When going through sorority recruitment, it is easy to get caught up in the moment where the thoughts and opinions of others may impact your choices. I also fell victim to believing in these stereotypes when I began college, but after going through recruitment as a sophomore and serving on my Panhellenic executive board, I am here to tell you all about the benefits of keeping an open mind during sorority recruitment.
It is important to remember when going through recruitment that just because one chapter wasn’t right for someone else, doesn’t mean it is not right for you. It is very beneficial to do your own research. Research on chapters can be done in many different ways. This includes googling the national sorority and seeing if their values align with yours, exploring the chapter’s Instagram page and other social media, or attending philanthropy events that are open to the campus so you can get to know the sisters and see how they interact (this one works better for anyone going through spring recruitment).
Keeping an open mind can also help you keep a positive attitude during the recruitment process. One of the biggest issues I have seen in potential new members (PNM) during recruitment is that they come in having their mind set on one chapter, and are disappointed or drop out of recruitment if it doesn’t go the way they were hoping. The recruitment process needs to be cared for with an open mind and positivity and without those two things, it may not work out in your favor. You never know what you will be missing out on if you keep your options and mind closed off.
The final thing I want to note about keeping an open mind is that you can still be friends with women outside of the sorority you run home to. Yes, everyone might belong to their respective chapters, but we are all sisters under Panhellenic. If you meet a girl during recruitment (whether she is another potential new member (PNM) or a sister during rounds) that you absolutely hit it off with, you two can still be friends even if you don’t end up in the same chapter. Those relationships are going to be what you make of them. I have multiple friends I met during recruitment in chapters I ended up not joining, but because I enjoyed talking with them, I made sure to keep up the effort to become friends and not let that stay behind the doors of recruitment.
Recruitment can be one of the best experiences you have in college because it opens your eyes to a whole new world of sisterhood and friendship. It is still up to you, however, to make the most of it by keeping an open mind and positive attitude. This is supposed to be a fun experience, so don’t stress yourself out over picking the ‘right’ sorority. You will find it. If you are going through recruitment soon just remember to take a deep breath, have an open mind and enjoy the experience.
