"Sorority Recruitment. Until you’ve experienced it you will never truly understand what it is like, but once you have, you’ll realize it is one of the best decisions you can make during your college experience. For some joining a sorority has been a lifelong dream as they have grown up hearing stories from mothers, grandmothers, and sisters about their amazing experiences in their chapters. For others, like myself, it is a spontaneous, last minute decision in the hopes of finding friends to make the transition to college a little easier. Regardless of your background, sorority recruitment can be incredibly intimidating; however, do not let that stop you from giving it a chance.
I went through sorority recruitment at Kent State in the Fall of 2018 as a freshman new to campus. I had never known anyone who had been a member of a sorority and I had never had planned on joining one; however, I saw girls I had gone to high school with joining sororities on their college campuses and it made me curious about the experience at Kent. Little did I know how much being in a sorority would change my life. Sigma Delta Tau has opened so many doors for me. I have gotten to have so many experiences and meet some of the most amazing people I would not have ever crossed paths with if I had not joined Fraternity and Sorority Life.
The following fall after going through recruitment, I was chosen to be a Sorority Recruitment Counselor. These are women from all of the eight Panhellenic sorority chapters on Kent’s campus that choose not to recruit with their chapters. Instead, they are dedicated to helping make sure that your recruitment experience goes as smoothly as possible. Trust me when I say they will be lifesavers and want nothing more than to help you. Be sure to utilize them as much as possible! They have been in your shoes and truly want the best outcome for each Potential New Member.
Experiencing recruitment from both the position of a Potential New Member as well as a Sorority Recruitment Counselor has given me a lot of insight into the process. I have gathered what I think are the best pieces of advice as well as some tips to remember as you prepare for tis life changing experience.
No matter your age, personality, or any other circumstance that may be holding you back, there is a place for you in our community with women who will become your biggest supporters throughout college and the rest of your life. Each chapter is unique from the next and I guarantee you will find one where you belong.
As you go through recruitment do not let anyone else’s opinions influence your own. At the end of the day these are the girls you will be experiencing college and beyond with. You want to make sure you are choosing the chapter where you feel most like you belong. One of my Sorority Recruitment Counselors said this piece of advice to me and then I preached it to my Potential New Members: “Join a chapter where you feel like you could show up in T-shirt, without your hair and makeup done, and the girls there will still love you”. You should feel like you can be your most authentic self when you are with your sisters because you don’t want to spend your time pretending to be someone you aren’t.
On that note, it is completely fine to feel nervous going through recruitment. The girls you talk to in each chapter are just as nervous (if not more) because they want you to feel loved by their chapters. Find the chapter where you feel most relaxed and comfortable throughout recruitment and chances are that chapter is probably a good fit for you.
A lot of times you will hear a member of a sorority say that she knew the second she walked into a chapter she knew it was the one for her. While that may happen to you, don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time for you to settle into the process to really figure out where you belong and that is completely fine. It can be a tough choice, but again this is where relying on your Sorority Recruitment Counselors is crucial. They can help you work through your thoughts and feelings so you can make the choices that are best for you.
Now that you have some advice for how to navigate recruitment, here are some last-minute tips to remember…
Bring band aids! I personally brought an entire box just to be safe. The last thing you want is to be focused on your feet hurting while having a conversation with a woman from a chapter.
Bring mints. Having these are great because then you have one less thing to worry about.
Get plenty of rest. Every year there is a recruitment sickness that goes around and trust me you do not want that ruining your experience.
Eat before you come or bring snacks. It never fails that at least one girl will pass out each year so be sure to give your body the fuel it needs to get through the long days of standing.
Utilize your Recruitment Counselors! Are you noticing a trend here?
With all this being said, even if you have a tiny drop of interest in going through recruitment… DO IT! You’ll never know how amazing it can be unless you try. And remember you can’t go wrong joining a sorority at Kent State. Each one is unique and wonderful, and I am so proud every day to be a Panhellenic woman at Kent State.
I have so much more I could say about recruitment and how amazing being in a sorority is and I could talk your ear off about it forever. This is true for pretty much every sorority women too, so if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out to someone! We would love to talk to you! I hope my words have given you a little more insight into recruitment! See you in the fall and remember to “Go Greek!”
This is my Recruitment Group from the Fall of 2018. I met one of my best friends through this group and we even ended up joining the same chapter. Thank you Kaelee for being my first friend in Sigma Delta Tau.
This is me and one of my recruitment counselors a year after I joined my chapter when I became a Sorority Recruitment Counselor like her. I love you Mama B!
This was me and the other 2019 Group 2 Sorority Recruitment Counselors. These girls made being a Sorority Recruitment Counselor an even better experience than I ever could have imagined."
-Written by Alexis Dubensky
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