recruitment

Since you're a freshman you'll only be able to do spring recruitment. ( I'm assuming you're a girl and looking for info on panhel recruitment)
So you'll be assigned a rho gamma who will guide you through the whole process. On day one you will visit 5 rooms in the SAC, one designated for each sorority. After that you will rank them and "drop" one.
They will also rank and drop "PNMs" (Potential new members)
All of the rankings are entered into a computer system, and this creates the best matches for day 2.
On day 2 you will visit at most 4 rooms, one for every sorority that asked you back that you didn't drop. After that you will once again rank and drop your bottom choices.
Day 3 is preference night, you will observe at most 2 of your remaining options as they do their pref night ritual. the sisters will be in all black, and PNMs are dressed up in practically formal wear. After that you will pick your number one choice and if they ask you back, which is almost a guarantee after pref night, you will get a bid.
Day 4 is bid day, you will report to a room in the student center again and pick up your bid from the panhel recruitment team. A bid is whichever org you matched best with from both sides asking you to pledge membership at their sisterhood.

The whole process is stressful and nerve wracking, but if you trust the process you will surely end up where you belong. Don't knock any of the sororities until you try them!

no freshmen can join a sorority in the fall. Most sororities are taking small continous open bidding pledge classes. This is much different than formal recruitment. You can choose to "rush" one specific sorority and see if you get a bid.

spring recruitment will be in january before the first week of spring semester classes. There will be 3 nights, 1 pref night, and then a bid day. The person above is wrong. There is an extra day added before pref now. It's very simple and easy going. Just be yourself, and if you're on this website I urge you to not look at what anyone's ratings say. It's all people being jealous of one another it's so dumb. All the sororities have good reputations and are fun, so pick the girls you actually like!