How does the first round of sorority recruitment work?

First, let’s talk about how sorority recruitment works. Have you ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Sorority recruitment is similar. Round 1 is comparable to the first episode of The Bachelor. During this round, you will meet all of the sororities on your campus.

After you meet all of the sororities, you pick the sororities you want to go back to for Round 2. Also, The members are voting on the potential new members. They decide which potential new members to invite to Round 2.

Then, at the beginning of Round 2, you will receive your invitation schedule. This schedule has the sororities you will be meeting for that round. Most potential new members assume their invitation schedule will have all of the sororities they voted to keep. That is not the case. During sorority recruitment, the sororities have the upper hand. They invite potential new members to each round just like the bachelor picks women to stay.

The same process will continue until Bid Day.

You are probably wondering, “How do I get invited back to sororities I love?”

Let’s take a deeper look at sorority recruitment.

YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE BEFORE SORORITY RECRUITMENT STARTS

Everyone is not placed on an equal playing field for Round 1. The sororities are pre-screening potential new members — looking at GPA, Instagram, etc.

Why do sororities pre-screen potential new members?

All of the sororities will have to drop a percentage of potential new members after Round 1. This percentage is different for each sorority. The most competitive sororities will drop the largest percentage (typically 60%+ of the potential new members).

How do you get your name out there?

You cannot rely on a 4.0 GPA to get a bid. GPAs are important, but many times a 3.5 is just as good as a 4.0 during sorority recruitment.

You cannot rely on legacy status. For many sororities, you are not guaranteed a bid as a legacy.

When you use a strategy, the members know your name and are excited to meet you. That is what you want, right?

Here is where your first strategy comes into play —> your Prepping for Sorority Recruitment Strategy.

Since the sororities are vetting potential new members before sorority recruitment starts, you need to get on the sororities ’ radar. (You have to get your name out there.) Your prepping strategy should answer, “What actions do I need to take for members to know my name?”

We do not have time to break down all of the steps to the Prepping for Sorority Recruitment Strategy we use in CRUSH [sorority recruitment coaching]. Here are 3 important steps to take.

#1. Register for sorority recruitment

When you register, the sororities have your name. You want to register at least one month before sorority recruitment starts. With registering early, each sorority has time to learn about you and see if you would be a good member.

Do not rush your registration! You want to make sure you are including information that you want to talk about during sorority recruitment — involvement, club, volunteer work, etc.

#2. Meet members

If you become friends with members, they can hype you up behind the scenes. Now, more members know who you are and are rooting for you. It may help you get invited back to Round 2.

#3. GO PUBLIC on Instagram

Why do to go public on Instagram?

I will let you in on a secret. Most sororities are looking at potential new members’ Instagrams to learn about them. If your Instagram is private, they learn NOTHING about you. It does not help you get your name out there. Now, if your Instagram is PUBLIC, they can learn about who you are, what you like to do, etc. It is like an interactive social resume. Your Instagram could lead to you getting paired to talk to a member who is very similar to you. She may fall in love with you and give you the great score you deserve. This score helps you get invited back to the next round.

That is what you want, right? You want to have options and get invited back to sororities you love. Strategies give you a plan that allows you to get a bid to your dream sorority.

#4. Get recommendation letters if your college encourages you to get them

If you meet the members, USE YOUR CONVERSATIONS TO STAND OUT.

Imagine you are interviewing two women to be your roommate. You have prepared three questions to ask both women. Based on their answers, you are going to pick a roommate.

First, you interview Sam. You ask her, “Where are you from?”

Sam says, “Atlanta.”

Then, you ask her your second scripted question, “What do you like to do on the weekends?”

She says, “Hang out with friends.”

Finally, you ask her, “What are some of your passions?”

She responds with, “Yoga.”

Next, you interview Brooke.

Again, you ask her your first scripted question, “Where are you from?”

Brooke says, “I am from Atlanta. I love it there, but I am so excited to be living in Athens! There are so many good restaurants and places to shop. Have you tried any of the restaurants in Athens?”

You say, “YES! I love insert restaurant name. Have you been?”

Brooke says, “That is one of my favorite restaurants too! I had the shrimp and grits.”

You respond with, “That is what I had too!”

Before you know it, time is up. You only asked Brooke ONE of the scripted questions because you got off topic and talked about Athens, your goals with college, and things you are excited to do.

Which woman are you going to pick to be your roommate? Sam or Brooke?

Most likely, you picked Brooke.

Why did you pick Brooke?

You could see her as a friend. You could see yourself hanging out with her on the weekends and going to that restaurant. You were able to connect to her. That is what you want to do during sorority recruitment!

Here is what happens during sorority recruitment

The members spend weeks practicing for sorority recruitment. During this time, they learn how sorority recruitment works, practice conversations, and more. Since they are practicing so much, they have created a script of questions to ask each potential new member. They will not break the script unless you force them to break it.

Why will the members not break the script?

Having conversations with strangers can be difficult. The members know they have to keep the conversation going. They do not want to create awkward silences in the conversation.

Why do most potential new members not break the script?

Most potential new members do not prepare for their conversations and do not realize most of their score is dependent on their conversations. When the members ask them questions, they answer with a fact or one word. Here is what the average potential new member’s conversation looks like during sorority recruitment.

Member: Hi! Welcome to XYZ! We are so excited you are here! My name is Katie! What is your name?

Potential new member: Hi! My name is Sam!

Member: Where are you from?

Potential new member: Atlanta

Member: What did you do this summer?

Potential new member: I worked and hung out with friends Member: Where did you work?

Potential new member: At a restaurant

Now, give Sam a score -- 1 (I cannot see her in my sorority) to 10 (Wow! She is amazing! I want her to be a member). What score did you give her?

Most likely a 3 to 5.

When the member is voting on Sam, she is thinking, “Can I see Sam in my sorority? Maybe? I don’t know? I guess I will give her an average score. If she gets invited back, great. If she does not, that is okay too.” This situation is what is happening to most potential new members. They are getting average scores. When you get an average score, it is like rolling the dice. Maybe you will get invited back. Maybe you will not.

How do you get an above-average score?

Let’s look closer at Sam’s first answer. She said, “Atlanta”. That is a fact. When you answer questions with facts, it makes it hard to keep a conversation going.

This type of answer leads to a potential new member study in the Average Conversation Cycle. If you stay in this cycle, the member goes on autopilot. When a member is on autopilot, you are asked 10 scripted questions.

The main takeaway is that the member will not break the cycle. You have to force them to break it. If the member does not break the cycle, you will most likely get an average score. Your average score may get you dropped from some sororities.

How do you force them to break it?

That is where your small talk strategy comes into play.

The 3 parts of your small talk strategy are:

#1. Body language

#2. Mindset

#3. Make connections with guaranteed questions

When you use this strategy, the members will see you as a friend. If they can see you as a friend, they can see you in the sorority and will give you an above-average score.

We do not have time to break down the full strategy, but let look at an example of how you force the member to break the script.

Member: Where are you from?

Potential new member: I am from Atlanta. I love it there, but I am so so excited to be here. When I was touring the campus, the tour guide mentioned all of the incredible opportunities at insert your college name.

Will the member as another scripted question? Will you get stuck in the Average Conversation Cycle?

She will ask you about the opportunities and how you want to get involved. This conversation leads to her getting to know you and connecting with you. When she goes to vote, she sees you in the sorority. AKA. You are getting an above-average score and increasing your chances of getting invited back.

Which potential new member do you want to be? Sam (who gets stuck in the script and is never allowed to stand out) or Brooke (who stands out gets the amazing score she deserves)?

You want to be Brooke, right?

Since most of your score is derived from your conversations, you need to go into your conversations strategically. You have to force the members to break the script. They will not break it on their own.

Examples of questions you will be asked during round 1 of sorority recruitment

The conversations for this round will revolve around getting to know you.

Some of the questions the members might ask are:

Where are you from?
If you are from out of state-- Why did you choose your college?
What is your intended major?
What dorm are you living in?
What did you do over the summer?

Sorority recruitment can be confusing. It can cause potential new members to be stressed out and nervous. With CRUSH [sorority recruitment coaching], you use strategies to get your bid. That way, you walk into sorority recruitment prepared, confident, know how to get your bid, and run home to a sorority you love.

What do you get with the program?

With the CRUSH [sorority recruitment coaching], you get:

Videos explaining the 4 strategies you need for sorority recruitment — Prepping Strategy, Mindset Strategy, Small Talk Strategy, and Optimization Strategy
One-on-one calls with Sloan — On these calls, we will go over the program, go over your answers to the most commonly asked questions, answer all of your questions, and make sure you are confident about sorority recruitment!
A workbook to help you implement all of the exercises
Support before, during, and after sorority recruitment

Apply to CRUSH [sorority recruitment coaching]

Click here to learn more

Conclusion

Everyone is not placed on an equal playing field for Round 1. Your first impression starts when you register. You want to get your name out there. How to get your name out there:

#1. Register at least 1 month before sorority recruitment starts

#2. Meet members (if possible)

#3. Go public on Instagram

#4. Get recommendation letters (if your college encourages you to get them)

If you talk to the members during Round 1, use your conversations to stand out. Most members will not break from their scripted questions. You have to force them to break from the script.

GOOD LUCK WITH SORORITY RECRUITMENT! I’M ROOTING FOR YOU!

SLOAN

You have a math test in two weeks that is worth 90% of your grade for the class. You want to get an A. You are looking for guidance on how to get your A.

First, you ask a friend, not in your math class, “How do I get an A+ on my test?” She says, “You need to study.” This answer leaves you frustrated.

Then, you ask your teacher, “How do I get an A+ on my test?” She gives you a step-by-step plan.

Who was more helpful?

Your teacher, right?

To get an A, you need to know the right information and have a step-by-step plan.

To get a bid to a sorority you love, you have to communicate you are the right fit for the sorority before and during sorority recruitment. A step-by-step plan tells you how and when to communicate.

BUT… why do so many women going through sorority recruitment ONLY use the advice they find on Youtube and TikTok? Does it help them stand out and get a bid?

Click the video below to see how The Ultimate Guide to Sorority Recruitment can help you create and implement your plan.

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