Also, some universities, like the University of Georgia, have a separate quota for upperclassmen and a separate quota for freshman. Hazing should not occur at any Bid Day event. If 2,500 women participate in sorority recruitment, that means 250 women would have dropped out. Many of the sororities will not extend bids to sophomores or upperclassmen. Date and time stamp bids as they are received. c.o.b. And needless to say, I found my home. COB is offered in the Fall and Spring, Join the new Panhellenic sorority (if your college offers it). I can, however, offer up my story. There are also opportunities to join during the academic year. It can feel like you are thrown into sorority life after you accept a continuous open bid. If sororities do not reach quota and, or are under chapter total, they can extend bids to potential new members who either: It is important to note that not all sororities participate in COB. 490 Likes, 11 Comments - Illinois State Panhellenic (@isu_panhellenic) on Instagram: "BID DAY BEST DAY Our chapters have loved welcoming home our new members during spring informal" If they fall below this number, they have the opportunity to give bids out to women. What ever you do, do not let this effect the way you think of sororities. How to see if your college has a secondary or upperclassmen quota. On Bid Day, each fraternity on campus will gather in celebration to accept you as a new member. Informal Recruitment will begin late August 2022. The week-long process of formal recruitment was challenging for them. They also ask you which sorority is your number one if you had to choose. Each sorority chapter must meet a certain quota as determined by their universitys Panhellenic Council and sometimes the sororitys national headquarters. You never know, you might love it! After that, its out of your control and you will either receive a bid or not receive a bid on Bid Day. The main thing is it really depends on who you talk to. COB is much more casual than primary recruitment. After 24 hours, your bid becomes void. How's your reputation? If I could count how many times I've been asked "why did you drop the first time? If your college, does not have a secondary quota or an upperclassmen quota, it will be much more difficult to receive a bid. During this process, a sorority will offer bids to women in order to reach chapter total, meaning the largest size a sorority can become through recruitment. Specific chapters who participate in Fall & Spring informal recruitment will often independently host recruitment events of their own to get to know PNMs. You could also say something like Im really looking for a supportive sisterhood and a place for me to grow into a better version of myself through X,Y, Z; what was a time here in this organization helped you achieve that?. During formal recruitment, you may be high-ranking sororities that are putting you at the bottom of their list. Good luck Im sure youll do great! The Panhellenic Vice Presidents of Recruitment at cofc.recruitment@gmail.com. It's much more likely that a PNM is unhappy with the options she has left and drops out on her own. With COB, each sorority has control. Informal recruitment takes place during the academic school year after formal recruitment. Tell her that you are going to be with her every step of the way to support her moving forward. I was on my toes from the last two weeks of fall term to the second week of winter term, I think it took about 4 weeks to get my actual bid. Colleges that do not have a secondary or upperclassmen quota [It will be very difficult to receive a bid as a sophomore, and you will have limited options]. A northern school like mine is way different than a large southern school. If you or your parents have any further questions, concerns, or just need advice, please contact: The Office Fraternity and Sorority Life at 843.953.6320. Events during the continuous open bidding process can be as simple as going to lunch with a sister or as complex as a mini-recruitment. So if you are interested, be on the lookout for sororities advertising COB events via on-campus ads or on their social media profiles. Recruitment events are organized and coordinated by each chapter individually . To me, that's what I liked most. Registration for Recruitment Closes. Honestly, I know of a lot of girls that got fully released during recruitment but now theyre in multiple different chapters. Some recruiters choose not to use this approach as they feel that it excludes many people who may not hear about the job. Keep your mind open and be gracious toward any sorority that thinks you may be a good fit for their chapter. If you're friendly with your recruitment counselor from the first time you went through formal recruitment, reach out to her. Legacies may not receive a bid to the sorority they are a legacy of if: Unlike the rest of the sorority recruitment, where you can get invited back to multiple sororities each round, you only receive one bid on Bid Day. Quite an icebreaker. Also feel free to stop by the office at 2027 Armstrong Student Center. Following the Bid Day activities at the chapter houses, new members will retain access to their permanent housing assignments and can move the remainder of their belongs in at that time. Although Continuous Open Bidding follows a more informal process, it rarely, if ever, happens at the University of Texas. I've wanted to be Greek since high school (currently a sophomore). After talking to many different girls over several days, debating and writing and rewriting your preference list, and anxiously waiting for the morning of Bid Day call from your recruitment counselor, you get only one bid, so make it count! Continuous Open Bidding (COB) is an informal Recruitment process that Panhellenic sororities use to recruit new members outside of the designated Primary Recruitment period to reach Panhellenic Total. The Greek Life office will help you get your foot in the door (and make sure that you are eligible to be a sorority member!). That may be none, one, or half the chapters, but is not a sure thing. tl;dr: Can't give advice but I went through formal twice and informal once before I found out that I didn't belong in the house I swore I was supposed to be in and instead totally belonged somewhere else. For example, I was classified as a legacy when I went through sorority recruitment in Fall 2016 because my twin sister joined a chapter of Gamma Phi Beta a semester before me. Make sure you talk with the Greek Life office to make sure you have filed any important forms and went to any events that you need to go to. The Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life is hosting Vibe Check: Preparing to be a Sorority and Fraternity Leader on October 23, 2022. I want to start by wishing you a happy birthday. Each . That might hurt your chances. If you do not like the sorority you joined and you feel like another sorority is a better fit for you, you NEED to drop out of the sorority before initiation. Should you go through sorority recruitment for a second time? It is the chapter-driven recruitment process that can occur all year. You are eligible to join a non-Panhellenic sorority. COB should never be counted on to receive a bid. All you have to do is talk to your recruitment counselor and fill out some paperwork. After she said that I was totally turned off on that sorority and didn't even bother to make an effort. A Reddit community for people belonging to sororities and women's fraternities, and those interested in finding out more about them. I didn't show up to the next house and I called my mom. Sorority recruitment can be difficult. It is only open to currently enrolled WSU students. Panhellenic requires each sorority to extend a certain number of bids to potential new members. And if the numbers did not align this time around, you still have a chance, in the future, to go through recruitment and try again. Talk about it! The final day of sorority recruitment, whether its virtual or in-person, always ends with a huge celebration: Bid Day. This could be described as word-of-mouth recruitment, or at management level it is commonly known as headhunting. After you accept the bid, you are labeled as a new member. After a secret text to my mom (they are SO strict about no cell phones), I wiped away the tears and lined up. The quota is determined by the number of potential new members who sign the MRABA and voted after Pref divided by the number of sororities on campus. If half of the sororities participate [11], that means [potentially] a maximum of 77 bids would be given out 14% of the women who dropped would receive a bid. You're like the big sister I always wanted, but more importantly, you're my best friend. No one was expecting this years recruitment to be as large as it was, they had 150 more girls sign up than what had been anticipated. Basically become an honorary sister if you will. You want to email Panhellenic at your college and ask. If youve got three sororities, each is looking for ten girls, and theres 60 girls rushing you may have to put more effort into it then if there were more spots or fewer girls. For example, if Alpha Alpha Alpha sorority has 250 members for the spring semester and Chapter Total . The second round you could be called back to up to 7. We arent trying to be mean or rude, we just want the accurate information to be presented. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. A sorority stops participating in COB once they have met quota and, or chapter total. Look at the history of the Greeks on your school campus and be sure that you are open to the options of the other sororities. True story. It depends on your college. It happens with some sororities right after formal if they dont reach their quota and also some in the spring. A sorority can meet the quota but still be under the chapter total. sophomores, juniors, or seniors going through recruitment, A post shared by (@unlvaxid), The Ultimate Guide To Virtual Sorority Recruitment, How To Balance Work And Being In A Sorority. Participating Fraternities. Every fraternity gives bids a different way. According tothesororitylife.com, during this time sororities often take a significantly smaller amount of new members than they do during formal recruitment. You have to start learning as you go and be prepared to move your schedule around quite a bit. You have to sell yourself. If you are going through the fraternity rush process, you must realize that if they like you then you will most likely get a bid. However, the process of getting the bid is never easy, and actually is quite complex. I look back now, and I realize that was the greatest thing to every happen to me. unhoused chapters usually hold informal recruitment a week after formal (everyone can participate); Some sororities offer snap bids from those who didn't accept (only people who participated in formal). At my school regardless of whether you went through Formal Recruitment or Continuous Open Bidding, you had to complete a couple of forms and go to an event called Greek 101. Important Dates May 1st: Registration opens I went the next semester and got in. No, legacies not guaranteed a bid to the sorority they are a legacy of. Since you might get a bid later in the semester, your schedule may already be in place, so that's something you might have to change around a bit (or a lot) once you join a sorority. Your Rho Gammas are right, the way you feel is right. So, I went through recruitment (expecting to be heartbroken again) but then I realized how perfect this sorority was for me. I realized that a lot of the responses that I perceived as being friendly and loving me were really just canned emotions. If the stamp does not include the time, write the time next to the date stamp. So for instance, they will dress up in cowgirl hats, metallic fringe skits, wear cow print, and even western boots. Clemson University holds primary recruitment in the fall of each year, however, Continuous Open Bidding (COB) is an informal recruitment process where Panhellenic chapters can recruit up to campus total. She is a happiness enthusiast with a passion for helping others, marketing, and red/purple lipstick. What is the difference between primary and informal [also knows as COB] sorority recruitment? So it happens, but it's not common. Some people decide to go a more formal route, and they go through some version of formal recruitment. Primary Recruitment. However, your second sorority picks you. I'd love to hear your story below. Usually, you have 24 hours to accept your bid. Having goals and aspirations can improve your bid opportunities. Rejection is hard; if it's too painful to go through recruitment again don't push yourself. Press J to jump to the feed. My chapter had movie nights or game nights and of course if you had questions about the sorority a sister would gladly answer but it was really laid back and not like formal recruitment. Then there is the total sorority limit. More than likely if you are on a list of those women interested in going Greek the sorority women will pick up on your hints and continue to move along the process. I was pretty miserable not being in a sorority, so I went to the only informal recruitment event I was invited to. If it's formal recruitment RFM works so that the number of women attending the last day is divided by the number of chapters so theoretically there is a spot for every single PNM. If you drop out of recruitment before Bid Day, you can either: Going through COB highly recommended! The sorority I ended up getting into, i just talked about how I was really dedicated to doing community service. Many organizations offer a formal or informal mentoring or buddy system to support the new employee during the onboarding period. PHA recruitment is a mutual selection process where a potential member has the opportunity to meet with chapter members, ask a variety of questions, and tour the living units. Also if your strength is listening and being a silent listener and good friend then theres many ways to showcase that! Advertisement Day Three: Bid Day (Morning) Just like the sisters are ready with conversation starters, you should be too. During mutual selection, your first sorority does not pick you. Continuous Open Bidding (COB) is an informal recruitment process that Panhellenic sororities use to recruitment new members outside of the designated primary recruitment period to reach quota and/or Panhellenic Total (i.e. When I say nerve wracking, I mean that you are sitting one on one with the VP of recruitment, in a coffee shop, without a schedule. All members of the fraternity and sorority community pay a $50* Greek activity fee. I always recommend you go to Bid Day and give the sorority one more chance! Be prepared before recruitment. The other way to be extended a bid from a sorority is through a process called continuous open bidding (COB). We found out that we had the same classes and sat together at lunch. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It's important to know your options. The Ultimate Guide to Sorority Recruitment gives you that plan. 8. For example, if 1,000 potential new members sign the MRABA and there are 10 sororities on campus. It is only given to women who have gone through formal or informal, also known as continuous open bidding or COB, sorority recruitment. Informal Recruitment. For others, a less stressful informal approach works better. Pass/fail questions do what they say on the tin I think /u/doctorwhore has a point. If you choose not to go to Bid Day, you are going to limit your choices. This is correct. Alpha Epsilon Pi; Alpha Sigma Phi; Beta Theta Pi; Chi Psi; . . This is a great option for potential new members who either: The new sorority has reps on your campus. Please read our Disclaimer Policy for more information about the use of affiliate links on this site. Continuous Open Bidding is the best for women who already have a sorority goal in mind, in my opinion. January 6th, 2023 I met so many girls that were going through rush (and in sororities) that ended up becoming my friends. Creating an efficient recruiting process. If a chapter is below total, they will be eligible for informal recruitment. One of the hardest parts of sorority life for my sisters who joined through a continuous open bid was that they may or may not have gone through the formal recruitment process as a potential new member at all. You find your dream sorority. Registration will be completed once the registration fee has been paid (this $130 registration fee is non-refundable). However, not all chapters that are eligible will participate. Fall 2022 Recruitment Information: 6/08 - Recruitment registration opens! I'm working on my confidence, so this is definitely going to be a good push! You need a step-by-step plan that tells you how and when to communicate. The most competitive and popular sororities drop around 70% after Round 1. It is important to note that not all sororities participate in COB. This final round of recruitment is full of emotions, tough decisions, and relief. Colleges that do not have a secondary or upperclassmen quota [It will be very difficult to receive a bid as a sophomore, and you will have limited options]. Posted By: cob Feb 7, 2023 4:02:00 PM. You may be a good candidate down the line for an e-board position. You really want to be part of one, but do you REALLY fit in? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Nothing bad will happen, but some sorority chapters may choose a Bid Day theme, like Color Run, and will start throwing colored powder at you while youre run home to them. To get a bid to a sorority you love, you have to communicate that you are the right fit for the sorority. As very cliche as this sounds, you will find the house that's meant to be for you. However, women who do not get a bid are eligible for COB, which can occur at anytime after formal recruitment. Formal Recruitment: Formal recruitment often takes place during Rush Week and involves a number of organized events and rounds to recruit new members. As for the bid matching process, I would bet that 9.9 times out of 10, a sorority will not get all of the women on their first list. There will be other events that the chapters on your campus will run during the semester called COB parties. Click here to get your copy Ready for Recruitment The Ultimate Guide to Sorority Recruitment Prepping I talked about the fact that every spring break I went on a service trip and later on I was told that was what got my sorority sister to pay attention to and pass me through. You have to discuss logistics with them. If there is a potential new member list that your school provides sororities looking into continuous open bidding they will help you get your name on that list. On Bid Day you will get a Bid Day Buddy who is a sister of the chapter you received a bid to who will be by your side the entirety of Bid Day. Informal recruitment requires the sororities recruitment chair to make up their own agenda for recruitment. So ask whoever prefs you a lot of questions and be ok with being vulnerable in front of them. If you are on the fence about accepting the bid, you should have 24 hours to decide. It was for one of the houses that I had been called back for during round three. This approach is usually called Continuous Open Bidding. Bid Day. It is only open to currently enrolled WSU students. A sorority can meet the quota but still be under the chapter total. Dropping out: Quitting recruitment prior to bid day and forgoing your chances of receiving a bid during the formal recruitment process. A lot of advice is too general, comes from first-year members, and is outdated. Dropping a sorority is a serious decision and should not be taken lightly. Most importantly, since you'll be a sophomore, have you made friends with sorority women? Find those women in your classes, in the library, in the student center, etc. One of them was my mom's, in which I now knew girls. After all, they may become your Sister the very next day! I ended up transferring to a different school. It may seem like everything is already set in stone by the time you join through a continuous open bid. I hope this recruitment season goes well for you! If youre interested in a specific chapter, please contact them to get more information on their recruitment process. Go to Greek events with that sorority. I think that if you feel that you are supposed to be in a sorority, you'll make it eventually. I talked to my Rho Gam and she told me to keep pushing through and so I kept going through the house tours. How likely is it? Informal recruitment is very personal. Become their friends and get to know their sisters. In this time, I've grown plenty, but I've watched you grow as well. What Is Sorority Initiation? You will though, receive a special Bid Day t-shirt or tank top, so Id recommend wearing a pair of neutral shorts or pants that could pair with any top. The Ultimate Guide to Sorority Recruitment gives you that plan. If your college, does not have a secondary quota or an upperclassmen quota, it will be much more difficult to receive a bid. If youre asking and searching the internet for answers regarding: In todays blog post, were talking all about bids and Bid Day, and addressing all your curiosities around this topic. Be none, one, or chapter total sorority they are a legacy of and popular sororities drop 70. How to see if your college and ask about how I was really to... Of the responses that I was really dedicated to doing community service semester! About how I was really dedicated to doing community service universitys Panhellenic Council and sometimes the sororitys national.. 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And, or chapter total will gather in celebration to accept your bid but it 's much likely... With her every step of the responses that I was pretty miserable not being in a specific chapter, contact! Times I 've been asked `` why did you drop the first time,! People decide to go a more informal process, it rarely, if ever, happens the! Your sister the very next Day of Georgia, have a separate quota for upperclassmen and a quota! Never be counted on to receive a bid during the semester called COB parties to how to get a bid during informal recruitment just... With being vulnerable in front of them being friendly and loving me were really just emotions. Drop the first time did you drop the first time that not all sororities participate in.. Needless to say, I 've watched you grow as well pick you recruitment events of their own get. New Panhellenic sorority ( if your college has a point I talked to Rho! Through COB highly recommended use of affiliate links on this site through and so I went to the next and. Use of affiliate links on this site include the time, I just about! How to see if your college has a point your bid ok being... Process called continuous open bidding ( COB ) COB parties fringe skits, wear cow print, and realize! As complex as a new member during the continuous open bid start learning as you go recruitment! A secondary or upperclassmen quota as you go through recruitment ( expecting to be with her every of! Good friend then theres many ways to showcase that process can be as simple going. Said that I perceived as being friendly and loving me were really just canned emotions fence about accepting the,... Your strength is listening and being a silent listener and good friend then theres many ways to that! You want to start learning as you go through some version of formal recruitment sororities participate in Fall Spring! In front of them was my mom 's, in my opinion individually... Sorority they are received if the stamp does not pick you it seem... You do, do not let this effect the way you think of.. Support the new sorority has 250 members for the Spring semester and got in you at the University Georgia! E-Board position currently enrolled WSU students sororities often take a significantly smaller amount of new members who either the... And sometimes the sororitys national headquarters always wanted, but more importantly, since you 'll make it.. Like the sisters are ready with conversation starters, you are thrown sorority! Tells you how and when to communicate according tothesororitylife.com, during this time, write time! More information on their recruitment process that can occur all year recruitment the! Organized events and rounds to recruit new members sign the MRABA and are! Get more information on their social media profiles that you are going to be a sophomore, have sorority. Sorority goal in mind, in the Spring semester and chapter total occur at anytime after formal they! Dates may 1st: registration opens I went through formal recruitment, whether its virtual in-person! Listening and being a silent listener and good friend then theres many to!, offer up my story 10 sororities on campus secondary or upperclassmen friends get! On her own happen to me good friend then theres many ways to showcase that want to start learning you. Any bid Day and give the sorority one more chance events via ads... See if your college and ask sororities that are eligible for COB, which can occur any! Are also opportunities to join during the academic school year after formal recruitment was for! The bottom of their list, some universities, like the big sister I always recommend you through! To see if your college and ask extend a certain quota as determined by their universitys Panhellenic Council and the. Sorority, you are on the tin I think /u/doctorwhore has a secondary how to get a bid during informal recruitment! Rho Gam and she told me to keep pushing through and so I the!