June 2011
LSU Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment 2011
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I receive anything in the mail about Recruitment at LSU? The Greek Tiger, LSU’s Recruitment
publication, will be sent to all incoming students on June 1st. It includes pictures of what to wear, the structure
of the week, individual sorority information, and advice on how to prepare for Recruitment. If you haven’t
received it by June 20th, email your name and address to us at greeks@lsu.edu and we will send you one.
I’m a sophomore going through Recruitment. Will I receive a Greek Tiger? No, but if you email your name
and address to greeks@lsu.edu, we will be happy to send you one.
when?
Recruitment Dates: August 13-20, 2011
Recruitment begins on Saturday 8/13 at the LSU Student Union Theatre. There will be an optional Convocation
for parents at 2pm, followed by a mandatory Convocation for potential members at 4pm. PMs will meet with
their Gamma Chi immediately following PM convocation.
When do I move into my residence hall?
The PM may move into her residence hall beginning at 9 AM, Saturday, August 13, 2011.
How?
Register to go through recruitment online at www.greeks.lsu.edu after high school graduation beginning
May 15, 2011.
Cost: $265 if living on campus or $135 if living off campus, if paid by July 20, 2011 at 4:30pm. Between July
21 and 30, 2011 an additional $100 late fee will be assessed. NO applications will be accepted after July 30,
2011 at 4:30pm. No exceptions.
What does the Recruitment Fee cover?
The $135 Recruitment registration fee covers the recruitment production costs. It covers things such as
security, water, band-aids, supplies, round 2 t-shirt, and lunch on Thursday only. The additional $130 for PMs
living on campus covers on campus housing for 5 nights because the Residential Life staff has to open the
residence halls early for sorority recruitment. Meals may be purchased in the LSU Student Union food court
during the week.
How do I ensure that my application has been processed? After we have received and processed your
application, you will receive a confirmation email indicating that your application is complete. Then you will
receive Girl Talk magazine in the mail.
What if I register for Recruitment and change my mind?
Refund Policy:
 Full Refund of $265 or $135 less a 15% processing fee charged by Greek Bill: If PNM withdraws before
July 30, 2011. Late fee will not be refunded.
 NO REFUND for withdrawals after this date (unless authorized by the VP of Rec.)
- Registration Refund of $135: If PNM has a death in family, severe illness, or other
extenuating circumstances reviewed by VP of Recruitment AT ANY TIME. (ends on Sat.
morning, August 20, 2011)
I registered online with LSU Panhellenic, now what?
It is recommended that PMs secure at least one letter of recommendation for each sorority at LSU.
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What is a recommendation? A recommendation is a letter that is written on your behalf that speaks of your
character, and verifies accomplishments, grades, and activities from a woman who has already been in that
particular sorority. She does not have to be an alumna of LSU. She must simply have been a member of that
sorority. Therefore, it is beneficial to have someone that you know write letters of recommendation for you.
How to Obtain Recommendations:
1.
Begin to inquire about and contact people you know from your area who were members of
sororities: teachers, family members, neighbors, family friends, older women you may know. Let them
know that you are participating in recruitment and that you would like them to write a letter of
recommendation for you. You will need to provide each person writing a recommendation for you with 2
different pictures of yourself and an activity sheet or resume. She will send it to the respective sorority
at the LSU post office address provided. It is nice to provide a pre-addressed and pre-stamped
envelope with the sorority address to your recommendation writer. This information is listed below.
Sending a thank you note to this alumna after is also recommended. Begin this process as soon as
possible!
2.
Potential members who may not know of anyone in the area who is an alumnae member of a
particular sorority should contact the national headquarters to inquire about a local person from their
organization who coordinates their recommendations. See national organization website addresses.
Chi Omega
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Gamma
Delta Zeta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Delta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Phi Mu
Pi Beta Phi
Zeta Tau Alpha
3.
Website Addresses
www.chiomega.org
www.tridelta.org
www.deltagamma.org
www.deltazeta.org
www.kappaalphatheta.org
www.kappadelta.org
www.kappa.org
www.phimu.org
www.pibetaphi.org
www.zetataualpha.org
Contact your local city Alumnae Panhellenic and they may be able to direct you to alums in the
respective sororities to write you a rec. This is not applicable in every city.
How many recs do I need? At LSU, it is recommended to obtain at least one letter of recommendation
for each sorority
What if I still don’t have a rec for all 10 sororities? Send enough copies of [your resume and 2
different pictures] along with a note saying which sororities you need recs for to our address (472 LSU
Student Union, 70803) and we will share your information with the sororities. It is ultimately the
sororities’ responsibility to get recommendations for you, but it makes it easier on them if you do as
much as possible to obtain them. However, please only use this as a last resort. We recommend to
only use this option after July 1st. The responsibility for providing letters of recommendation for potential
members rests with the chapters (NPC Guidelines). In the interest of time, it is helpful to be proactive
in this process.
Again, although not required, it is highly recommended to secure letters of recommendation for
the sororities.
Sorority Addresses for Recommendations: Baton Rouge, LA 70894
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Chi Omega
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Gamma
Delta Zeta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Delta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Phi Mu
Pi Beta Phi
Zeta Tau Alpha
P.O. Box 25109
P.O. Box 25105
P.O. Box 25108
P.O. Box 25117
P.O. Box 25112
P.O. Box 25107
P.O. Box 25104
P.O. Box 25111
P.O. Box 25110
P.O. Box 25102
How do I know a chapter got my rec? You will not. You have to trust the alumna who you have contacted to
write you a rec. If you send her a thank you note, it may help remind her.
How does an Alumna find a recommendation form for her sorority? A recommendation form and
procedure should be available to the alumna through her national organization’s website and/or magazine.
What’s the difference between a reference letter/form and a letter of recommendation? A reference
letter/form states that an alumna simply acknowledges you are going to LSU but cannot necessarily speak to
your character. A letter of recommendation is a letter stating that the alumna recommends you for
membership. Recommendations are what the chapters at LSU need.
Do I need additional letters of reference? No. Our sororities are only concerned about recommendations. A
letter of reference is accepted, but it is not necessary to obtain one for each sorority.
Grades
Grades are very important. Overall, Greek women have a higher average GPA than the undergraduate
women’s average GPA. For freshman, your high school GPA is taken into account by sororities during
recruitment. Most of the sororities require a 2.75 or above from high school, but most commonly a 3.0. In
some rare instances, exceptions are made.
What about non-freshman potential new members? The college GPA minimum is usually a 2.5 or above. It
is more difficult to receive a bid as an upperclassman because sororities tend to desire women who will be
active members for the four full years of college.
What if my GPA is not on a 4.0 scale? We will use the GPA that is utilized and accepted by LSU Office of
Admissions. The grade they calculate as your entrance admission grades; you should know that from them.
Your application submission allows us to do this.
Transcripts
LSU no longer uses hard copies of transcripts. Therefore, the Recruitment Registration form allows PMs to
indicate their scholastic information. The Greek Life office will verify your scholastic information with the Office
of Admissions.
Do alumna writing recs need an official final transcript? Not necessarily. It is fine for them to receive an
unofficial copy but it might be difficult if your high school no longer provides hard copies. Discuss this with the
women writing recommendations for you.
Legacies
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What is a Legacy? Typically a potential member who is the sister, daughter, or granddaughter of a sorority
alumna is considered a legacy.
I am a Legacy, am I guaranteed a bid? No, legacies are not guaranteed a bid. Each sorority has different
policies on legacies. Ultimately, it is the individual potential member’s personality, character, resume, grades,
etc. that are the main determining factors.
LSU PHC Sorority Recruitment Week
Saturday, 8/13
Sunday, 8/14
Monday, 8/15
Tuesday, 8/16
Wednesday, 8/17
Thursday, 8/18
Friday, 8/19
Saturday, 8/20
Convocation 4pm, LSU Union Theatre
Round 1 (Icewater) Day 1
Round 1 (Icewater) Day 2
Round 2 (Philanthropy) Day 1
Round 2 (Philanthropy) Day 2
Round 3 (Skit)
Round 4 (Preference)
Bid Day
come casual
casual sundress with flats
casual sundress with flats
provided PHC t-shirt with shorts/skirt
provided PHC t-shirt with shorts/skirt
nice dress or dressy skirt and top
cocktail length, semi-formal attire
shorts and t-shirt, comfortable shoes
Membership Selection
LSU uses a mutual selection process. Mutual selection refers to the process by which sororities and potential
members choose each other during recruitment. At LSU, we use the National Panhellenic Conference process
of priority recruitment. With priority recruitment, potential members receive invitations to the next round in the
following way. At the end of each round, PMs will rank the chapters whose parties they have attended in
preferential order. At the same time, the chapters are submitting their selection of PMs to invite back. Each
PMs preferences and chapter selections are processed through a computer system to generate invitations to
the next round.
Do sororities take sophomores?
Sororities like to pledge members as freshman so that they will be able to be a contributing member for the full
four years. However, sophomores do participate and last year 63% of those participating were placed.
How many potential members from out of state receive bids?
LSU enrollment for out of state students is increasing and the same is true for sorority recruitment. Last year,
87% of students from out of state who participated in recruitment were placed on bid day.
What percent of PMs did not receive a bid last year?
21 women, or 2% did not receive a bid on bid day last year. This number is down from 3.5% in 2009.
What happens if I get no invitations back to any of the sororities on any given day? Or bid day?
If you have not received any invitations back to the next round of recruitment, you will be notified by your
Gamma Chi. Not receiving any invitations may be due to grades, not presenting your best self, or the sorority
felt that it was not a good fit.
Can I go through spring recruitment or again next fall?
Sororities typically do not reconsider women for membership that have been previously released in the
recruitment process. If it was due to grades, perhaps it is possible that they may reconsider, but there are no
guarantees.
Other Questions
What happens on bid day? Do I need to bring anything? Bid day is fun! Each sorority plans its own events
for the day. Events might include a barbeque/catered dinner, games, activities, and/or a pool party. Dress in
comfortable clothing, nothing fancy. Most PMs wear a sports bra, gym shorts, comfortable underwear, teeshirt, and flip flops or tennis shoes. Some bring a bag of comfortable clothes to change into because you may
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swim/take part in the activities in the clothes that you’ve worn for the day. However, you don’t have to bring a
bag. An older active member will be your bid day buddy and take you to your place if you desire a change of
clothes that night. No alcohol or men are allowed on bid day. Sleeping at your new sorority house may be
offered, but it is optional.
What if my parents want to come to bid day to congratulate me? Bid day is for you. It is not advised that
your parents come to bid day. They can congratulate you over the phone and in person later. If they insist, it is
best for you to call them once you have received your bid, and then tell them which house to meet you at.
Where can my parents stay if they visit me? Lod Cook Conference and Hotel (225)383-2665
How much time does a sorority take? There is a required meeting once a week where you will receive
information on chapter events and sorority education. Weekly study sessions, sisterhood activities, community
service projects, and social events are also potential time commitments.
How long will it take to be initiated? Six to eight weeks. The new member period is an opportunity to meet
other members, learn sorority history, and begin to feel at home. Each sorority establishes its own new
member program and initiation dates. All sororities have a zero tolerance for hazing.
Do I have to join a sorority in the fall semester? Some sororities are able to recruit and pledge women in
the spring. Events are organized and scheduled at each sorority’s convenience. If you want the opportunity to
interact with all 10 of our sororities before making your sorority choice, then you should participate in Fall
Formal Recruitment. If you have been released from Fall Recruitment, you should know that most sororities do
not reconsider a potential member that they previously released from the recruitment process.
Do I have to live in the sorority house? Each sorority has its own policies regarding living in the house.
Most require one year. However, there is usually a wait list to live in the house because it is a desired part of
being in a sorority at LSU. Therefore, most members living in the sorority houses are sophomores or older.
May I eat my meals in the sorority house once I am a member?
Yes. If you are living on campus and have already purchased an LSU meal plan, LSU provides an opportunity
to alter your meal plan, should you desire, to accommodate that change. Each new member is responsible for
completing the proper paperwork provided by the Tiger Card Office through the Office of Greek Life at the New
Member Symposium within 2 weeks of the beginning of school indicating their desire to alter their original LSU
meal plan. The procedure will be communicated at the new member meeting conducted by the Office of Greek
Life where the paperwork will be provided. Failure to submit the required paperwork in the allotted time will
result in the student maintaining the original plan. The opportunity to eat meals together often fosters a closer
bond between the brothers/sisters. It is important to note that a fraternity/sorority may not require a new
member to eat all meals at the house, unless this expectation is communicated during the recruitment process.
I’m visiting LSU this summer, may I tour the houses? Panhellenic will be at the Orientation Information fair
the second day of orientation and we’ll be happy to visit with you then. Sorority houses are closed during the
summer, so tours are not available.
Does one sorority tend to be more expensive than the others? No. The fees all tend to end up being about
$2500-2700 for the first year and then $1300-$1500 for future years, both including one chapter meal a week
at the house, house usage, activity fees, but not including living in the house. The first year of membership is
more expensive because of one time fees such as national fees, your new member pin, and sorority badge.
See end of packet for exact costs for each sorority. See page 6 for individual chapter costs.
For more information about the recruitment experience, read Rush Right by Sunday Tollefson. It can
be ordered at http://www.suresister.com/rushrightbook.html
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See our website for more information and for info session dates around the state! http://greeks.lsu.edu
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