Fall Formal Sorority Recruitment: What I Wish I Knew

For those considering Fall Formal Sorority Recruitment (FFR), let me tell you…it's definitely something else and can be overwhelming. As someone who went through FFR as a sophomore, here is what I learned and wish I knew.

Joining a sorority was something I considered but never felt confident in doing. I didn't know exactly what it was as none of my family members were involved in Greek Life. I had a few friends join Greek Life, and this was when I started to look into and consider it.

During Spring '22, I learned about Informal Recruitment (COB). It happens 2x a year (after FFR and beginning of Spring Semester). This is the most chill recruitment, and it's when a house needs to recruit more members to hit quota for various reasons: seniors graduated in December, girls dropped for financial reasons, not enough members after Fall Formal, etc. Not all houses will host a public COB, so there is no guarantee which ones will be doing it or how many spots are available. If there is a house you really love but they're not doing a publicized COB, then your best bet is to become best friends with a well-liked girl in the house. Typically, for COB, they'll prioritize friends of girls who are already in the house first. If you want to maximize your chances at getting a bid to the house you want, then sign up the day that COB starts and be best friends with someone who's already in the house.

I signed up for only 1 house during Spring COB. What I didn't know was that you could sign up for multiple houses. The sign-up is a Google Form located in the sororities' Instagram Bios. Fill it out, then sign up for a Coffee Chat or they'll reach out to you. These coffee chats are to meet an executive board member, see how well you vibe, ask questions, and learn more about the sorority. They also might host a recruitment event for you to attend and meet more members to see how well you vibe. Some are invite-only and some are open to everyone. I didn't receive a bid to join the house I signed up for during Spring '22, and although I was heartbroken and crushed, I learned later that this was probably not a house that I should have signed up for at the time, and now I needed to decide if I wanted to go through Fall Formal Recruitment.

I finally decided to go through with FFR, and I wondered if I'd be at a disadvantage being a sophomore—I wasn't. What I truly regret doing is Googling and researching everything about all the houses and watching TikTok for rush tips. If you're doing this, then stop. You'll go into recruitment with a huge ego thinking you know the ins and outs, and this isn't the case. For me, it was definitely a really humbling experience due to my huge ego thinking I would get into my top choice sorority when in reality, I got dropped from all my top choices within the first round. They say it's such a cliché, but you really do need to be your true and authentic self. They can see right through you if you're not, and every single one of those girls during recruitment saw right through me. You need to go through recruitment with an empty and open mind.

Lastly, FFR can be really overwhelming, so write down the names of the houses, members you met, and a summary of your convos so you know what worked. Also, relax, and remember that at the end of the day, you'll be okay and find where you're meant to be. The only person you need to impress is yourself. And pack comfy shoes in a big bag to change into too :))