Tips & Tricks Tuesday | The Simplified Sorority Recruitment Timeline

Everyone has an opinion on how to navigate through the sorority recruitment process. High school girls and moms often get conflicting information on deadlines and requirements for recruitment.

My goal with these articles is to SIMPLIFY the process and take away the stress that is associated with prepping your information and packets for sorority recruitment.

Before reading the timeline below, make sure to check with your future university to see what their requirements are for sorority recruitment. The dates below are for the majority of univerisities that participate in sorority recruitment.

Simplified Timeline:

January- March: Start making a list of alumni that can write letters on your behalf from different sororities

Most high school seniors do not know where they are going to attend college this far in advance, so knowing which sororities you’ll need letters for can be tough. During the first few months of the year, make a list of women you know and which sororities they were a part of. Ask your friends if their moms were in a sorority because the best letters of recommendation come from women who personally know you. Even relatives of your friends are great! Some of my clients have their moms post a Facebook status asking if any of their friends were in a sorority. USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!

After you know what school you will be attending, refer to your list and find the alumni that will be needed to write your letters.

April 1: Send packets/information to alumni

This is a SOFT DEADLINE. Standard etiquette encourages potential new members to give their rec writers a month to write their letters of recommendation. If you get your packets to alumni later, make sure they know when and where they need to send your information in. Click HERE for more information on the April 1 deadline.

May 1: Deadline for alumni to send letters to your area Panhellenic group

This “deadline” is controversial depending on where you live. There are groups of alumni in larger cities that help potential new members through the recruitment process. They stay current on requirements, help potential new members find alumni to write letters of recommendation if they do not know anyone personally and stay in touch with sororities in their area. If you register with one of these groups, have your information, copies of letters and physical packets submitted to them by May 1.

If you live in an area where this is not possible, have no fear! These groups are helpful, but registration with them is not required for you to go through the recruitment process at your future university. If a sorority has gone completely digital, the alumni writing your letters of recommendation will submit information directly to the school online.

These local Panhellenic groups are extremely helpful in guiding potential new members in the process! If you live in an area that has one, so check them out!

June 1 (University of Texas ONLY): All paperwork, references and information must be turned into the collegiate chapters

If you are planning on attending the University of Texas, all of your information and letters of recommendation must be in the sororities’ hands by June 1 at the latest. Personally, I would tell the alumni that the deadline for letters and information is May 1 so you don’t risk your documents arriving late.

July 1: All paperwork, references and information must be turned into the collegiate chapters

All of your information and letters of recommendation must be in the sororities’ hands by July 1 at the latest. Personally, I would tell the alumni that the deadline for letters and information is May 1 so you don’t risk your documents arriving late.