Mississippi State University’s Panhellenic Council is introducing major changes to the sorority recruitment process this fall, including a more efficient schedule, a new video format for the first round and an earlier registration opening.
Video rounds
Potential new members (PNMs), or the students going through recruitment, will no longer attend the virtual round, or “Go Greek,” round of recruitment. Instead, they will submit pre-recorded videos, which chapter members will review ahead of formal recruitment. According to Panhellenic Council President Issy Karp, the change aligns MSU with the majority of SEC schools that have already moved to a similar mode.
“I’m excited to see the outcome of it,’ Karp said. “A lot of our peers at SEC schools have moved to this route, and they all have a lot of success with it.”
The goal of the video round is to reduce repetition for the PNMs. The traditional first round, changed to a Zoom call round after the COVID-19 pandemic, involved 20-minute conversations that often repeated the same basic introductions. With the new format, PNMs will be able to introduce themselves in advance, saving time for both sides.
“You’re getting a lot of the same information regardless,” Karp said. “So now you’re doing all of that just kind of on the front end.”
All of the changes to recruitment were made with a vote from the Panhellenic sororities. Karp mentioned that the majority, seven out of nine campus Panhellenic chapters, voted in favor of these changes.
“Any time we vote on a recruitment bylaw or constitution change, it has to pass with at least two-thirds,” Karp said.
In preparation for the new structure, registration for recruitment will open earlier than in the previous years, starting May 15. The timing gives potential new members more time to submit materials and prepare for the changes.
A longer, but gentler, schedule
The overall recruitment week is also expanding, offering longer breaks between events and a less intense experience for both PNMs and chapter members.
PNMs will move in on Aug. 12, with a recruitment orientation that will include a keynote delivered by Cassie Little, who hosts a podcast called “Your Sorority Journey.”
PNMs will view all chapter videos and complete their first selection process that evening.
The first two in-person rounds, Philanthropy and Sisterhood, will occur on Aug. 14-15 and Aug. 16-17, respectively. The preference round will take place on Aug. 18. This is a change from previous years’ recruitments, where rounds took place all on one day.
Panhellenic advisor Abby Buck said the new structure prioritizes student health and well-being.
“People were just tired,” Buck said. “Our student volunteers, also known as Gamma Chis, our chapter members, people were getting sick, just exhausted. We promote health and taking care of yourself, and we wanted to make sure we reflected that.”
Previously, some recruitment days began at 7 a.m. and ended at 9 p.m. With the new schedule, events will try to end in the mornings, allowing the afternoons to be free for rest or exploring campus.
Buck said the timing also allows participation in other welcome events like New Maroon Camp and Dog Days programming. Though recruitment and New Maroon Camp will overlap this year, she said it was a deliberate decision made in collaboration with the staff to better plan for early move-ins.
“Those still interested in doing both absolutely can,” Buck said. “Your recruitment schedule will just take priority.”
Policy shifts at the national level
In addition to local recruitment changes, MSU Panhellenic is following updated national guidelines regarding communication during recruitment. The National Panhellenic Conference recently implemented a policy that encourages chapter members to promote the sorority experience in a more open and supportive way.
To implement this, chapter members will be able to have open communication with PNMs throughout the recruitment process, juxtaposing a tradition of strict silence from previous recruitments.
The only period of mandated silence is from the end of the preference round until PNMs open their bids on Aug. 19. Outside of that, communication remains mostly unrestricted.
“There’s still no bid promising or anything like that,” Karp said, referring to one of the rules that chapter members follow during recruitment. “But conversations should be strictly encouraging — about Mississippi State and going through the Panhellenic process.”
The aim, according to Buck, is to get people “excited and pumped up” rather than creating pressure.
Lowering barriers for PNMs
MSU will continue its T-shirt policy for recruitment, requiring all PNMs to wear the same shirts for every round except preference. Buck said the move helps minimize shallow judgments and allows personalities to shine through, rather than the clothes one is wearing.
“When you’re wearing exactly the same shirt as everybody else, it helps,” she said. “It removes a bit more of those barriers.”
Buck and Karp encourage PNMs to keep an open mind and focus on authenticity throughout the process.
“Just be yourself,” Buck said. “Don’t feel the need to act a certain way or what you think chapters want you to act like. They just want you to be you.”
Karp, who came to MSU from Pennsylvania without knowing anyone, echoed the sentiment.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the connections you’re making and where you can see yourself walking into at the end of a long day, being supported by women around you,” she said.
