Primary Recruitment FAQ!
Recruitment Toolkit
Eligibility
Is there a GPA requirement to be eligible for Panhellenic Recruitment at the University of Illinois?
Each chapter has a different expected GPA requirement, which is displayed on the finance sheet that you will receive during the First Invitational round of recruitment.
I am a transfer student. Can I participate in Panhellenic Recruitment at the University of Illinois?
Yes, transfer students are eligible and encouraged to register for Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment. If you have not been initiated into a National Panhellenic Conference sorority at any university, you are eligible to participate in Primary Recruitment.
Are Parkland Pathway students eligible for Panhellenic Recruitment?
No, Parkland Pathway students are not eligible for Panhellenic Recruitment. The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) has set an eligibility requirement of being a "fully matriculated" student to join any of their organizations. Students in the Parkland Pathway program are not fully matriculated at the University of Illinois.
I accepted a bid from a chapter last fall during primary recruitment, but I am no longer in that chapter. Can I go through primary recruitment again?
You must wait until the next Primary Recruitment cycle to go through the Recruitment process after signing an MRABA if you were not initiated into a sorority. If you accepted a bid but were not initiated in the previous fall (Fall 2024), you may go through the Primary Recruitment process this fall (Fall 2025). However, if you accepted a bid and at any point you were initiated, you would have been a member of a National Panhellenic Chapter and therefore are ineligible for Primary Recruitment, even if you are no longer a member of that chapter. ​
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COST
How much does it cost to register for Primary Recruitment?
Primary Recruitment Registration costs $65 and can be paid upon submission of the registration form.
What is the cost of membership to join a Panhellenic Sorority?
Membership costs or “dues” vary for each chapter. You will receive a finance sheet from each chapter that you are invited back to during the First Invitational round of recruitment.
*This data is based on information from 2023-24 academic year. If you are participating in Formal Recruitment you will receive 2023-24 financial costs on September 2nd during the First Invite round of Primary Recruitment.
*These costs only apply to organizations that participate in Primary Recruitment.
Terminology
During recruitment, there can be a lot of unfamiliar terms. We have collected the most common recruitment-related terms here. Our hope is that with these definitions, you can enter the recruitment process more confidently and prepared.
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Open House: This refers to the first round of Primary Recruitment where PNMs visit all 18 National Panhellenic Primary Recruiting Chapters at the University of Illinois over the course of two days. Panhellenic: refers to the council under which all primary recruiting chapters reside.
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First Invite: The second round of recruitment, this refers to the first invitational round where PNMs can be invited back to up to 13 chapters. This round centers around the individual philanthropies of each chapter.
Second Invite: The second invitational round of Primary Recruitment centers around the sisterhood values of each respective chapter, and the PNM can be invited back to up to 7 chapters.
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Preference Round: The last round of sorority primary recruitment. After this round PNMs are eligible to submit their preference sheets and MRABA to be eligible to receive a bid.
Intentional Single Preference: When a PNM only lists one chapter on her MRABA following the preference round of primary recruitment.
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Bid Day: Bid Day is the last day of Panhellenic Recruitment. It is when potential new members receive bids to join chapters and become new members. Usually, during Bid Day, each chapter will hold a fun activity for the new members to meet and get to know the rest of the chapter.
Legacy: A daughter, sister, or granddaughter of an initiated sorority member. Being a legacy does not guarantee a PNM a bid to a particular sorority. Each chapter has its own definition and policy for legacies during recruitment.
New Member: Refers to a woman who has accepted a bid from a sorority, but is not an initiated member.
Open House: This refers to the first round of Primary Recruitment where PNMs visit all 18 National Panhellenic Primary Recruiting Chapters at the University of Illinois over the course of two days. Panhellenic: refers to the council under which all primary recruiting chapters reside.
Potential New Member (PNM): A woman who is eligible and registered to participate in sorority recruitment
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Quota: The number of potential new members that each sorority chapter can offer bids to during primary recruitment. This is determined with a formula using the number of chapters and the number of women in the final round of the recruitment process.
Recruitment Counselor: A current sorority chapter member that serves as a recruitment guide. She is a resource for any questions or concerns during primary recruitment. Each PNM is assigned a Recruitment Counselor throughout the entire primary recruitment process.
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