Spring Recruitment

Panhellenic Sorority Formal Recruitment 2024

We are so glad you have an interest in participating in Panhellenic Association Sorority Formal Recruitment! Joining one of the nine wonderful National Panhellenic Conference sororities on Elon’s campus can enrich your college experience, as well as provide lasting memories and lifelong connections. Recruitment is a mutual selection process by which sororities recruit new members and introduce them to the responsibilities and opportunities involved with being a sorority woman. The next Formal Recruitment process will occur in-person prior to the spring 2024 semester.

Spring 2024 recruitment will occur during fake break prior to the start of spring 2024 semester. Orientation will take place in the evening on Saturday, January 27th with recruitment rounds starting on Sunday, January 28th. Bid Day is scheduled for Wednesday, January 31st.

If you have any questions about sorority recruitment, please contact Panhellenic Association Advisor, Alexis Swider, at aswider@elon.edu or 336-278-7214.

Eligibility Requirements

Elon University has a deferred joining policy for students interested in values-based social fraternities and sororities. To be eligible to participate in recruitment/intake activities, students must:

1. Be enrolled as a full-time student.
2. Have earned at least 12 credits at Elon or transferred to Elon with at least 12 credit hours from another college or university.
3. Be in good standing with the university (not on academic or disciplinary probation).
4. Meet the minimum GPA requirements of the respective governing council and/or organization. The Panhellenic Association has determined that all undergraduate female students who have obtained at least a 2.900 cumulative grade point average as of the closing date of the registration process are eligible to register and participate in sorority recruitment. GPAs through Fall 2022 will be used to determine eligibility – Winter Term 2023 will not count for eligibility purposes. There are no exceptions to the GPA requirement.
5. Complete the registration online and pay the registration fee by the deadline. The fee is used to pay for meals for PNMs during recruitment, as well as other operational expenses. Recruitment registration for Spring 2024 will open from November 27, 2023 through January 7, 2024.
6. Complete the online Potential New Member Orientation. After submitting the online registration, you will receive an email with the link and instructions for completing the Potential New Member Orientation.

*Transfer students who meet the above requirements with 12 credits completed at another institution with at least a 2.900 GPA will also be asked to upload an unofficial copy of their prior institution’s transcript during the registration process. Please note, a transfer student who joined as an initiated member of another sorority at their previous institution is not eligible to participate in recruitment and join a different sorority at Elon. Spring semester admits (first-time college students) are not eligible to participate in formal recruitment. Questions about transfer student eligibility should be directed to Student Involvement, 336-278-7214 or studentinvolvement@elon.edu.

Recruitment Registration

How does recruitment work?

Recruitment is based on a mutual selection process determined by the preferences of the chapters and the potential new member (PNM). Mutual selection means that at the end of each day, while PNMs are ranking which chapters they would most like to re-visit the next day, the sorority chapters are also selecting which women they would most like to invite back the next day. Students will find out each morning which chapters they will be visiting that day.

• In round one, PNMs will visit all nine chapters for 30 minutes
• In round two, PNMs will visit up to six chapters for 45 minutes each
• In round three, PNMs will visit up to two chapters for 60 minutes each

Every woman who registers and is eligible for recruitment will be assigned a Recruitment Counselor (Pi Chi). Recruitment Counselors are members of a sorority, but have chosen to be disassociate from their chapters during winter term and through recruitment. Their purpose is to assist and support potential new members (PNMs) through the recruitment process. Recruitment Counselor’s receive extensive training and preparation to help them mentor PNMs participating in recruitment. During recruitment, women will meet with their Recruitment Counselor each day.

What happens during a round and what do I wear?

Day 0: Orientation

There will be a required orientation event to begin the recruitment process. All PNMs will participate in a session that evening. Jeans and a t-shirt are appropriate – wear whatever you would normally wear!

Round 1: Philanthropy

Each chapter has unique national and/or local philanthropic organizations and annual events to tell you about. You are advised to dress casually and comfortably. Jeans and a t-shirt are appropriate for this round – wear whatever you would normally wear!

Potential new members (PNMs) will attend events with each of the nine Panhellenic sororities. At the end of the day, PNMs will rank the chapters based on which they are most interested in returning to the next day, while at the same time, each chapter will enter their preferences of the PNMs they would most like to invite back for round 2. This process is called “mutual selection.”

Round 2: Sisterhood

During the sisterhood round, each organization will present information about the ideals, responsibilities, and bonds that unite their members. This is a time to ask questions about the expectations of membership in the chapter including finance, housing, attendance and participation. Jeans and t-shirt would not be appropriate for this round. You are advised to wear dressy casual attire.

PNMs will be invited back to UP TO a maximum of six chapters on this day (though some may receive fewer invitations). At the end of this day, PNMs will again rank the chapters based on which they are most interested in returning to the next day, while each chapter will enter their preferences of the PNMs they would most like to invite back for round 3.

Round 3: Preference

Preference is the last day of recruitment rounds. An invitation to a preference function indicates a sorority’s strong interest in you as a future member. Throughout Preference round, a sorority’s presentation will reflect the values and ideals held in high esteem by members. This day you are recommended to wear cocktail/semi-formal attire. Think holiday party with your parents – classy, not club attire. Again, you do not need to buy anything in order to dress up.

PNMs will be invited back to UP TO a maximum of two chapters (though some may receive fewer invitations). After events that day, PNMs will rank order the one or two sororities that they would be willing to accept a bid from. The sororities will also select the women they would like to extend bids to.

Bid Day

Bid Day is the final day of the process in which PNMs are notified if they will be receiving a bid for membership to one of the sororities. PNMs will be notified that morning if they will not be receiving a bid. Bid distribution will take place for PNMs, followed by welcome events hosted by each chapter. This day is completely casual!

Potential Members’ Bill of Rights

The Potential Members’ Bill of Rights is determined by the NPC Unanimous Agreements. If at any point a potential member feels as though any of the rights below have been compromised, she should contact Alexis Swider at aswider@elon.edu.

• The right to be treated as an individual.
• The right to be fully informed about the recruitment process.
• The right to ask questions and receive true and objective answers from recruitment counselors and members.
• The right to be treated with respect.
• The right to be treated as a capable and mature person without being patronized.
• The right to ask how or why and receive straight answers.
• The right to have and express opinions to recruitment counselors.
• The right to have inviolable confidentiality when sharing information with recruitment counselors.
• The right to make informed choices without undue pressure from others.
• The right to be fully informed about the binding agreements implicit in the acceptance card signing.
• The right to make one’s own choice and decisions and accept full responsibility for the results of that decision.
• The right to have a positive, safe, and enriching recruitment and new member experience.