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Four women standing outside of Alpha Sigma Alpha's headquarters.

What I Learned During Sorority Recruitment

Each day of recruitment, I was more convinced that I had made the correct decision to participate. While I still didn’t understand all the terminology or generally how sororities operated, I started to get a feeling for where I belonged in the sorority community.

Before going to college, I never thought that I would be in a sorority. It never crossed my mind as something I wanted to experience. I didn’t know much about being in a sorority outside of what I had seen in movies and being a first-generation college student, no one I knew had been a member of a fraternity or sorority. 

Months before I arrived on my college campus, my mom had been telling me that I should consider joining a sorority. She told me about the connections that I could make and how they could help me even after I had graduated. I wasn’t entirely sold on this idea until after school began. I was hours away from home in a new city where the only people I knew were my roommates. I spent the first few weeks really missing my friends and family. When my mom again mentioned joining a sorority, I decided to try it out and signed up for recruitment the night before registration closed.

Recruitment Nerves

On the first day of recruitment, I was really nervous. I changed my clothes at least four times that morning as I tried to think of what I would say to the women I was going to meet. Since I didn’t know anything about sorority, I didn’t know what these women were going to ask me or how I should dress. I spent hours going through Pinterest trying to find outfit ideas because I wanted to at least look like I knew what I was doing.

Alyssa at Bid Day with her new sorority sister.

I stumbled through that first day hearing phrases and words I didn’t understand like “Panhellenic,” “MRABA” and “Big and Little.” My nerves reached a peak each moment before it was time for me to meet a new chapter. I would stand outside the door heart pounding at the thought of having a conversation with strangers. But within minutes of each round, I forgot that I had been nervous at all. The conversations flowed easily like I was talking to old friends. The women seemed genuinely interested in me and really listened when I spoke. I was also able to ask them questions about themselves and their sorority membership. It was then that all the time I had spent meticulously picking my outfit felt pointless. These women didn’t care what shoes I was wearing; they were interested in hearing about my goals and passions.

Finding My Place

Each day of recruitment, I was more convinced that I had made the correct decision to participate. While I still didn’t understand all the terminology or generally how sororities operated, I started to get a feeling for where I belonged in the sorority community. I began making real connections with women and my preconceived notion of what a sorority woman was melted away. I began to see myself in their shoes and got excited at the possibilities that were ahead of me. 

Alyssa on Bid Day with other potential new members about to open their bids.

When Bid Day finally came and I received an invitation for membership from my sorority, everything clicked into place. I had found the women who eventually would push me to use my voice and be the leader I never thought myself to be. Looking back, I was intimidated by recruitment because I didn’t understand it. If I had researched the process as much I had what to wear, I might have felt as confident as I looked. I hope you won’t make the same mistake I did. Take some time to truly learn what it means to be a sorority woman so you can walk into recruitment confident and prepared for a new chapter in your life. 

Alyssa

Alyssa works at National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) as the digital marketing specialist. She is a member of the Theta Zeta chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha. She attended IUPUI, where she earned degrees in public relations and English. Alyssa is a dog lover and podcast enthusiast.

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