Anyone looking to join one of our chapters must complete the orientation process.

Orientation sign up form

From there you are eligible to join and we also encourage you to check out the financial commitments and other obligations of membership.

No, if you decline a bid you are ineligible until the next primary recruitment.

Yes!

Absolutely! We would love to have you learn more about our community! Please feel free to reach out with any questions

Something like this: "Hi there, my name is _____________ and I am interested in learning more about your chapter and the COB process! I would love any information about upcoming events or ways to get to know your members! You can contact me by phone (XXX) XXX-XXXX or email _______-_________@uiowa.edu. I look forward to connecting! Thanks!

Please visit individual chapter pages for current contact information and if they have COB.

Something like this: "Hi there, my name is __________ and I wanted to introduce myself, in case your chapter is ever eligible to participate in COB! I am very interested in your chapter and wanted to make sure you had my contact information, which you can find below! Thank you!

Visit www.mycampusdirector2.com and fill out the entire registration (including paying the registration fee. Make sure to use your UIowa email to register and make sure you received the confirmation email. Any questions can be directed to gc-phc-pnms@uiowa.edu

This means that they have noticed you plan on attending the University of Iowa this fall, and they are hoping you will register for Primary Recruitment! You are welcome and encouraged to follow them, DM them with questions, etc! We also encourage you to follow @uiowaphc on Instagram to ensure you are up to date with new information! If a chapter or member follows you, it doesn’t mean you are guaranteed a bid to that chapter, or anything like that! It simply means you are on their radar, and they want to get to know you! If you ever feel uncomfortable regarding contact with a chapter or chapter member, please email gc-phc-pnms@uiowa.edu with questions and concerns!

Letters of Recommendation from active/lifetime members may help chapters get more background knowledge of PNMs and understand who they are on a deeper level. However, each chapter has different rules and practices when it comes to recommendation letters. Submitting these to chapters will never hurt but are not necessary. Each chapter’s national headquarters should have a way for alum to submit these letters online, but if not, you may email the letter to gc-gc-phc-pnms@uiowa.edu and let us know which chapter it should be sent to!

Mutual Selection refers to the idea that chapters select which PNMs they want to talk to again, and PNMs select which chapters they want visit again. This decision is two sided and therefore mutual.

When someone tells you to “maximize your options” they are referring to attending every single event on your schedule and selecting any chapters you have left in your pool by the end of Preference Round. This strategy ensures nearly 99% of PNMs wishing to join chapters get placed in one. It also means PNMs need to keep an open mind and avoid listening to stereotypes or rumors about chapters, and get a feel for each one in an unbiased way.

You can contact to your Rho Gamma (once assigned) about any of your questions or concerns, or reach out to any member of the Panhellenic Recruitment Team. We are happy to help chat through your thoughts and support you in making the best decision for you. Feel free to email gc-phc-pnms@uiowa.edu with any questions that may arise.

The dry period is the time from noon on the day of PNM Orientation until noon the day following Bid Day when all PNMs, Rho Gammas, and PHC Executive Officers must abstain from alcohol, regardless of age. This is a rule that we take seriously, as we believe that the most success will come from sober recruiting, and is a rule handed down from the National Panhellenic Conference to all campuses and chapters. If any of these people are caught consuming alcohol, there will be consequences and a conversation regarding that choice.

Do whatever you feel best about! If you have already had it on one setting, don’t let recruitment be the reason you change that. Chapters will never use your social media to weigh decisions about your potential membership. A good rule to follow, is that if you wouldn’t let your grandparent or boss see it, don’t have it on your social media. However, it can be a fun way to show off your personality, style, and values! We know that with the world we live in today, it is super easy to connect with and learn about chapters and their members through social media!

Great question! We recognize that there are tons of questions and concerns parents may have, so you can direct them to the Parent and Family Page.

No problem! Email gc-phc-pnms@uiowa.edu and explain the exact dates and times you will be gone, as well as a reason (if you are comfortable sharing) and we will work it out! Remember that chapters really want as many chances as they can to get to know you, so attending all rounds is ideal, but if there is a family emergency or event, or class conflict we totally understand!

Everyone looking to join a fraternity or sorority at the University of Iowa will need to attend a council orientation. Not sure which one? Check out our four councils here! We have three councils with sororities and three councils with fraternities. These orientation sessions are a broad overview of what to expect and what should be known as your begin your journey in fraternity and sorority life sessions are a broad overview of what to expect and what should be known as you begin your journey in fraternity and sorority life. Additionally, the Panhellenic Council has some fun social opportunities to meet other interested students leading up to the recruitment process. For those dates, please refer to the dates above.

We are so sorry to hear that, but you can request a refund up until August 6th at 5:00pm by emailing your name (use the one you registered with) your requested refund amount, and a reason for withdrawing to gc-phc-membership@uiowa.edu and we will get that done for you!

Great question! Below you will find the lowest, average, and highest costs associated with a standard year of being a chapter member. Keep in mind that these do not include the New Member Fee, however those numbers will be available in our PNM Booklet when we distribute it later this fall! Keep in mind that the typical cost of living in the residence halls is $11,780.00 when including an unlimited meal plan. Each chapter includes different perks of membership and allocates this money towards different things! We know it is a big financial commitment to make, but we are confident it is so worth the investment!

 You can also see the specifics of each chapter's finances on their chapter pages. 

PNM

• Potential New Member – someone looking to join a fraternity or sorority.
• (What not to say: pledges)

Rho Gamma

• Recruitment Counselor who stands by PNMs and helps offer counseling and support throughout the whole recruitment process and beyond. She disassociates from her chapter and hides her letters in order to serve PNMs in an unbiased fashion.
• (Common Nickname: RhoGam, mom)

Bid Day

• The final day of recruitment when PNMs are given bid(membership) cards inviting them to join a chapter they visited during Preference round. All PNMs start at the IMU and end the day at their new chapter structures. Each chapter has different themes, but PNMs will not prepare for these themes since they will not know which chapter they are joining ahead of time.

Single Intentional Preference (SIP)

• When a PNM writes down only one chapter on her Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA) at the end of Preference Round.
• (What not to say – Suicide Bid)

Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA)

• A form PNMs sign indicating they will accept an offer from the chapters they list. The Panhellenic Recruitment Team will tell you all about what you are signing and help answer questions on the day of Preference Round.

Legacy

• A PNM who has a relative who was a member of a specific chapter. Difference chapters require different relationships in order to be considered a legacy, for example XYZ may only accept mothers and sisters, while ABC may allow any cousin, stepsister, aunt, grandma, etc. If you know of relatives who are legacies, you can enter that information in CampusDirector. Being a legacy can be viewed as a positive thing and can influence the chapter’s membership decisions but is not a main factor.

Quota

• This is the number of how many membership invitations (bids) a chapter can offer. This number is set by the Panhellenic Council and takes many things into consideration.

Letter of Recommendation

• Members of a chapter (alum and active) can write letters to that chapter describing why a specific PNM is fit for membership. Different chapters have different requirements and weigh these letters differently, but overall, they will not hurt your chances of gaining membership into a specific chapter.
• (Also called Rec Letters)

No Contact Period

• This is the time between the conclusion of Preference round until bid cards are opened on bid day, when PNMs may not discuss their decision with active members or Rho Gammas, and chapter members may not speak to (online or in person) any Potential New Members. This is put in place to protect the PNMs decision and aim for an unbiased and uninfluenced choice.

Door Stacks

• When members of a chapter rush up to the door and chant/sing and clap, while PNMs wait on the sidewalk for the party to end. This is fun and lets chapter members show off how much they love their chapter!

Big/Little

• Members in sororities are paired up with a Big (typically a member of the previous pledge class) and a Little (typically a member in the newest pledge class) to support each other. These can grow into “families” with littles, bigs, grandbigs, great grandbigs, cousins, twins, aunts, etc!

Ritual

• The private traditions and practices of a sorority deeply rooted in the shared values and purpose of the members. Ritual serves as a reminder to each member of her responsibilities and inspires her to fulfill them. Rituals connect the past with the present and the future. PNMs may get to experience a small portion of the chapter’s ritual during the Preference Round ceremony.

Active Member

• Someone who has been initiated into a chapter. Also called lifetime members.

Philanthropy

• This can be used to refer to the national organization a chapter supports, or the events they host in order to gain awareness and funds for those causes. Each chapter has a different national cause and many also have local branches they support. PNMs get to learn all about each chapters’ philanthropy during Round 3 of Recruitment.

Dirty Rushing

• This is something we never hope happens. This refers to chapter members using their influence to sway opinions of PNMs in one direction or another. It also can refer to chapters seeking out PNMs and urging them to be close minded and only focus on their chapter during recruitment. If a PNM, chapter member, or Rho Gamma believes dirty rushing is happening, please report it to the council immediately.

Bid Promising

• This is when a chapter member promises something she cannot follow through on, such as a direct invitation to the chapter. This can show up in direct ways like a member telling a PNM “you will get into my chapter” or “I will make sure you get a bid” but it can also be more subtle. Less obvious bid promising can sound like “we better see you back here tomorrow” or “we hope you choose us tonight!” If a PNM, chapter member, or Rho Gamma has reason to believe Bid Promising is happening, please report it to the Panhellenic Council immediately.

Primary Recruitment

• The time each fall when PNMs sign up to meet all 14 Panhellenic chapters and go through the process, until they are matched with a chapter at the end. This is the best way to know where a PNM fits!
• (What not to say: Rush)

Secondary/Spring Recruitment

• The time at the start of spring semester when chapters who are eligible may take more new members. Not all chapters will participate, and events will be scattered throughout the months of January and February. Eligible chapters will only be given a certain number of bids they can offer.

Continuous Open Bidding (COB)

• This is a time when chapters can extend bids following the commencement of Primary Recruitment. Chapters who have less members than the total (which is determined by the Panhellenic Council) may offer PNMs bids. Chapter members who joined through the COB process may also refer to themselves as a COB, and their pledge class may be called “winter 2020” instead of “fall 2020” to distinguish when they joined the chapter. Continuous Open Bidding is never guaranteed to be an option and should not be relied on to join a chapter. Primary Recruitment is the best way to meet all the chapters and find the best fit for a PNM.

New Member

• A person who accepted a bid from a chapter but has not yet been initiated. Most chapters have an 8-12 week “New Member Period” in which new members will learn about the history, values, and teachings of their chapter.
• (What not to say: babies, pledges)

Initiation

• A special secret ceremony each chapter preforms in order to transition people from new members to active/lifetime members. This is a very special ceremony, and each chapters’ is unique. This is usually where members are given their pins are celebrated with flowers and typically a fun meal.

Live Ins

• Members who live in the chapter structure.

Live Outs

• Members who do not live in the chapter structure.

Greek Alphabet:

Alpha
Beta
Gamma
Delta
Epsilon
Zeta
Eta
Theta
Iota
Kappa
Lambda
Mu
Nu
Xi
Omicron
Pi
Rho
Sigma
Epsilon
Phi
Chi
Psi
Omega