

Before I registered for Rush back in the day, I could have named, offhand, seven sororities. My campus had 18. I would argue that regional popularity plays into the perception of strength and weakness.

I think the whole rec gathering process plays into this. If Polly PNM can't swing a dead cat* without hitting a Chi Omega who will write her rec, but searches for weeks for the elusive Tri Sigma who can help her, she's going to walk into rush with preconceived notions.
Also, I actually didn't like my Rho Chi (I know, I know) - so when she pointed at one of the two groups on my pref party list and made a favorable comment about them, it tainted them a little.

*I don't actually advocate swinging a dead cat for any reason.

I would say the above that I highlighted plays into it. I went from a northern school to a southern school and I find it interesting how the "bottom tier" chapter at this school is a "top tier" chapter at other schools I've attended up north. I also find it very interesting that the "top tier" chapter on the campus where I am at was one of the "bottom tier" chapters at my undergraduate institution. That's why I think the idea of tiers is really stupid. At the end of the day, if you are a young woman who makes a difference in her community, I don't really care what "tier" you came from. I've seen ladies in the top tier and the bottom tier that are beautiful both inside and out. I think that is why I get so annoyed when I hear girls complain that they weren't "feeling" the chapters they had left or they decided to drop out or suicide because they would rather not go Greek than to join a chapter they feel is below them. I realize not everyone feels that way who chooses to do that but, for the most part those who drop out or suicide do. I just find that it's a shame when tent talk and tier talk clouds the judgment of a young woman who may join a chapter that isn't top where she is attending school now but, she could find that all of the NPC sororities (and NPHC as not to leave anyone out) have strong chapters and weak chapters nationwide. It's what you do to make the chapter a better place that will have a bearing on your collegiate experience.

[BlueCarnation]

Originally Posted by BraveMaroon

I think the whole rec gathering process plays into this. If Polly PNM can't swing a dead cat* without hitting a Chi Omega who will write her rec, but searches for weeks for the elusive Tri Sigma who can help her, she's going to walk into rush with preconceived notions.

I also agree with this. When I get requests from PNMs for help with recommendations, it is almost impossible to find local (and by local I mean in this state) alumnae from certain sororities that are "popular" in the South, or that might exist at smaller schools. Kappa Delta and Phi Mu ("Phi what?"), for example, are not well represented up here in the North--I have to track down friends from high school who live elsewhere to help.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by BraveMaroon

So, here's something I wonder about "Weak Recruiting Chapters". Does this label describe orgs that are genuinely not good at recruitment, or the ones that lack "name recognition" or both?

We coined it here a while back to mean chapters with lower return rates during formal recruitment. I think all of the things you are talking about can play into the reasons WHY they have lower return rates, but the term itself was intended to replace the use of top/bottom or strong/weak in describing chapters.

[YesNoMaybe]

I didn't advocate for a free-for-all, I said that doing the first day as it is typically done makes sense. To elaborate, that assures women learn a bit about each chapter and doesn't only have her focus on the three chapters she heard are popular. However, I think that it would make sense to have chapters invite an unlimited number of PNMs back to more unstructured events. Have the PNMs sign up for longer slots over more days. A weaker recruiting chapter would strategically invite more back than the stronger recruiting ones, so some events will be larger and some smaller. Then have their preference be invite only, women can only go to two or three, and let the women find out what chapters gave out bids to them and have THEM choose, rather than finding out the day of what of their three they got. I just think it needs to be adjusted. While intelligent and philanthropic women go through recruitment (obviously, as our chapters have many of those women), I saw many women on campus that would have been amazing for sorority life that had no interest going through because the chants, matching outfits, and timed conversations seemed fake to them. I didn't go to a school in the SEC, I realize that recruitment is a huge undertaking and that the mass of women would be a large logistical challenge. It just seems like it's worth a look at some adjustment. Yes, people will still be rejected and upset, but hopefully the point is they don't feel like it was off their looks because they had a five minute conversation and were rejected.

I feel like there is an emphasis to get women to be an XYZ by week three of school. Fewer women would join if it was extended, I would also think they are the women most committed to being in a sorority for the right reasons. It just seems that we owe it to our members to make sure the value is mutually beneficial as costs of being in a sorority and in college go up. It needs to be a great friendship match first, but also one where women really take the time to make sure it is of an educational and career benefit for them to join, and for the chapters to later have them as alumni.