This page is here to define some language that will be used during recruitment.

Terminology:

  • Active/Collegiate Member: A person who has completed their new member period and has been initiated into the sorority.

  • Alumna: An initiated sorority member who is no longer an undergraduate student.

  • Bid: An invitation to join a Greek chapter. 

  • Chapter: Each inter/national sorority or fraternity has individual chapters of their organization at different colleges or universities. Some organizations also call their weekly meetings "Chapter".

  • Gamma Chi or Recruitment Counselor: A sorority member who has disaffiliated from her chapter for the period of recruitment to assist the PNMs through the recruitment process.

    • Gamma Chis are there to help with everything from handing out schedules each day, to being a counselor to talk to with questions, to giving advice throughout the week. While they cannot talk about their specific chapter, they are trained to talk about their experiences to help you make the right decision for yourself.
  • Initiation: Formal admittance into the sorority or fraternity. New members participate in a ceremony that is secret and rooted in their organization's history. Hazing is not tolerated as a part of initiation. 
  • Legacy: Someone whose mother, sister, grandmother, or sometimes other female relative is a member of a particular sorority. Each sorority has their own policy regarding who is considered a legacy and how that affects recruitment.
  • Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA): The document that is signed right before submitting final selections after Preference Round, the final round of recruitment. You can learn more about the MRABA here. 
  • New Member Education: The time between recruitment and initiation where new members learn about the sorority's history, values, and expectations before becoming an initiated member. 
  • Philanthropy: Each chapter will have a philanthropy, which is the event held throughout the school year hosted to raise money for a specific cause. While each chapter will host their own event, many Fraternities and Sororities participate in each other's events to raise even more money and build community and friendships within our Greek life.
  • Potential New Member (PNM): A person that is interested in and/or registered for the recruitment process. 
  • Single Intentional Preference: When a PNM attends more than one preference event, but limits their membership selections by not listing all their sorority options on their MRABA. This can result in not recieving a bid from any chapter.
  • Recommendation/Reference Letter: A written letter, statement, or form submitted by an alumna of a sorority to introduce or recommend a PNM for membership during Primary Recruitment. These are NOT required to participate in recruitment.
    • To learn more about where letters can be sent or submitted, please refer to the chapter's profile found here. 
  • Recruitment Event: An event where PNMs visit a chapter and getting to talk to their members during Primary Recruitment. PNMs receive their schedule of recruitment event each morning from their Gamma Chi. PNMs are not allowed to skip any parties they have been invited to, missing a party will result in the PNM being removed from recruitment.  
 
Greek Alphabet