For Parents, Family, & Friends

By joining a sorority, your student is joining other potential new members in their search for a sense of belonging at the College. Our process allows students the opportunity to meet students and focus on academics because we have a sophomore deferred process. This means students cannot join a fraternity or sorority until the fall semester of their sophomore year. Additionally, juniors and seniors are welcome to join.

What is a Sorority?

Sororities are values-based social organizations that were originally founded to provide women a space to gather and share common interests, often in times when women were excluded from other campus organizations and activities.

Learn more from National Panhellenic: https://thesororitylife.com/potential-members/learn/what-is-a-sorority/

This can be a huge step and we want you to be a part of it. Throughout recruitment, she will probably call you to digest her confusion, sadness, excitement and anything else she might feel. How do you support her, especially if you aren't familiar with sorority? Keep reading to find out.

1. Be part of the process with her

Research the organizations on her campus with her, discuss their values, philanthropies, missions, etc. If you do the preliminary research with her you will be ready to support her during recruitment. Help her decide what she wants out of a sorority experience. You can also review common terminology together. This will help her be prepared and confident when recruitment starts. You can also discuss with her what she wants out of sorority membership. During recruitment, this will guide her decisions and make her choices a little easier.

2. Listen to her

Sorority recruitment is a unique experience due to the long days, meeting a lot of new people and opening up to them quickly. Your student going through recruitment is going to need to process what she is experiencing. During recruitment, there are trained women called recruitment counselors who can help your student work through her feelings. Even with that support, she may be more comfortable talking to you. The most important thing to do is listen to her. She will need you to lean on during this time.

3. Connect with other sorority members

Look into connecting with sorority women who have been through this experience. Try posting on social media and utilizing the contacts you have. Many sorority members would be willing to speak with potential members and offer advice. They can also answer questions and provide information about the experience. She can also connect with these women during recruitment when she needs someone to talk to.

4. Support her decisions

If you are familiar with sororities, perhaps you or a family member are a member, you have probably heard of legacies. Many family members want their students to join their organization so they can share in that experience, but the truth is this process is about her and what she wants. She will be happier in the organization she wants to join and not the one she feels she has to join. Let her know that you support her in whatever organization she joins because it isn't about the letters she wears, but being a sorority woman.

How does recruitment work at Gettysburg?

Everyone who decides to participate in recruitment has different reasons for doing so. Maybe your student wants to build a network to help them find a job. Maybe they want to create new friendships on campus. Whatever the reason is, joining a sorority can be one of the most valuable experiences your student has in college.

Below we have collected information for parents as they support their students through the Panhellenic recruitment experience.

Panhellenic Recruitment at Gettysburg College

First year at Gettysburg

At Gettysburg, we have a sophomore deferred recruitment process. This means students can't join a Greek organization until their sophomore year. This is great for first-year students because it allows them to meet all of the chapters throughout their entire first year on campus. We recommend potential new members attend events hosted by the different chapters. Some of these include philanthropy events, pub trivia, community service opportunities, and more!

Spring of first-year, Panhellenic Council--us!--holds pre-recruitment events. This is a way to meet all Panhellenic chapters in a neutral space. We know meeting everyone is stressful, so we try to offer educational and fun events.

Sophomore Year

Panhellenic Primary Recruitment is held at the start of the fall semester. Recruitment weekend consists of one mandatory meeting on the Thursday before the first round of recruitment and then events throughout the weekend.

This can be, understandably, a stressful and emotional experience for students going through recruitment. We try and offer optional stress relief programming before events begin and allow all student the opportunity to talk through their feelings and experiences before, during, and after recruitment events. We encourage all students going through recruitment to reflect on their values and not what their friends are telling them. This choice should be about your student and their values not what is the most "popular chapter" or where her teammates/friends might be.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Sophomore standing via the registrar
  • Conduct eligible via Student Conduct & Responsiby
  • GPA 2.2 or higher*
GPA Statement*

Sorority chapters set their own individual GPA requirements. The Gettysburg College Panhellenic cannot guarantee a potential new member an invitation for membership, known as a bid, based on their GPA. We recommend potential new members have a 2.5 or higher as many of our sorority chapters have a minimum requirement of a 2.5.

Keeping an Open Mind

Chapters and Panhellenic cannot guarantee a spot in a chapter. If your student is alluding to you that they know for a fact that they are guaranteed a spot, please have them reach out to their recruitment counselor, known as a Rho Gamma. We want your student to have the best time possible and it is against the rules for chapters to promise your student a spot, this is known as bid promising.