FAQS
HOW DO I JOIN A SORORITY?
Panhellenic Formal Recruitment takes place at the beginning of each academic year in September or October. For the 2022-2023 school year, Formal Recruitment will be held September 28 - October 2, 2022. Informal Recruitment (or COB) will be held at dates & time TBD, announced by individual chapters.
HOW MUCH ARE SORORITY DUES?
Dues vary by chapter. Do not let cost stop you from joining - each chapter is willing to work with members in a variety of financial situations.
THERE AREN'T HOUSES AT UCHICAGO. WHAT DO YOU DO INSTEAD?
Although sororities do not have houses on campus, sorority life is still fun! Our chapters have sisterhoods, service projects, and social events throughout the city. Chapter members also live in apartments together throughout Hyde Park, either inter-sorority or inter-Panhellenic. Chapters also have meetings each week.
ARE SORORITIES AT UCHICAGO JUST LIKE SORORITIES I SEE IN THE MOVIES?
Absolutely not! Greek life at UChicago is totally unique. Our chapters are filled with accomplished, ambitious, well-rounded women that have a positive influence on our campus, our community, and throughout the world.
WILL A SORORITY TAKE UP ALL OF MY TIME?
No, it will not. Although each chapter requires members to attend a certain amount of events, sorority women are also involved in a variety of campus activities, athletics, as well as hold multiple jobs and internships throughout the city. Your time commitment is what you make out of it.
WHAT IS THE PANHELLENIC COUNCIL'S POLICY ON HAZING?
The University of Chicago's Panhellenic Council, as well as every one of our four chapters, have a zero tolerance policy on hazing.
Recruitment Terminology
Active — A collegiate, initiated member of a sorority chapter.
Badge — An insignia of fraternity or sorority membership worn by initiated members. Each sorority has its badge.
Bid Day — The last day of recruitment, when potential new members receive bids to join chapters and become new members. Each chapter will usually host a Bid Day activity to help the new members get to know each other and the rest of the chapter.
College Panhellenic Council — A council for all of the National Panhellenic Conference sorority chapters on a campus. This council serves as the governing body for all NPC chapters on campus and organizes the recruitment process. Each chapter chooses a delegate to sit on its College Panhellenic council.
Continuous Open Bidding (COB) — An opportunity for chapters that do not reach quota during primary recruitment to bid to total and/or quota. The continuous open bidding process is less formal, and not all chapters will participate.
Initiation — A traditional ceremony that brings a new member into full membership of a sorority or fraternity. Once you are initiated into an NPC sorority, you are ineligible for membership in any other.
Legacy — A daughter, sister or granddaughter of an initiated member of a sorority. Typically, different groups have different definitions of legacies. Being a legacy does not guarantee a bid to a particular sorority. Each inter/national organization has its own policy for invitations to legacies during recruitment.
New Member — A person who has accepted a bid from a sorority but is not yet an active member of that chapter. Chapters will have some sort of new member process during which the new members learn more about the sorority and prepare them for initiation.
NPC — The National Panhellenic Conference, or the umbrella body for 26 inter/national women’s fraternities and sororities.
Potential New Member (PNM) — A woman who is eligible to participate in recruitment. On campuses that hold deferred recruitment during second semester, chapters might use the term PNM to refer to any woman eligible for recruitment.
Quota — The number of potential new members to which each chapter can offer bids during formal recruitment. This is determined with a formula involving the number of chapters and the number of women participating in bid matching.
Silence — A period of time after the close of membership recruitment events and prior to the distribution of bids when there is no communication between potential new members and sorority members.
Total — The allowable chapter size on a campus, as determined by the College Panhellenic, including new and active members. Chapters that fall under total may be allowed to participate in continuous open bidding until they reach total.