What is Alabama Sorority Recruitment Like?
Sure, the South is known for the glitz, glam, and grandiose of sorority recruitment, but no one does it quite like the University of Alabama. Each year, around 3,000 students participate in sorority recruitment at Alabama, hoping to join one of the 19 sorority houses. With more than 36% of the University involved in Greek Life, recruitment at the University of Alabama is a BIG deal. Leaving high school to join a community like Alabama Greek life can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be.
The overwhelming popularity of sorority life at Alabama translates to the highly competitive nature of Alabama rush, which from an outsider looking in can be quite nerve-racking. This blog will shed light on the ins and outs of Bama’s sorority recruitment for potential new members (PNM’s) to garner a clearer perspective on the process and how to navigate it, in hopes of exchanging potential anxieties for excitement.
If you have social media or access to the internet, you have probably caught a glimpse of Alabama Rush, some of the sorority members who call Alabama home, and/or the Greek organizations on campus. #bamarush has been trending on RushTok (Tik Tok’s Rush Week algorithm) since fall of 2021. With thousands of TikTok’s circulating of sorority girls and hopefuls showing off their outfits of the day (OOTD’s), the inside of their rush bag, the ups and downs of the process, and all things sorority recruitment, the hashtag has amassed billions of views. Two years later, in May of 2023, the Max documentary “Bama Rush,” chronicled the rush process at The University of Alabama. This much-anticipated film drew upon the popularity of Bama RushTok, attracting tremendous media attention and even more eyes upon the Southern college’s Greek Life.
The downside of America’s guilty pleasure, is that most PNM’s are being fed information that is either untrue or fabricated. The hearsay spread by the media on Alabama Rush unleashes various untruths to the public. I am writing this to unveil the TRUTH behind Alabama Rush, and what to ACTUALLY expect as a PNM going through the recruitment process.
What is Alabama Sorority Recruitment Like?
The University of Alabama has 18 Panhellenic sorority chapters that participate in formal sorority recruitment. Bama’s week-long sorority recruitment takes place in the fall, right before the first day of classes. Prior to formal recruitment, there is the pre-recruitment phase. Most girls are unaware of this phase because it is not explicitly stated by Alabama’s Panhellenic. Beginning months prior to formal recruitment in August, the sororities initiate pre-recruitment by creating lists of PNMs they are excited about. Therefore, as soon as you commit to Alabama, it is essential to commence the recruitment process in order to get on the recruitment team's radar. Below I will cover specifics on how to make yourself known to the sororities when you don’t know any active members in the chapter. (Note: Even if you know active members, it is still important to follow these steps due to the extreme competitiveness of Alabama rush.)
Letters of recommendation are a MUST and the earlier you get these turned in, the better.
These are personal letters of endorsement written by sorority alumni on your behalf. Typically, Bama’s recruitment registration goes live in May, and it is key to submit your letters on, or before, May 1st. The Alabama Panhellenic website will include a submission deadline later than this, but this should be ignored. It is always important to be ahead of the curve in order to stand out amongst the thousands of girls rushing alongside you. Early submission of these pre-recruitment materials places you at a significant advantage during recruitment long before formal recruitment begins.
A Sorority Recruitment Packet should be sent to alumni to assist in the recommendation letter writing process.
In order for alumni to complete a well-rounded recommendation letter, you should greatly consider sending them a packet complete with your resume, a cover letter, professional photos of yourself, and a thank you note. This organized approach to tackling this process will allow for a seamless and successful experience for both alumni and yourself.
Alabama’s mandatory PNM video assignment is due with sorority registration.
All PNM’s are required to submit a video of themselves answering specific Panhellenic prompts. This is a pre-recruitment requirement that is explicitly requested by Panhellenic in order for you to participate in recruitment. The video will impact your PNM score and whether or not a sorority will invite you back for round 2. For tips and tricks on how to look presentable and communicate effectively on camera, here is my blog post on “virtual sorority recruitment.”
Structure of Sorority Recruitment
Rush Week consists of four rounds: Open House, Philanthropy, Sisterhood, and Preference, leading up to the final culmination of Bid Day. You may have seen the viral videos of girls opening their Bid Day envelopes at the Bryant-Denny Stadium, screaming out of excitement while throwing up their sorority’s hand sign. Their pure joy is self-explanatory; after what seems like endless hours of formal recruitment, it’s all worth it for this very moment. Below I am outlining the step by step process of Alabama’s seemingly endless, yet exciting, recruitment week, to shed light on what to expect from Bama Rush.
Round #1: Open House
Open House is your first look into the sororities and their first official look at the PNMs rushing. During this round you will watch a video on each sorority, and the sororities will watch the video you submitted to Panhellenic. Then, you will rank which 12 sororities you wish to see next round, and the sororities will vote on you. The purpose of this round is to get to know one another prior to the second round, where you will meet face-to-face for the first time. Keep in mind that the conversations during this round will generally navigate around those basic, early questions - What’s your major? Where are you from? Why did you choose Alabama? Which dorm are you living in? These questions can become incredibly monotonous over the course of the first day, and it’s your job to creatively and uniquely move the conversation in a more memorable direction. I encourage my girls to share stories and open up during this round to ensure they leave a lasting impression!
Round #2: Philanthropy
This is the first in-person round, where you will be visiting a max of 12 sororities over a span of three days. Each sorority has a specific philanthropy that they support, and Philanthrophy gives the PNM’s a glimpse into the community service and philanthropic work done by each chapter. It’s common to see a girl you spoke to on the previous day, but you will likely spend this round getting to know new girls. Following this round, PNMs will rank the sororities they would like to revisit for Sisterhood Round, and through a mutual selection process, you will receive your schedule the following day.
Round #3: Sisterhood
This round takes place over a span of three days, and girls will visit a max of 7 sororities. Sisterhood is arguably the most exciting round. You will be seeing the personality of each sorority and what their day-to-day life looks like. The parties are longer, each lasting 40 minutes, allowing for more time to build strong connections with the sorority girls. During Sisterhood you will be learning more about the sororities and whether or not you see yourself there, and the girls will be deciding if they can see you as part of their new PC. Following Sisterhood, you will rank the top two sororities that you hope to see for Preference Round.
Round #4: Preference (Pref)
If you receive an invitation to a sorority’s preference round, this means that they are excited about you and could see you as a member of their chapter. This round you have the opportunity to talk privately with the active members you have connected with over the past week. Following this round, you are expected to make a final decision about which sorority you would like to run home to on Bid Day.
Now, you’re ready to tackle Alabama sorority recruitment with a smile on your face, right? Well, even if you’re still feeling nervous and skeptical, just know that recruitment is meant to be fun - it’s all about attitude! Almost everyone gets “dropped” from at least one house, but keep in mind when this happens, it’s likely because rush is a numbers game. They have to accomodate the large number of women rushing, and sometimes that means we can’t go everywhere we want to go. But the system has a funny way of working itself out, so try to trust the process and be your most authentic self!
