What should you bring to sorority recruitment? What are the essentials?
When you pack your bag for sorority recruitment, the goal is to pack things you will actually use. Pack things that will make your look and feel your best.
You do not need to back a million things in your bags. You only need the essentials. It is important to think about the structure of recruitment.
How far are the houses from one another? Will you need to run? You will not know your schedule until the morning of the round. Look to see how far each house is from one another.
Is there a bus you have to take?
What is the weather going to be like? Hot? Cold? Rainy? Snow?
How long are the days? See if there is a schedule.
Can you go back to your dorm or apartment?
Is lunch provided?
Take everything into consideration before packing your bag.
Have you looked at your college’s Panhellenic website?
Did it give you a plan for getting a bid?
Did it tell you how to answer the members’ questions?
Did it tell you what the members are looking for in a new member?
MOST LIKELY, NO.
Many of these websites give FACTUAL information. This lack of information leaves many potential new members feeling behind on preparing for sorority recruitment, missing important information, having a disadvantage. Can you relate?
If you feel overwhelmed or behind, you want to watch this video. In the video, I give you 3 secrets to stand out, have options, and run home to your dream sorority.
To watch the video, please click the button below.
Just an FYI: At some colleges, you are provided a bag or Ziploc to use. Make sure to check your Panhellenic website to see if you can bring a purse or if they supply a bag.If they supply a bag, you do not need to go out and find a purse.
If you bring a purse into the sorority, make sure the bag is not too big. It should be a size of a small cross body bag.
If you are not bringing a purse into the sorority, you can bring a backpack or a large bag.
ESSENTIALS TO BRING TO SORORITY RECRUITMENT
Mints
During sorority recruitment, the days are long. At the University of Alabama, Philanthropy Round starts at 7:45 AM and the last party ends at 5:40 PM. You are in charge of finding time to eat. You might have to eat something very quickly and not have time to brush your teeth. In this case, you need mints. The worst thing is when you are talking to a girl and her breath smells.
DO NOT BRING GUM. The members do not want you chomping on your gum.
band-aids
Again, the days of sorority recruitment are long. You will walk from house to house. You might have to run at some points.
When you have blisters on your feet, sorority recruitment is not fun. In your conversations, you are thinking about how painful your feet are. You are not present in the conversation. The member may assume you do not want to be there because you seem out of it [You are in uncomfortable].
Even if your shoes are broken in, you want to bring Band-Aids just in case.
hairbrush or comb
You woke up early to straighten or curl your hair. Then halfway through the day, you look like you went through a tornado. Bring a hairbrush or comb to touch up your hair in between events. When you feel good, you look good and present yourself in the best way.
touch up makeup
In a small makeup bag, you want to pack the essential you will need to touch up your makeup.
Lipstick, chapstick, or lip gloss
Powder
Oil sheets or coffee filters [Coffee filters work the same as oil sheet :) ]
Hair ties
Roll on perfume or an essential oil
Deodorant
If you meet sororities for ten hours, your makeup will wear off throughout the day. You want to look your best and present yourself the same throughout the day. Carry touch up makeup in your purse.
You need to bring just the essentials. Don’t bring all your makeup with you.
Another pro tip is to set your makeup with a spray and use hairspray. The spray helps your makeup to last longer. Also, use a primer. If you have never used a primer before it is a game-changer. My favorite primer is by Smashbox.
snacks
Many colleges do not provide meals for you throughout sorority recruitment. You may only have twenty minutes to get to your next sorority. Most likely, you will not have time to grab lunch because you have to be at the house early. In this case, you need to bring a snack.
When I recruited for my sorority, I asked potential new members, “How has your day been so far?” Some responded with, “I am so hungry.” Throughout the conversation, I could tell they were not hungry. They were HANGRY. They would complain about everything and came off very negative.
When I went to score them, I did not give them a great score.
Why did I not give them a great score?
My first impression of them was they were negative. My sorority was made up of women who loved to spend time with one another and had fun. A woman complaining about everything would not fit into the sorority culture.
Your first impression matters. You want to make sure you show up as the best version of yourself throughout sorority recruitment. Bring a snack :)
For your snack, you want to bring something small and would keep you full. A candy bar might sound delicious, but you will be hungry in twenty minutes. When packing your snack, ask yourself, “What will keep me full the longest?” My go-to's are the Quest protein bars.
water
Throughout sorority recruitment, you will talk a LOT. Plus, if sorority recruitment is in August, it is HOT. You need to drink water. Each year there are stories about women who lose their voices or faint. To avoid these situations, you want to bring a water bottle.
However, don’t bring a HUGE 64 oz bottle. Bring something small. Something you can easily throw in your purse. You will be able to refill it.
umbrella
One minute it is sunny. The next minute is a monsoon. When caught in the rain, your beautiful makeup and hair are ruined.
To prevent this situation from happening, you want to pack a small umbrella. Especially if you are going through sorority recruitment at a southern college.
tampons
Trust me. You will want to pack these.
portable charger
You most likely will be voting on your phone, and your phone has your schedule on it. Plus, if you have downtime, you can follow all the amazing potential new members you meet on Instagram.
Also, I highly encourage you to take notes on your conversations. These notes help you vote after the round. The best place to take these notes is on your phone.
If you do not have a portable charger, you can bring a charger. However, it might be difficult to find an outlet.
Bonus Essential: Caffeine
The first round is really long. You are on your feet all day. You talk all day. You smile all day. And… it is exhausting. I remember not even eating dinner because I was so tired. I would walk into my dorm room and just fall asleep.
You may want to consider bringing some caffeine with you. In the morning you will have a ton of energy. By the end of the day, you might be dragging. A little bit of caffeine will really help!
Red Bull might be hard to carry because you would have to chug it, and that sounds a little dangerous.
Bring something you can easily put in your purse. You cannot hold any kind of cup/ drink inside the sorority. However, you can bring a water bottle with you. Just make sure you keep it in your purse!
DO YOUTUBE AND TIKTOK HELP YOU STAND OUT OR GAIN RUSH CRUSH STATUS DURING SORORITY RECRUITMENT?
When you depend on Youtube and TikTok for advice, you prepare like everyone else. When you look like everyone else, you do not stand out. If a sorority can only invite back 30% of all PNMs, how will you show them that you deserve to be in the top 30%?
Instead of using advice and being the Overlooked Potential New Member, you want to use a step-by-step plan to gain Rush Crush status -- stand out, have options, and run home to a sorority you love. Click the video below to see how CRUSH [sorority recruitment coaching] can help you create and implement your plan.
You have a math test in two weeks that is worth 90% of your grade for the class. You want to get an A. You are looking for guidance on how to get your A.
First, you ask a friend, not in your math class, “How do I get an A+ on my test?” She says, “You need to study.” This answer leaves you frustrated.
Then, you ask your teacher, “How do I get an A+ on my test?” She gives you a step-by-step plan.
Who was more helpful?
Your teacher, right?
To get an A, you need to know the right information and have a step-by-step plan.
To get a bid to a sorority you love, you have to communicate you are the right fit for the sorority before and during sorority recruitment. A step-by-step plan tells you how and when to communicate.
BUT… why do so many women going through sorority recruitment ONLY use the advice they find on Youtube and TikTok? Does it help them stand out and get a bid?
Click the video below to see how The Ultimate Guide to Sorority Recruitment can help you create and implement your plan.
$34.99
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Sorority-Recruitment-sorority/dp/1674072309
$14.99
https://www.gettingthebid.com/store
