What is informal recruitment for sororities?
David Craig
Updated on April 05, 2026
Informal Recruitment, also known as Continuous Open Bidding (COB), is a process that sororities engage in outside of the primary (formal) recruitment period. During this process, a sorority will offer bids to women in order to reach chapter total, meaning the largest size a sorority can become through recruitment.
How can I make my sorority recruitment better?
We have broken it down into the top 5 tips to productively recruit for your sorority.
- Be authentic. We ask potential new members (PNMs) to be authentic and show their true selves during recruitment.
- Talk about your real experience.
- Ask questions.
- Tell her about why you joined your organization.
- Make a friend!
How do you prepare for informal recruitment?
The informal guide to informal recruitment
- Follow Greek Instagram accounts.
- Meet all the organizations.
- Speak up and ask questions!
- Avoid the Five B’s!
- Go to as many events as possible.
- Have fun!
What are the 5 B’s of sorority recruitment?
1. “Avoid bringing up the five ‘B Words’: Boys, Ballots, Booze, Beliefs, and Bucks.”
Why do sororities do informal recruitment?
The sorority you want to join may not be participating in COB, and therefore, you need to wait for formal recruitment. You’re limited on the number of sororities you can meet through COB and potentially get a bid to. The number of bids a sorority can give out are more limited in number than formal recruitment.
What should I wear to informal recruitment?
Informal recruitment is much more casual than formal recruitment. Most girls potential new members jeans and a cute shirt or sweater. Think like a first date. You do not want to wear an oversized t-shirt, sweatpants, and running shoes.
What questions do sororities ask during recruitment?
Questions Sorority Members May Ask You:
- Where are you from? What’s your hometown?
- What dorm are you in?
- What classes are you taking?
- Do you have a major already?
- Did you have a fun summer?
- How are you enjoying rush/recruitment?
- Have you met your roommate yet?
- How are you enjoying your first week of school so far?
What are the five Bs?
This display captured the “5 Bs” of a school – Be Responsible, Respectful, Safe, Here and Ready – and posted pictures of staff members modeling these parts of school culture.
Is informal rush easier?
Overall informal recruitment is a more relaxed and intimate version of recruitment. Meaning there are usually less women going through COB, recruitment events are less structured, and you meet only a handful of sorority sisters throughout the process.
Do you still get a big if you do informal recruitment?
Technically no. Some women do recommend you get them. It is really up to you. Usually, if you are participating in informal recruitment, you know some of the members.
What should PNMs ask during recruitment?
Important Questions to Ask PNMs
- What did you do in high school?
- Have you done any philanthropic work?
- How do you like [the name of your school] so far?
- Why did you decide to come out for recruitment?
- What did you do this summer?
- Are you looking into any other clubs or other extra-curricular organizations?
How can I make my sorority or Fraternity recruitment easier?
Make sure your sorority or fraternity is armed with the best tools, tips, and tactics to make the recruitment and rush processes a breeze. This article is chock-full of recruitment ideas for your organization. However, before we dive into recruitment ideas, make sure your chapter remembers the most important part of this process: the people.
Is it hard to rush as a sorority officer?
If officers don’t have access to the proper tools, rush becomes much more difficult. Make sure your sorority or fraternity is armed with the best tools, tips, and tactics to make the recruitment and rush processes a breeze. This article is chock-full of recruitment ideas for your organization.
How to recruit PNMs for a sorority?
Match PNMs to Sisters Ahead of Time With the right sorority recruitment software, you can empower members to suggest a match of another member with a PNM during voting. It’s often obvious to some of the members who certain PNMs will really hit it off with.
How can I budget for my sorority activities?
Between decorations, food, drinks, and other one-off costs, it can be difficult to stay on track for a healthy financial plan. Before you even begin hanging the streamers, make sure you set a realistic budget that will encompass all of your upcoming sorority activity ideas. You can also look for effective ways to cut costs, such as: DIY decor.
