There is an option to join a sorority after formal recruitment. Now give them the opportunity to show you just how amazing they could be for you. Why do some sororities participate in COB and some do not? Your Greek Life Office should be able to connect you with the recruitment chair, membership chair, or President of the sororities going through COB or provide you information about COB events. However, as I mentioned prior, dont accept a bid if it doesnt feel right. Some suggested items to wear are jumpsuits, dresses, nice pants, skirts and blouses., After Values Rounds you will have what is called Preference Night which is on Jan. 26 of this year. Regardless of what you have heard about that one chapter let it go and dont mention it during your conversations with the girl(s) who are recruiting you. Learn how to make your sorority dreams come true through informal sorority recruitment. UCA dedicates itself to academic vitality, integrity, and diversity. What are the challenges that sisterhood has helped you overcome. These 1-2 girls will be your key to earning a bid, so its important you show youre comfortable around them, similar to how youd be if you actually joined their sisterhood. It is the mission of the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to assist our fraternity and sorority community to succeed in living out its shared values of scholarship and learning, service and philanthropy, community, leadership and values, and Brotherhood and Sisterhood among all Fraternity and Sorority chapters at Miami University. Specifically, IFC has strict… For example, if a sorority can only give out a maximum of 10 bids to meet chapter total, but there are 20 women going through informal recruitment, your chances of getting a bid is slim unless youre a total standout potential new member. Katie Clarke, a junior studying computer science and vice president of recruitment for WPA, said this year's informal recruitment will have Rho Gammas to help promote chapter events and guide PNMs in a less structured format. It should not be influenced by your mom, friend, grandparents, or anyone else. "If people are on the fence about Greek life, it's not just a social aspect," Clarke said. Panhellenic provides a list of women interested in informal recruitment to all eligible chapters. Each sorority will explain to you their philanthropic pursuits and provide a more detailed look into what their chapter does. If a chapter is below total, they will be eligible for informal recruitment. Sororities are not going around campus handing out bids to just anyone. Below you can find the Panhellenic and Associate chapters that are participating in Fall Informal Recruitment. Alternatively, if you go to a small university or you were specifically personally invited to participate in COB, your chances of earning a bid may be higher than during formal recruitment where sororities get to meet more women. But once you accept a bid, thats it. Informal recruitment is a great way to join the Panhellenic community if you missed out on formal recruitment! we did an ice cream social last year, and every girl in my sorority who brought people got 5 merit points (those go towards room picks and parking spots when you live in the house) so a lot of people always show up, this year we . If you missed out on formal recruitment, this is a great way to try and find a sorority for you at Miami University. So, if you get offered a bid, take some time to think it over and make the decision on your terms. Whether it be books, animals, music, thoughts, or opinions. Some questions that can give you better insights into the situation are as follows: Asking yourself some of these questions can throw light on your future experiences, that is if you mutually decide to join the sorority. Graham said there is a sorority to fit every personality, whether it be through WPA or another Panhellenic organization on campus. Formal Recruitment is the time where all the chapters that are affiliated with the university are open to accepting new members into their sisterhood. The primary recruitment process begins in January. Stay tuned for an updated list of chapters coming very soon! There is a shirt that you will be given at the beginning of the process that you will have to wear, but you can style the rest of the outfit how you like. informal recruitment. What is Informal Recruitment? What is informal sorority recruitment? Powered and secured by Wix. And also, dont fret too much if you work or commute to school and want to go through COB. Getting a bid through COB is a huge deal. I remember one time my sister came back home from her preference round event and she told me she talked to women in a rec room at her university and ate chicken nuggets. And with all of these rules and regulations on both sides of recruitment, it can sometimes feel over structured or even limiting on how you can express yourself as a PNM. The Kardashians, Jennifer Lopez and Beyonc were among numerous A-list stars to undergo. So go ahead, send that DM or email. With that being said, dont feel obligated to accept a bid just because you want to join Greek Life or because your friend, mom, aunt, grandmother, boyfriend, etc. I am a newer member to my sorority but somehow ended up on the exec board and I am in charge of recruitment! On that webpage there may also be an online interest form you can fill out which will be sent to the recruitment or membership chair of the sororities going through COB. Some sororities may also be required to participate in informal recruitment by their National (or International) headquarters in order to meet chapter total. Normally we do a spring, fall, winter, and summer informal recruitment event. Feb 2021 - Present2 years 3 months. The process is a little more casual than formal and is typically held to fill the sororities' quota, which is the number of girls the sorority can have within a rushing period. These men and women make a commitment to each other for life. *This post may contain affiliate links. When you are going through recruitment your conversations need to be focused around you and the sororities you are rushing. Meaning there are usually less women going through COB, recruitment events are less structured, and you meet only a handful of sorority sisters throughout the process. Put in some effort to look presentable by: In this section, Ill be giving you 7 tips to help you stand out and make a lasting impression during informal sorority recruitment. For example, here is what Auburn University states in regard to the format of their informal recruitment events: Then formal recruitment may suit you better. Throughout the COB process, sororities will either host events or individually meet with interested women and extend them a bid for membership. The recruitment process differs for each of our four councils including the Collegiate Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, and National Pan-Hellenic Council. Whether you are going through informal or formal recruitment, it is essential that you are 100% yourself during the recruitment process. There is absolutely nothing wrong (or scary) about going through it. Some chapters may only be recruiting a few new members and may quickly be finished, or finishing up with COB currently. And dont let outside influences be the sole driver of your decision making. Informal Recruitment/Intake The majority of fraternities and sororities at Illinois engage in informal recruitment or intake throughout the year. Informal sorority recruitment is a secondary option for college aged women wanting to join a sorority after the formal sorority recruitment process. Summer (normally the week before classes start) we normally do a BBQ in the park and have lawn games. Can you trust the members of the chapter? The dress code for Values Rounds is dressy. Clarke said she went through the formal recruitment process to join her sorority but encourages anyone interested in learning more about Panhellenic life to attend informal chapter events. In fact, a sorority would rather have you decline their bid than have you leave their sorority 2 months in. Recruitment is a mutual selection process, and everyone needs to put her best foot forwardcheerful confidence with humility is a good attitude to adopt. Panhellenic also sponsors and coordinates Miami's sorority recruitment program. Then informal recruitment can be a great, fun way to meet sorority women and potentially find your home away from home. In first rounds, you meet all 20 of the chapters in what is called the Panhellenic Preview which will be taking place Jan. 16 Jan. 18 this year. HOWEVER, they do not have to give out all 5 bids. says to do it. COB events can be a hit or miss depending on who you are and what you personally like doing. For example, if chapter total was set at 100 members at a particular university and Sorority A had 95 members, they can participate in informal sorority recruitment and can recruit 5 more woman to join their sorority. Hold your head high, investigate informal recruitment and continuous open . However, not all chapters that are eligible will participate. Many sorority women love making friends with women outside of Greek life and are thrilled to talk about their sorority. Meaning, dont just roll out of bed and head out to the door. bbbliss 4 yr. ago Some of the common ways to enter the informal recruitment process are as follows: The best way to stay updated about deferred recruitment is by following the sorority on social media. The sorority ensures that they remain true to the Informal recruitment process by remaining completely informal. If youre interested in sorority membership and a chapter invites you to a COB event, you should consider attending. With that being said, informal recruitment may be in the fall instead of the spring but it depends on the university. And that will help them make a better decision for their chapter (and you) in regard to extending you a bid or not. Throughout the rushing process you will drop sororities and you will also be asked back to sororities until you are down to your final pick which is revealed to you on Bid Day. Before that however, there are four rounds leading up to Bid Day that are designed to help you find your perfect sisterhood. I never really thought I'd be the type to join a sorority, but I'm so so glad I did it. Although formal recruitment takes place in the fall, informal. Instead of standing for hours, wearing painful heels, and or having to scream in each others ears, recruitment events are more fun and chill. Trust your gut instincts and turn down the offer if it doesnt feel right. COB events can also be more insightful than formal recruitment events in respect to what the sisterhood is truly like. Furthermore, Snap Bidding is ONLY allowed for those chapters that did NOT meet quota in the bid-matching process of Primary Recruitment. Chapters under total are eligible to host COB. Informal recruitment is held in the alternate semester of formal recruitment. There are currently 17 Panhellenic chapters and three Associate chapters at the Penn State Main Campus location, and there are two different times in which you would be able to rush a sorority, Informal Recruitment in the fall and Formal Recruitment in the spring. Informal Recruitment or Continuous Open Bidding (COB) is a more casual and unstructured process that only takes place if chapters are eligible and choose to participate. January 26, 2023 | 8:52pm EST Ohio University sororities offer many opportunities for interested women to participate in. Each sorority will explain to you their, philanthropic pursuits and provide a more detailed look into what their chapter does. Because UD is remote this semester, all recruitment events will be virtual. Overall informal recruitment is a more relaxed and intimate version of recruitment. See more ideas about sigma alpha iota, sorority events, sorority recruitment. The above chapters are eligible for Continuous Open Bidding,HOWEVER, each chapters COB process is different. Your email address will not be published. Most importantly, trust your gut instincts. My name is Madison, but everyone just calls me Maddy. But well discuss this in more detail in the next section! If you get a bid, youll most likely be called by the sororitys recruitment chairwoman or another member of chapters executive council, and youll be given have 3 options: In this section we will further discuss the next steps if you get a bid or dont get a bid through COB. In todays article, you will get to learn everything related to Informal Sorority Recruitment. Formal sorority recruitment is a very serious process. It is also the last round before you are given your bids on Bid Day., After several rounds, youre about to meet your new sisters! and our 6h COM/CAS '23. Follow your favourite sororities on social media. my favorite COB recruitment event was a bob ross paint night where everyone had to follow a bob ross painting video! A lot of COB events are purely word of mouth, so its vital you do some genuine networking. But theyll never know you are interested unless you make the first move and reach out to them. How will sororities decide who they will invite? Informal Recruitment, also known as Continuous Open Bidding (COB), is a process that sororities engage in outside of the the primary (formal) recruitment period. You have not received a bid from the recent form recruitment. Whether it be a formal or informal sorority recruitment process, the members of the chapter are looking forward to PNM who are genuinely interested in their chapters. All Ohio State University students are eligible to participate in COB provided that: (1) they are enrolled as a full-time student; (2) they have never been initiated into one of the 17 National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities at OSU, or on another campus; (3) they have not received a bid during the most recent Primary Recruitment, declined the bid, or broke their pledge; (4) completed 12 collegiate credit hours. This will allow you to see if there are any other sororities extending you a bid and help you make a more informed decision. However, it is always better to ask what you should wear even if they dont tell you upfront about it. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. From there you will visit 14 of those sororities during the Philanthropy Round which will take place from Jan. 19 Jan. 21. Its really your responsibility to get information on who is participating in COB and get invited to their events. And sometimes, if all sororities at your university are at chapter total, there will be no COB at all. "I love and believe in the spirit of fraternity very much," Graham said. Can you join a sorority after rush? Below you can find the Panhellenic and Associate chapters that are participating in Fall Informal Recruitment. Some prefer that a house waits til formal to fill open slots if they have, say, less than 5 slots open. To learn more about whether a chapter is recruiting, please reach out directly to the chapter using the contacts listed for them on our Chapters page. However, dont let this limited time frame make you feel obliged to accept a bid. The way Formal Recruitment works is that if you meet the requirements and are registered, you are assigned to a group led by a girl called a Pi Chi which is just a sorority sister that is there to be a neutral party to help you with any questions or concerns you may have throughout the process. High school seniors may join a fraternity after The IFC Experience, and through out the summer prior to the beginning of their first semester. While the informal process may offer a less stressful environment for some, Graham said the informal process does not offer an equal chance for PNMs to visit all of the campus chapters and recommends women visit all of the houses. However, during informal recruitment, women could only meet the chapters who were participating in COB. No. Continuous open bidding can be a wonderful opportunity for women to join a sorority after formal recruitment. Heres everything you need to know and what to expect from the recruitment process here at Penn State. Raising concerns and queries not only shows your interest in the sorority chapters but also keeps the smooth flow of the conversation. Scan this QR code to download the app now. If you are reaching out to them via social media DMs, simply write them something like: Hi, my name is [your name] and I am a [grade level] at [your university name]. Not all of the sororities participate in these recruitment events. If youre interested in a specific chapter, please contact them to get more information on their recruitment process. Sometimes that would be 2 sororities and sometimes it would be 3 sororities. Informal recruitment is less structured than formal recruitment and typically involves potential new members attending events and meeting sorority members in a more casual setting. For many women, COB is a great way to join a sorority with very little cost in regard to time and money. There are three main differences between formal and informal rush: We will discuss these three points further down below. So how the heck do you do that?! If you missed out on formal recruitment, this is a great way to try and find a sorority at Penn State. Together they learn, grow, and make the fraternity or sorority, commonly called a Greek . Required fields are marked *. Not every sorority participates and the chapters that choose to participate change per semester. It means that the sororities must not only like you but should also go the other way around. The number of organizations participating in COB can vary throughout the course of the semester because any time the sorority's membership falls below the chapter total, it can recruit back up to that number. Information regarding the Fall 2023 informal recruitment process will be updated at the start of the fall semester. I moved to PA from Florida to attend Penn State and I absolutely love it. Although its not as hyped up as formal recruitment, COB definitely has its perks like not having to wear heels! The chapters will invite you to further events if you are eligible and they see you as a good fit! Plus, there are plenty of other ways to get involved on campus and in your community and make friends other than joining a sorority: If you decide to accept your bid, congratulations! Unlike formal recruitment, there are no silence rules, no long days of going from party to party, or complicated invitation acceptances. Since you did not accept or were not extended a bid, you are eligible to go through formal recruitment. This blog post will help you navigate sorority recruitment (via Zoom) from what to expect, what to wear, what to talk about, and more! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you like their posts and ideas, feel free to comment or DM them about it. If youre interested in sorority membership, and a chapter invites you to a COB event, you should attend. Either way, ensure that you put in some effort to appear presentable by taking the following measures: Sororities would never just come up to and hand out the bids. Download 2022 IFC Formal Recruitment Guidebook Men's IFC recruitment is a dynamic system. Each sorority operates on their own COB schedule, so there is no standardized time frame when all sororities are recruiting new members during informal recruitment. It can let you know if you would be able to make strong connections with the other sorority sisters of the chapter. Another alternative is to send an email to the Greek Life Department of your University. Maire Stonecipher, a junior studying psychology and sociology-criminology and vice president of new member services for WPA, said the formal recruitment process consists of more commitment not everyone can provide. If you are currently registered for the primary recruitment process you will need to formally withdraw and register for the Panhellenic COB process on Campus Director using a different email address. Sorority Recruitment. A true sisterhood would love you for the real you. What makes your chapter different from the others in the university? If your bid is declined, you can wait for the COB to occur once again or go through the formal sorority recruitment process. If youre interested in a specific chapter. Copyright 2023 College Aftermath | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, Got dropped from the sorority before the bidding day, Achieved the minimum grades set by your favourite sorority. Remember its a mutual selection process. Currently maintains a position of Assistant Recruitment Chair. How awesome is that?! Instead, COB reaches out to a potential new member and gets to know a possible sister better. In the spring, total is set within 72 hours of Bid day following formal recruitment, and Miamis Panhellenic Association sets total based on the Median chapter size of Panhellenic sororities on campus. Let me be real with you: Some formal recruitment events are fake or disingenuous meaning many of the conversations are surface-level and the personality of the sorority may not be the same once formal recruitment is all said and done. Yes! Unlike formal recruitment, campus chapters holdindividual eventsfor PNMs to attend. Good luck! Finally, if you decide that sorority life isnt for you, thats 110% ok! You never know what a simple message could lead to next. Continuous Open Bidding is a very informal process that sororities use to take in new members. For some college women, the decision to go through sorority recruitment is easy heck yes or absolutely no. And not only that, you need to be open minded especially if you get invited to COB events from a sorority you are not 100% thrilled about. Once a woman moves into PNM status, they are eligible to extend a bid to that PNM. Recruitment events are considered to be any event with the intention of recruiting new members. Each chapter will coordinate their own informal recruitment events and these will range in size, style, and coordination. During informal recruitment, the PNM's are only going out for one sorority at a time. Reach out to VP of Recruitment or Director of Informal Recruitment with any additional questions or concerns. It tends to be more casual and unstructured than primary recruitment. Other sororities want their local chapters to remain filled at all times, even if they have 1 slot open, so then that sorority is strongly . What does sending in a COB interest form commit me to? If you are not honest and transparent with yourself and the sorority, you are more likely to dislike the community and leave it. Sorority Life 101: What is a Sorority House? The events are less structured and more casual compared to the formal recruitment process in Spring. She said her advice to women interested in informal recruitment is to stay open-minded during the process. Heck, dont even mention any other greek organization on campus. Through informal recruitment, you get to meet with sorority women in a more genuine, authentic environment, which can help you make a more informed decision about joining. Fraternity and Sorority Life Unfortunately, at some universities there is a negative connotation surrounding COB such as: However, let me tell you: There is nothing wrong with joining a sorority after formal rush or getting a bid through COB. Chapters under total are eligible to host COB. WHAT MAKES ME ELIGIBLE FOR INFORMAL RECRUITMENT (COB)? While all the parties and social events may be intimidating, dont forget what it is you want out of your experience and who you click with the best, and especially remember to be genuine. Or anyone else sororities and sometimes, if you like their posts and ideas, feel free to comment DM. If there are any other Greek organization on campus next section participating in COB do sororities! 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