Parent & Family Information

Hello, and welcome to the Capstone! Supporting a student participating in Panhellenic Recruitment, or a student who is a chapter member is incredibly rewarding. The opportunities for our Greek students and their families are unlike any other experience. The University of Alabama staff in The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Family Engagement are here to answer questions (there are no silly ones - we promise!), and be a resource for you as your student experiences Fraternity and Sorority Life at the University of Alabama. This page will include specific information that may be helpful for parents and families, as well as additional tips and tricks to help your students best navigate the Fraternity and Sorority experience here at The University of Alabama! Thanks, and Roll Tide!

Recruitment 2025 Schedule & Important Dates

Registration Opens: May 1, 2025
Registration Closes: July 16, 2025
Early Move-In for PNMS: TBD
Convocation: August 10, 2025
Open House Round: August 10, 2025
Philanthropy Round: August 11-13, 2025
Sisterhood Round: August 14-15, 2025
Preference Round: August 16, 2025
Bid Day: August 17, 2025

Common Questions

How does the Primary Recruitment process work?
Recruitment is a mutual selection process. That means, as your daughter is learning more about the chapters and getting to know their members, the chapters are also learning more about your daughter. You daughter will make her own selections as to the chapters she would most like to return to, and the chapters will extend invitations for the next round of the Recruitment process.

Is it possible for my student to not receive a bid?
It is possible, however, it is unlikely. The University of Alabama has one of the highest match rates in the county at 92+%. Of the <8% of women who are not matched, most of those women voluntary withdrawal themselves from the process. If your daughter makes it to the Preference Round, and elects to maximize her options, she is guaranteed a bid for membership. In Fall 2023, Of the 2,535 women who began the process, 200 women did not complete the process, of which 152 withdrew, 38 were released and 10 participated in bid matching, but did NOT maximize their options and did not receive a bid.

My daughter doesn’t have a copy of her transcript, can she still register?
YES. We do encourage participants to have all of their information together prior to the application opening as we cannot guarantee that chapters will see edits made once the registration is complete. However, if you are waiting on a transcript, upload what documents you do have, and be sure to send your final transcript to the Office of Admissions as soon as possible, preferably mid July. This will allow our office the ability to provide chapters with UA Verified GPA.

What is the time commitment for a woman participating in Primary Recruitment, and as an active member?
There is undoubtably a time commitment associated with both Recruitment and being an active member of a chapter. During Recruitment, your daughter could have several events, or “parties” scheduled on each day. It is important she makes notes of any conflicts during her registration, and also lets her Sigma Rho Chi know when they have the opportunity to connect. We will try our best to schedule around any conflicts, but those accommodations are not guaranteed.

As a new member, your daughter should expect to dedicate 2-4 hours a week to her new sorority. It is common that new members be required to attend meetings, events, retreats, workshops, and other chapter functions to meet other members, and discover what college life in a sorority entails. Think of it like adding an additional class to your schedule.

Can my daughter participate in Camp 1831 in addition to participating in Primary Recruitment?
No. The dates of Camp 1831 and Recruitment run concurrently, and due to overlapping schedules, there is currently not an option to participate in both programs.

Do parents and families come for Bid Day?
Some parents and families choose to come visit for Bid Day, but we ask to limit visitors as much as possible. Many chapters only allow for each new member to have one or two guests, and they will likely be busy with their new sisters and will not have time to spend quality time with any visitors prior to leaving for their New Member Retreat.

How can I support my student during Primary Recruitment?

Be a part of the process with her. Research the organizations on her campus with her, discuss their values, philanthropies, missions, etc. If you do the preliminary research with her, you will be ready to support her during recruitment. Help her decide what she wants out of a sorority experience. You can also review common terminology together. This will help her be prepared and confident when recruitment starts. You can also discuss with her what she wants out of sorority membership. During recruitment, this will guide her decisions and make her choices a little easier. 

Listen to her. Sorority recruitment is a unique experience due to the long days, meeting a lot of new people and opening up to them quickly. Your student going through recruitment is going to need to process what she is experiencing. During recruitment, there are trained women called recruitment counselors or Sigma Rho Chis who can help your student work through her feelings. Even with that support, she may be more comfortable talking to you. The most important thing to do is listen to her. She will need you to lean on during this time. 

Ask her questions. Don’t be afraid to ask her the following questions throughout the week:
Which chapter(s) did you like and why?
Which chapter(s) did you not like and why?
Tell me about the conversations you had today.
How do you like your Sigma Rho Chi(s)?
Tell me about some of the other PNMs in your group.
Which chapter(s) do you see yourself joining?

Connect with other sorority members. Look into connecting with sorority women who have been through this experience. Try posting on social media and utilizing your personal network. Many sorority members would be willing to speak with potential members and office advice. They can also answer questions and provide information about the experience. She can also connect with these women during Recruitment when she needs someone to talk to.

Take Notes. Encourage your student to take notes about each chapter in her Greek Chic Recruitment Guide after each party. She may think she can remember everything about each sorority, but after multiple days, 19 chapters, and meeting multiple members on each chapter, that can be very challenging.

Encourage her to keep an open mind. Perhaps she knows women in some of the chapters or thinks that she has an idea of which chapter she wants to join. There are great women in every chapter and each chapters offers a wonderful experience. If your student is not returning to a chapter that she really liked, please encourage her to stay with the process and to keep going! 

Support her decisions. If you are familiar with sororities, perhaps you or a family member are a member, you have probably heard of legacies. Many family members want their students to join their organization so they can share in that experience, but the truth is this process is about her and what she wants. She will be happier in the organization she wants to join and not the one she feels she must join. Let her know that you support her in whatever organization she joins because it isn’t about the letters, she wears but being a sorority woman.

Know what resources are available to her. If your student does not receive any invitations or decides to withdraw from Recruitment, her Sigma Rho Chi is available to offer emotional support and advice. An additional resource is the Recruitment Ombudsman, who can provide insight about campus resources, opportunities for involvement, and transition strategies. The Ombudsman will be available by phone or for in person consultation and can be reached on the Recruitment Hotline during the week of Recruitment.