The MRABA – a jumble of letters you’ve likely heard from your student participating in a Panhellenic recruitment process. It can feel like a daunting end to the recruitment process, especially for parents who might be hearing about this document for the first time.
Not to fret! This guide will provide some helpful knowledge to fully understand the MRABA document and provide you with tips on how to support your student as she completes a recruitment process on her campus.
The Basics
MRABA is just an acronym for “Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement.” At its core level, the MRABA is just that – a binding agreement. The agreement must be signed at the completion of recruitment in order for a potential member to receive a bid of membership from a sorority.
The MRABA gives every potential new member a chance to be fully informed of all her options for joining a sorority. It is very important that your student should only sign the MRABA when she fully understands the contract she is signing. Signing this document is her acknowledgment that she understands the terms and conditions.
The idea of a contract can feel a little scary, but the MRABA exists to help walk your student through her next steps and to help her make the best decision for her. While the MRABA might physically look a little different from campus to campus, the information on it should be the same. After filling out some personal information including name, contact information, etc., your student will continue down the form to complete the MRABA.
Your student should read and fully understand the binding agreement before signing it. This is a great area you can help in as a parent. Make sure your student understands the document, what signing or not signing it means, and that she feels secure in her decision.
Before signing the MRABA, she will be educated on the form by someone on campus. This is also her chance to ask any questions before she completes the form.
Part 1
After your student fills out the top section, they will continue to a crossroads on the form. They can either withdraw from recruitment entirely or continue in the process. If a student chooses to withdraw from recruitment, she is agreeing that she will not join a sorority at this time, but will be eligible to participate in a continuous open bidding process in the future.
Part 2
Should the student decide to continue in the process, she should initial each of the statements in section 2. This section will help her to understand what continuing in the process means.
Part 3
After completing section 2, your student will continue to part 3. This section is similar to the above section, initialing and agreeing to various statements. It’s important to note that changes to the MRABA cannot be made.
This section helps to explain what happens if your student is or is not matched with a chapter.
Part 4
Part 4 is the section in which your student makes her preference(s).
There are a few scenarios here:
- If your student visits one chapter on preference round and she lists that chapter on her MRABA, this means she is willing to accept a bid from that chapter on Bid Day.
- If your student visits two chapters on preference round, she can list, in preferential rank order, which chapters during that round she is willing to accept a bid from. She does not need to list both organizations, it is recommended to maximize your options, but not required.
It is possible that your student may not receive a bid from either organization. If this were to happen your student would be contacted and informed of this.
If your student receives a bid from a chapter she no longer wishes to be part of and declines the bid, she is ineligible to join any other sorority on this campus until the start of the next recruitment period on campus. This also applies if your student accepts the bid and then decides to not continue membership with the sorority that extended the bid.
Part 5
Lastly, your student will sign the contract, completing the MRABA! It’s important to note that completing the form makes the student signing bound by its terms.
As a parent, you often serve as a trusted sounding board – guiding and supporting your student throughout big decisions in life. Joining a sorority is no different! It’s important to understand the different scenarios here and all the verbiage included in the MRABA. There will always be Panhellenic staff around on campus to help answer your questions but familiarizing yourself with this important document will help tremendously!
A great rule to follow when filling out the MRABA is to always ask questions. If you are unsure of how to best support your student through her decision, unsure of a scenario outcome or unclear on the verbiage in the form, please don’t hesitate to contact the Panhellenic staff at your student’s college/university. They will be able to help clear up any confusion and answer specific questions you might have.