A STEP-BY-STEP PLAN TO GET YOUR BID
A coaching program to help you stand out, have options, and run home to a sorority you love. Allowing you to have a great college experience.
You may be asking yourself, "How do I get a bid to my dream sorority at Mississippi State University?”
Let’s talk about how sorority recruitment works. Have you ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Sorority recruitment is similar. Round 1 is comparable to the first episode of The Bachelor. During this round, you will meet all of the sororities on your campus.
I am so excited to go through sorority recruitment, BUT I need to:
Apply to many different colleges.
Commit to my #1 college.
Find a roommate.
Buy decorations for my room.
Buy football tickets and game day outfits.
Then, I will prepare for sorority recruitment.
Many people believe that sorority recruitment preparation starts after you figure out everything for college. If you started preparing for sorority recruitment one month or weeks before sorority recruitment, would you have a disadvantage?
Yes! Many sororities prepare for sorority recruitment six to eight months before sorority recruitment starts. They are always looking for new members.
Why do sororities start preparing so early?
At most colleges, every sorority must use RFM (Release Figure Methodology) to invite potential new members back to each round.
What is RFM?
It is a fancy way of saying that sorority recruitment is a little bit of a popularity contest. The most competitive sororities drop 60% to 80% (depending on the college) of ALL potential new members after Round 1.
If you go into sorority recruitment saying, “The sororities will just know I am a perfect fit for their sorority!” you most likely are not going to be invited back to the most popular sororities on campus. You will look like Sam the Average PNM.
Who is Sam the Average PNM?
She looked at her college’s Panhellenic website. She left confused. She went to TikTok and YouTube to learn more about sorority recruitment. She spent weeks finding the perfect outfits. When she got her Round 2 schedule, she expected to see 10 sororities. She was only invited back to 5.
Why was she only invited back to 5?
She looked like everyone else. She did not stand out.
I hate to break it to you, but most of the girls going through sorority recruitment are great candidates for most of the sororities.
Most have a great GPA.
Most have an amazing resume
Most have hours and hours of volunteer work.
Most have a social media account that does not have red flags.
So… what is the difference? What gets you to the Rush Crush Status?
You have to prepare strategically. You have to campaign for yourself and get the members’ attention! Let’s strategize on how you can gain Rush Crush Status BEFORE sorority recruitment starts.
#1. Network with sorority members
#2. Create FOMO with your social media
#3. Optimize your pre-score
It is time to elect your local Mayor. Who would you vote for? A random stranger OR someone you know, like, and trust?
You would vote for someone you know, like, and trust. When you know someone’s character and how they act, you assume they are qualified for the job. The same idea applies to sorority recruitment. If a member likes you and believes you would fit into the sorority, she will root for you behind the scenes. She will tell the recruitment team and her friends about you. She will do everything in her power to get you to the next round of sorority recruitment.
Networking is one of the most important steps to have an advantage throughout sorority recruitment.
Why is networking so important?
As girls register for sorority recruitment, the recruitment teams research them and give them pre-scores (we will talk more about pre-scores later). With all the research, they look for potential new members that stand out. Here is the problem…. most look very similar.
Most girls have a similar GPA.
Most girls have an amazing resume full of accomplishments, leadership, volunteer work, and more.
Most girls have great social media accounts - no red flags, show off their personalities, etc.
If you are relying on your GPA, resume, or Instagram account to get you invited back to a sorority that cuts 70% of all potential new members, that is risky. Most likely, you will fall into the average scores (not getting you invited back) because you look like everyone else.
How do you get to the top 30% of scores?
You have members rooting for you in the sorority.
I understand it seems like an upward battle getting to know members or finding a way for them to notice you. You might be saying,
“I am an out-of-state student!”
“I am from a small high school!”
“I only know members who will be seniors members!”
I completely understand your frustration! There is good news! There are many ways you can meet members in the months leading up to sorority recruitment! You want to put yourself out there and get to know them!
First, let’s talk about members you know or know of.
In 2020, NPC created Positive Panhellenic Contact. This rule allows sorority members and girls to talk before sorority recruitment. You want to use this rule to your advantage! Here is how to do it!
#1. Stay in touch with all the members you know.
Do you follow her on Instagram?
Do you like her photos?
Do you comment on her photos?
Can you Snapchat her throughout your last year?
Can you stay with her on a weekend visit?
#2. Ask for advice
Can you reach out and ask questions about the college?
Can you get a tour of the college during your visit?
Can you grab lunch with her during your visit?
Can you get a tour of the sorority house?
Can you ask her questions about sorority recruitment?
Can she help you pick out your outfits for sorority recruitment?
Now, let’s talk about meeting members you do NOT know.
With this category, there are many different ways to network. Get creative and have fun!
#1. Use TouredIt
As Josh, founder of TouredIt, was preparing for college, he was recruited by many different colleges for basketball. He noticed his tours were personalized. They paired him to talk to future teammates just like him - same or similar major, similar hobbies, etc. These tours allowed him to see what the college was really like. He had conversations with students, and the students did not hold back. As his family and friends went on tours, he noticed a huge difference. They went on the official campus tours. These tours felt not personal and left them with more questions.
TouredIt creates a personalized tour for all students! You fill out an application. Then, based on your major, hobbies, and interests, you are paired with a student similar to you. This experience will help you see what the student body is really like. They are not paid by the college to tell you about the history or about the different buildings. They share the important things we all want to know about:
What are the classes like for YOUR major?
What are the students like in YOUR major?
What are the professors like in YOUR major?
Where are the buildings for YOUR future classes?
This information is what we really want to know! TouredIt is designed to help you make an easy college decision. Just like joining a sorority, you want to find a college that aligns with the experience you want and pushes you to be the person you want. TouredIt helps you make that decision or helps you figure out if that college is worth applying to!
You can also add on a Greek Life package. With this package, your tour guide is a sorority member! You can ask her questions about sorority recruitment and network with her! Can you build a friendship with her to have her rooting for you behind the scenes?
How TouredIt works
Step 1: Do you want to visit campus or do you want to schedule a Zoom call with a student?
Step 2: Apply
Step 3: Get ready for your visit or call
#2. Are you a legacy?
If you are a legacy, some sororities will guarantee you a Round 2 invitation. After Round 2, you do not have an advantage. To have an advantage throughout sorority recruitment, you need to meet members and become friends with them!
There is great news! Your mom, sister, or grandmother can help you meet members!
Can you go to a football game and visit the house on a Friday or Sunday?
Can you go to a sorority tailgate?
Can you meet local alumnae who can introduce you to the chapter?
#3. Class of 2029 Instagram Accounts
Most colleges have “Class of” Instagram accounts to help girls find roommates and friends before college starts. Do you know who also follows these pages? Sorority members!!
These pages are a great opportunity to network with members. Before you network with members, you want to:
#1. Have an Instagram account that creates FOMO
We will talk about creating FOMO in a little bit.
#2. Go public
#3. Create a post that allows the members to know about you, your personality, and your friends
BONUS TIP: Can you find a roommate or friends who have connections to the sororities?
#4. Visiting campus
When you are on campus (tour, football game, etc.), you want to start conversations with everyone. Maybe a girl who works at a boutique is a sorority member! You follow her on Instagram. You ask for advice and become friends with her. During sorority recruitment, she is rooting for you and helps you get a bid to her sorority.
When you are networking, you want to play the long game. You want to meet many different sorority members AND apply the same techniques to all of the colleges you are applying to! The earlier you start networking, the more members you will have rooting for you!
In 2020, NPC created Positive Panhellenic Contact. This rule allows sorority members and girls to talk before sorority recruitment. Sorority members have used this rule to network with potential new members. They can follow your social media accounts and engage with you on social media (send you a DM, like your photos, comment on your photos, etc.)
How do the members find you?
Many times members will find you through social media platforms or word of mouth (you have a mutual friend).
Once they find you, they immediately look at your account. They want to see if you would be a good member/ fit for their sorority. You want to use this information to your advantage and create an account that gets the members to follow you or send you a DM. You want to create FOMO (If they do not reach out, they will miss out on an opportunity!)
How do you create FOMO with your social media account?
In Invisible Influence by Jonah Berger, he explains why we are drawn to similar people through the following situation. Imagine you are going to a party with your best friend. Once you get inside, she says, “Everyone here is so nice, go up and talk to someone. I am going to go to the bathroom." You have seconds to decide which group you want to go and talk to. You do not want to appear unsocial in the corner on your phone. There are three groups:
Group one: Two individuals wearing all nude colors. Nude shirt, Nude pants, Nude hat, and Nude shoes.
Group two: Two individuals dressed in hiking gear.
Group three: Two individuals who dress identical to you.
Who are you going to pick to go talk to?
Most likely, group three – the group that looks just like you look.
Why do you talk to them over the other two groups?
In a quick second when you have to make a decision, you look for similarities. You can assume, “If they are dressed like me, we most likely have other things in common too!”
The same idea applies to sorority recruitment. When the members look at your Instagram account, they do not make rational, long-thought-out decisions. They look at your account for a couple of minutes. First, they look to see if you are similar to them. Then, they look for red flags. When a member comes to your account, you want to make it an easy yes for them! “Yes! She is just like us! Her photos are similar! Her friends look like us!”
How do create a similar account?
STEP #1. Look at the Instagram account for each sorority on your campus
STEP #2. Find the four or five sororities that you think would be good fits for you based on their photos
STEP #3. Click on the tagged photos. Look through 5 to 10 of the member’s Instagram accounts
What are they posting? Group photos? Photos by themselves? Graduation photos? Candid photos? Professional senior picture?
STEP #4. Post similar pictures
Your goal is to have an active Instagram account. You want to create a highlight reel for the last 4 years of high school.
Before sorority recruitment, some of the sororities give out a pre-score. This score is determined from your sorority recruitment application - GPA, involvement, etc. Your pre-score might be able to help the members see you as a member.
At the beginning of your senior year of high school, you want to brainstorm your social resume. The goal is to have a resume full of achievements. Click here to learn more about resumes.
What you will need on your resume?
Multiple clubs or sports
Multiple ways you volunteered throughout high school (can you increase your hours)
Multiple awards
Leadership is always a plus
Job, internships, or shadowing are always a plus
When you are brainstorming and writing down your accomplishments, are you missing a category? Is one category lacking information?
If you notice one area is not as strong as other areas, you want to build it up!
Can you volunteer more this year?
Can you hold a leadership position?
Can you join more clubs?
Many people believe that sorority recruitment preparation starts after you figure out everything for college. Is waiting until you commit to your college the best way to prepare for sorority recruitment? No!
Throughout your senior year, you want to:
Network with sorority members
Create FOMO with your social media
Optimize your pre-score
You want to apply these ideas and strategies to all of the colleges you are considering and many different sororities. The goal is to play the long game. When you have many sororities rooting for you, you have more options and more control over your schedule.
Click here to get your copy of The Ultimate Guide to Sorority Recruitment on Amazon
Click here to get your copy of The Ultimate Guide to Sorority Recruitment as an ebook
Amazon links are affiliate links. This is not a sponsored post.
You may be asking yourself, "How do I get a bid to my dream sorority at K-State?”
Let’s talk about how sorority recruitment works. Have you ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Sorority recruitment is similar. Round 1 is comparable to the first episode of The Bachelor. During this round, you will meet all of the sororities on your campus.
You may be asking yourself, "How do I get a bid to my dream sorority at Florida State University?”
Let’s talk about how sorority recruitment works. Have you ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Sorority recruitment is similar. Round 1 is comparable to the first episode of The Bachelor. During this round, you will meet all of the sororities on your campus.
You may be asking yourself, "How do I get a bid to my dream sorority at the University of Kentucky?”
Let’s talk about how sorority recruitment works. Have you ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Sorority recruitment is similar. Round 1 is comparable to the first episode of The Bachelor. During this round, you will meet all of the sororities on your campus.
You may be asking yourself, "How do I get a bid to my dream sorority at the University of South Carolina?”
Let’s talk about how sorority recruitment works. Have you ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Sorority recruitment is similar. Round 1 is comparable to the first episode of The Bachelor. During this round, you will meet all of the sororities on your campus.
You may be asking yourself, "How do I get a bid to my dream sorority at Michigan State University?”
Let’s talk about how sorority recruitment works. Have you ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Sorority recruitment is similar. Round 1 is comparable to the first episode of The Bachelor. During this round, you will meet all of the sororities on your campus.
You may be asking yourself, "How do I get a bid to my dream sorority at Mississippi State University?”
Let’s talk about how sorority recruitment works. Have you ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Sorority recruitment is similar. Round 1 is comparable to the first episode of The Bachelor. During this round, you will meet all of the sororities on your campus.
You may be asking yourself, "How do I get a bid to my dream sorority at the University of Florida?”
Let’s talk about how sorority recruitment works. Have you ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Sorority recruitment is similar. Round 1 is comparable to the first episode of The Bachelor. During this round, you will meet all of the sororities on your campus.
You may be asking yourself, "How do I get a bid to my dream sorority at Texas Tech?”
Let’s talk about how sorority recruitment works. Have you ever seen The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Sorority recruitment is similar. Round 1 is comparable to the first episode of The Bachelor. During this round, you will meet all of the sororities on your campus.
