7 Qualities Sororities Look For In Potential New Members

What values are sororities looking for in new members? Here’s 7 qualities all PNMs should possess if they want to secure a bid.

As much as we all wish sorority recruitment was easy as signing up, talking to a few sorority sisters, and getting a bid–it isn’t.

Sorority women are advised and “trained” to look for potential new members who possess certain qualities to join their chapters.

But luckily, these qualities aren’t a secret!

In this blog post, I will be sharing with you the 7 qualities sororities look for in new members.

Having these qualities, and making them apparent during recruitment, will help give you an edge during Rush which can lead you, hopefully, to earning a bid to your dream sorority.

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1. Good grades

Although sororities are more social in nature, grades matter during, and even after, sorority recruitment.

In fact, one of the easiest ways to get cut from sorority recruitment is by not meeting the GPA requirement.

Let me explain…

For every university that has National Panhellenic Conference member organizations there is a separate College Panhellenic Council (CPC) that is established to govern the sorority chapters on the university’s campus.

The university’s CPC will set certain guidelines and rules for and during sorority recruitment, one of which is the GPA requirement.

However, the CPC’s GPA requirement is just a minimum requirement to go through recruitment.

Meaning, meeting the CPC GPA requirement does not mean you will meet the GPA requirement of all of the individual chapters at your university.

Each chapter may have a GPA requirement that is higher than the CPC GPA requirement.

Also, meeting the GPA requirement at the CPC and individual chapter level does not guarantee you a bid nor an invite back during recruitment.

In fact, I had a 3.75 GPA from high school and a 3.8 GPA from college going into recruitment and I still got dropped by all sororities except 1 by the 2nd day of recruitment.

So while GPA is important, there are other qualities you need to possess as a PNM to stand out during recruitment.

We’ll talk more about those later, but first let’s discuss some GPA requirement examples.

At the University of Kentucky (as of 2020), there is no GPA requirement to participate in sorority recruitment. However, each sorority chapter has a minimum GPA requirement for both high school and college women.

For instance, the Alpha Chi Omega chapter at UK has a minimum high school GPA of 3.0 and a minimum college GPA of 2.8.

Another example, at the University of Alabama (as of 2020), there is no GPA requirement to participate in sorority recruitment, but it is strongly recommended that all potential new members possess a 3.2 GPA or higher (either high school or college) to maximize their options.

More specifically, the Alpha Chi Omega chapter at UA has a minimum GPA requirement of 3.4.

UA even has a chart that details how invites may be distributed based on a potential new member’s GPA.

One final example, at the university I attended, all potential new members were required to have a 2.5 GPA.

And to be invited back to a specific chapter, based on academics alone, they would need to have a GPA that was equivalent to the chapter’s average GPA.

This information was publicly available online in the semester academic report provided by the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life at my university.

In my experience, while I was active in my Gamma Phi Beta Chapter, I saw so many potential new members get cut solely based on GPA.

And these girls even had extensive leadership experience and participated in other extracurriculars.

But based on their GPA, they had to be cut. Even the legacies got cut!

So basically, if you want to be a strong contender during recruitment, you need to have a strong GPA whether you are going through recruitment right out of high school or even as a sophomore in college.

Now this begs the question: why do grades matter to sororities?!

Sororities are all encompassing organizations, meaning they want offer its members the opportunity to grow in leadership, academically, socially, and more.

More specifically, sorority chapters provide its members with academic opportunities, like study groups and incentives for good grades.

Also, good grades means higher retention for its members and a better reputation for them as an organization on-campus and off-campus.

So if you really want to stand out during Rush, whether it is in-person or virtual, then you need to make sure you have the grades to support you through your recruitment experience.

You may also like: The Essential Guide To Virtual Sorority Rush

2. Volunteer or leadership experience

Two topics you will be asked about a lot during recruitment is leadership and volunteer experience.

Sororities are always looking for the next set of women who could potentially become the President of the Chapter or would be head over heels for their sorority’s philanthropy.

If you genuinely possess interest in pursuing leadership or volunteer opportunities in a sorority, be sure to make it known during recruitment by asking the sorority sister questions about those two topics.

And even better during your recruitment conversations, bring up your own leadership or volunteer experience in high school or college if you have any.

When sorority girls hear that you have or are interested in leadership or volunteering, they instantly start seeing you as a viable new member, so don’t be shy about bringing it up no matter how small of an experience it may have been.

3. A positive attitude and mind

No one wants a Debbie downer to join their sorority.

Sorority women are very turned off by PNMs who showcase negativity towards the recruitment process or sorority life.

So when going through recruitment be sure to smile and be as upbeat as you can be.

And if someone asks you, “how’s recruitment going?” make sure you keep the feedback positive even if you are exhausted and your feet are killing you.

However, if you do have negative feedback during recruitment, especially if it is in regard to hazing, then speak immediately to your recruitment counselor, CPC leader, or CPC advisor.

Also, avoid talking poorly about other sororities or fraternities on campus.

Negative talk about other organizations on campus is a huge recruitment conversation no-no and is bound to result in you getting cut from recruitment.

One thing to mention though: it is ok to cry during recruitment.

It is a very stressful time and being rejected from your dream sorority can be heartbreaking. However, even if you are crying during recruitment, try to stay positive and open-minded about joining a different chapter.

You may also like: 10 Things To Consider Before Picking A Sorority

4. Ability to commit to things

One of the top qualities sororities are looking for in PNMs is the willingness to commit long-term to their chapter.

Ideally, every sorority wants to recruit women who are willing to be active members all 4-years (or more) of college. And they will try to filter out women who they suspect will drop during the new member period.

So, if you can, make it apparent you’re wanting to be in it for the long-run.

You’ll for sure have a leg up amongst the other women who don’t seem as dedicated.

So how do you do this?

Mention extracurriculars you have been apart of for 6 months or more
Be genuinely enthusiastic about participating in leadership or philanthropic experiences
Stay fully engaged in every conversation with Sisters
Avoid talking about things you’ve quit in the past (unless you have a good reason for doing it)

5. Desire to get actively involved

Sororities would be nothing without engaged and involved members.

So during recruitment Sisters are constantly on the lookout for PNMs who seem to have the desire to be actively engaged in the chapter.

More importantly, they’re looking for PNMs who are willing to attend not just the weekly chapter meetings and required events like Sisterhood Retreat and Recruitment, but also non-required events like PR events, philanthropy events, Sisterhood events, and events held by other Greek organizations.

If you get asked the question, “why do you want to join a sorority?” this would be a great time to go into detail about how getting involved on campus means a lot to you and your college experience.

And to make your response even better, throw in previous leadership or volunteer experience as mentioned in point #2.

6. Willingness to be vulnerable

Although it may make you feel incredibly awkward to start opening up to women you have just met, sorority women are actually looking for PNMs who are willing to be vulnerable and engage in deep conversation with them. And that doesn’t mean you have to cry.

Particularly during Preference Round or Pref Night, sorority sisters are expecting to have a deep conversation with you about their sorority and what their sorority chapter can do for you.

They are also interested in hearing how you feel about their chapter and if you feel like they are a good fit for you.

During these conversations, if you feel like you really belong to that chapter, you can indirectly mention how you feel like you’re already part of their chapter.

For example, you can mention how you have always felt welcomed by Sisters during recruitment or how you feel so connected to the chapter’s values and philanthropy.

Speaking of which, Philanthropy Round is another good time to open up during recruitment, especially if you’re personally connected to the philanthropy in anyway.

For example, my sorority’s philanthropy was Building Strong Girls.

And during Philanthropy Round we would ask PNMs what Building Strong Girls meant to them.

A lot of girls would go into detail about how they were bullied or didn’t feel confident growing up.

The girls who showed the most interest and connection to our philanthropy were more likely to be invited back the next day versus girls who brushed off the conversation topic.

7. Genuineness

Last, but not least, sororities are looking for women who are genuine. And trust me, Sisters, and girls in general, know how to spot a fake.

So it is extremely important that you are first and foremost genuinely interested in joining a sorority before you even think of signing up for recruitment.

If you are being forced to go through recruitment by your mom, sister, aunt, grandmother, etc. you will not enjoy Rush and it will show all over your face and in your body language.

However, if you have even an ounce of interest, it will show and the women you are talking to will know you’re the real deal.

Also, don’t lie during recruitment.

Even if you don’t lead the most exciting life, lying about your life won’t get you very far during recruitment.

And even if you make it past recruitment, it will be a struggle for you to keep up with all the lies you may have told to make an impression.

So instead…

Tell the truth
Be confident
Try not to compare yourself to others

At the end of the day, if you were meant to be in a sorority, the right sorority chapter will seek you out and connect with you.

You just have to trust the process no matter what happens.

Concluding thoughts on what sororities look for in PNMS

When it comes to sorority recruitment, every sorority chapter is looking for something different to make their chapter and its members unique and cohesive.

However, all sorority chapters are looking for similar values in PNMs that make sorority life wholesome and fulfilling for its members. In this blog post, we discussed 7 qualities that sororities look for during Rush.

By possessing these 7 traits, you are bound to make a lasting impression during recruitment and a higher chance of scoring a bid to the right sorority for you.