In a whirlwind of planned events, fall sorority recruitment season begins on Sept. 29 and ends on Oct. 5.
Last year, 628 girls registered for fall recruitment and 417 were matched with a chapter.
Sorority recruitment is a mutual selection process in which girls rank their preferred houses and houses rank their preferred members.
In a series of events designed to help girls choose the sorority that is the best fit, potential new members (PNMs) narrow down the University’s 10 sorority chapter houses to their top seven, top five and top three before they are extended a formal bid.  
Compared to fraternity recruitment, sorority recruitment is more formal and structured.
“Men recruit summer through fall,” said Julia Hinson, Panhellenic Council Vice President of Recruitment. “Sororities have only this one week to do everything. It is quicker, more structured, and easier to manage.”
Incoming freshmen participate in recruitment for a variety of reasons. Many want to find a support system away from home.
“I feel that going to a school out of state, it’s important to develop a core group of friends early on that will be there for you and support you when you’re homesick or you ever need anything,” freshman Irene Lahana said.
Lahana, who is a legacy at Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Gamma, wants to find a house that has an “enriched history” and strong community involvement. “Most of all, I want to find a house where I feel I fit in, rather than where my friends or family are pushing me towards,” she said.
Kelsey Honz, an incoming freshman from San Diego, hopes to find a house that focuses on academic success. “I don’t want a house with rude girls just concentrated on looking good and hooking up. That’s not what I want at all. No mean, unfocused people.”
Hinson believes that the most important part of the recruitment process for PNMs is finding a house that they fit in and connect with. “Be open minded; truly be yourself. Chapters are looking for women who fit with them, and the only way you will know is if you are yourself. When you are joining a sisterhood, it is important to join the right one,” she said.
Mary Richardson, an incoming freshman from Seattle, is worried that the process might be more “fake” than she is expecting. “You can always rush just to see how it is, or drop out because it wasn’t right for you,” she said.
In 2009, 206 girls out of an initial 628 who registered withdrew from the recruitment process. Hinson encourages girls to not drop out in the middle of the process. “It is important to stay for the whole process. You never know who you might meet the next day. If you feel you connect well with one chapter, you might be meeting your future big sister.”
Hinson said that her decision to join a sorority changed her life personally, socially, and academically. “Sororities hold themselves to above average standards. My sorority shows me how I could become a better person.”
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