Formal Vs. Informal: the Differences in Between Sorority Recruitment

Becoming a sorority girl during my junior year in college was something that I could’ve never pictured for myself. I participated August 2024; going through the informal procedure in order to receive my precious bid. Last month, I got to experience official recruitment for the very first time. I believed I would go over today the distinctions between the 2 recruitments and my recommendations on sorority life.

What is Formal Recruitment?

Formal recruitment is a process that includes several days of rounds to get “matched” with the ideal home. Each round might become harder due to being visited certain sororities. When you think of formal recruitment, think about Bama Rush. The OOTDs, the numerous yelling women opening the yellow envelopes, and the luxurious sorority home filled with beauty on the inside and out.

Although Virginia Tech’s sorority recruitment is not as intensive as Bama Rush, it does follow a great deal of the same procedures. There are 4 rounds within rush: Open House, Philanthropy, Sisterhood and Preference. After each round, your house choices end up being narrower, resulting in the final day: Bid Day. Bid Day is where you get an invite to the sorority you are matched with.

Being a recruiter, this experience was quite cool to see. I liked seeing all the PNMs personalizations of their clothing and seeing if they would fit well within my sorority. The procedure also helped me more detailed friendships within my own sorority, employment as we needed to collaborate to make sure rush went as smoothly as possible.

What is Informal Recruitment?

Informal recruitment is a procedure that’s much calmer than official recruitment. Usually, it is a COB process (constant open bidding), meaning the sorority will slowly give PNMs with bids throughout the timespan of the recruitment.

The process usually involves a little sorority event where you satisfy some of the sis and then you might meet a sister one-on-one.

The cool feature of informal recruitment is that you can select the home you want and employment not be forced to see the other houses. But the only thing that may take place is the specific sorority you desire might not use casual. This depends on the sorority’s numbers. If they have enough numbers and/or employment just do not wish to do informal recruitment, you may not be able to hurry that specific sorority. Also, some sororities do invite-only informal recruitment. It is very important to note that casual is a fantastic option, but it might not be used all of the time.

Which recruitment is better for me?

Well, it depends. If you desire the possibility to see all of your houses on your university campus, it is best to do formal. Formal gives you the chance to see all of your houses and find out more about the sisters and the history of the sororities.

If you are already set on what house you desire, informal recruitment may be the very best choice. But again, you must be careful that some sororities might not offer this alternative.

How do I know if I want to be in a sorority?

GIVE IT A TRY! See if you like it. I didn’t know if I wish to be in a sorority and I was so terrified to try it. But once I discovered my sorority, I felt that I found my home away from home. I felt convenience from the females I was surrounded by, and I feel a lot love each time I stroll in your house doors.