Panhellenic Recruitment: Tips and FAQs

Below is a comprehensive list of things you will need before you complete your registration form. While it can be helpful to have a parent or family member help with the process, the potential new member should be the one completing this application. 

• A laptop or desktop computer should be used when registering. Avoid using mobile devices and use the Chrome internet browser for the best experience.
• Your colorado.edu email address. Double-check for typos before submitting.
• Your resume, listing all extracurricular activities, honors, community service and work experience.
• Your high school transcript (for new students) or college transcript (for current or transfer students).
• A recent photo to upload (limit one).
• Payment by debit or credit card. The registration fee is non-refundable.
• A video or audio submission via VidCruiter, answering three of the following prompts: 

1. What are you looking forward to the most at CU?
2. If you have volunteer experience or a passion for philanthropy, how has it shaped who you are today?
3. If you were hosting a podcast, what would it be about?
4. Describe an experience or accomplishment that most people would consider minor but had a major impact on you and your life. Why was it significant to you?
5. Describe a moment when you felt deeply connected to your community or a cause. What role did your personal values play in that experience?  

We highly recommend you print your registration when you get to the final screen, so you remember what information you provided. 

Recruitment counselors are undergraduates who facilitate the recruitment process for potential new members, ensuring an unbiased experience. These leaders receive thorough training on the nine National Panhellenic Council sororities, covering history, insignia, philanthropy, traditions and ideals to provide a neutral perspective.   

As registrations are processed, potential new members will be placed in a group at random. Recruitment counselors reach out via the email provided to build relationships and share information. It is the responsibility of the potential new member to respond to requests and engage as needed.  

During the recruitment period, two recruitment counselors will guide groups of 30 to 40 potential new members, explaining the process, assisting with decisions and being a confidential soundboard. 

Academic excellence is an important value for CU Boulder’s sorority community. While Panhellenic does not require a specific GPA for recruitment, each sorority has its minimum grade requirement for joining and maintaining membership. Potential members should ask each sorority about their academic requirements during recruitment. 

If your GPA is lower than the average chapter requirements, your chances of joining will be low. Typically, if you have a GPA below a 3.0 as a new student or below a 2.5 as a current student, you may not be eligible to join. However, if there are extenuating circumstances that affected your GPA, please complete the GPA explanation section during registration to provide an explanation. 

Sorority members are expected to do well in school and there are programs to help. Many chapters have study hours to aid in time management and offer tutoring programs to create a supportive environment. Scholarships may be available through individual chapters and national sororities for initiated members. 

It's important for students and family members to understand the costs that come with college. Knowing the financial obligations of joining a sorority is just as crucial.

Everyone should be aware of the dues, fees and other expenses involved in sorority membership. This should be part of your financial planning for college. During primary recruitment, ask sorority members about costs and payment options. Each sorority sets its own fees and housing costs, along with a payment schedule. 

Sororities will talk about financial obligations and provide a cost breakdown during the second round of recruitment. 

All nine of our National Panhellenic Council chapters have chapter facilities. The experience goes beyond just having a chapter facility—it’s about creating support systems for each other and forming lifelong bonds. 

Some sorority members get the chance to live in beautiful historic homes close to campus. These homes are privately owned and maintained by alumnae house corporations. While upper-class members may be required to live in the sorority house, each sorority has its own rules for living in or out of the house. During formal recruitment, it's important to ask each sorority about their specific living requirements. 

Each sorority employs a full-time house director who oversees the daily operations of the house. Sorority houses offer a comfortable and secure environment, complete with house rules like visitation and quiet hours. Alcohol is prohibited on sorority property. You'll find study hours, dining facilities and workout facilities in each house. Sorority houses truly provide a "home away from home." 

There are two ways to get involved after the primary recruitment process. First, you can explore opportunities with our Associate Panhellenic Chapters: Kappa Beta Gamma, Phi Sigma Rho and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi. For more information about their recruitment process, you can contact FSL@colorado.edu. 

Second, chapters that haven't reached their maximum member cap will be eligible to participate in continuous open bidding. 

Sorority recruitment at CU Boulder mainly happens in the fall semester. Keep in mind, CU Panhellenic does not hold structured spring recruitment. If you can't join in the fall but still want to become a member, you can take part in continuous open bidding (COB). 

COB starts right after the primary recruitment ends, on Bid Day. It can also occur in the spring semester, though not all sororities participate in COB. For more details about COB, contact FSL@colorado.edu.

The Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA) is a one-year binding agreement that potential new members sign when ranking chapters after the final round of preference events during the primary recruitment process. Before signing the MRABA, potential new members have several options to consider regarding membership: 

• A potential new member can choose not to complete the MRABA and withdraw from recruitment. In this case, she is eligible to accept a bid from any sororities participating in continuous open bidding (COB). Although not guaranteed, a few sororities might recruit a limited number of women through COB after primary recruitment if their chapter size is below the Panhellenic total (average chapter size).
• A potential new member can list any sorority whose preference event she attended and from which she is willing to accept an invitation to membership (a bid). Potential members should not rank any sorority on their final selection that they absolutely do not want to join. If a potential new member matches with a sorority listed on her MRABA, she is bound to that sorority for one year, regardless of whether she accepts the bid or not, and cannot participate in COB or accept a bid from another National Panhellenic Council chapter until the next primary recruitment period.
• A potential new member can list only one or two preferences, but she must understand that choosing a single intentional preference does not guarantee a bid for membership. Only potential new members who list all the chapters they attended during the preference round are guaranteed to receive a bid for membership, which may not be their top choice. If a potential member does not receive a bid from any sororities listed on her MRABA, she is eligible to participate in continuous open bidding (COB). 

Any CU student who consistently lives and self-identifies as a woman is eligible to participate in sorority recruitment provided that: 

• They are regularly enrolled students or plan to be full-time students in good standing with CU Boulder.
• They have never been initiated into one of the 26 National Panhellenic Conference sororities at CU or on another campus.
• They register for recruitment before the deadline. 

National Panhellenic Conference Panhellenic Recruitment Eligibility (2020) Policy: To participate in Panhellenic recruitment, a woman is defined as an individual who consistently lives and self-identifies as a woman. Each women’s-only NPC member organization determines its own membership selection policies and procedures. 

During the week of recruitment, the last thing we want you to be stressed about is what to wear! We have compiled a guide to each round, but ultimately you should wear what you feel the most comfortable in, dress appropriately for hot weather and wear what reflects your own personal style best.  

• Orientation: Orientation is extremely casual. You will be sitting and listening to a presentation, watching chapter recruitment videos and meeting with your Rho Gamma group.
• Second Datebook: Second Datebook is the most casual round of recruitment! Think about what you would wear to have brunch with friends or a day out in the city.
• Third Datebook: Third Datebook is a little more formal, like what you might wear to an outdoor summer wedding—nice but not cocktail attire.
• Preference: This is the most formal round of recruitment! Think about what you would wear to graduation or a cocktail attire wedding.