Prepping for Recruitment: Things to do this Spring/Summer
Dear PNMs,
Hello there, my name is Makenzie Shepherd and I am the 2021 Recruitment VP for the Beta Alpha chapter of Alpha Xi Delta. I am excited to welcome all of you to the start of your journey to joining Greek life here at UT. Becoming a part of Greek life here on campus has been one of my best decisions I made since coming to college. Campus can be overwhelming, but joining Greek life is a great way to make the community feel smaller. I love my sorority because it has brought together a diverse group of women who are like-minded in their values and are looking to make long-lasting relationships with their sisters.
Alpha Xi Delta has provided me with my best friends that will last for years and many memories to reminisce on. Beyond the friendships, my sorority has given me many leadership, service, and adventurous opportunities that have taken my college experience beyond anything I could have imagined. I am thankful for the personal growth my sorority has allowed me to achieve and the incredible support system it has to offer me.
I cannot wait to see how all of your Recruitment 2021 journeys go and hope for the best for here at UT! I look forward to meeting all of you in August!
Sincerely,
Makenzie Shepherd
Our Recruitment Team:
Makenzie Shepherd, Recruitment VP | Whitney Wurzberger, Chapter President | Claire-Lise Greve, Membership VP
TO DOs:
Sorority recruitment at competitive schools like the University of Texas at Austin begins pretty early. Whether you're clueless or just want to brush up on some tips, this guide is meant to help you ease any anxiety you may have about what you're doing!
When should I start?
- PNMs should begin preparing for the recruitment process by creating and sending out Recruitment Packets to women you wish to write you Letters of Recommendation.
- Join your local Panhellenic group: Junior Claire-lise Greve joined her Fort Worth Panhellenic group and found info sessions that helped her with the process!
Building your Packet:
What do you need?
Current photos: A full body and head shot are usually the way to go! Utilize your senior photos or have a mini photoshoot! This lets sororities get a glimpse into your personality, it is NOT to pick specific body types or judge you. It also helps women associate you in person during recruitment week with what they read on paper.
A social resume: More about social resumes can be found here, or consider Sophomore Anjali Shashidhar's summary of a social resume: It's "similar to a normal resume, with more focus on my leadership and volunteering experience."
A copy of your transcript: This is important because sororities are very interested in girls who are not only good leaders and fun friends, but people who focus on their academics as well. Most sororities have a minimum GPA that is required.
What are the deadlines?
The earlier you send your packets to sorority women the better off you are. You wouldn’t want to be sent a request to write a glowing letter of recommendation with only two days to do it! Texas Alpha Xi Delta requests a letter of recommendation be submitted by June 1 but will accept them all summer long.
How do you find women to write recommendations for you?
Post on social media: if you don’t already have a Facebook, this is a great way to reach out to friends and family who may be sorority alumna. Freshman Holly Darby from Maryland reached out to her cheer team’s alumni page and found lots of girls who were happy to write letters for her. This is also a great way to find roommates or friends for your first year.
Reach out to your local Alumnae Panhellenic Association for help. While family members or family friends will know you best and can write the most accurate letters of recommendation or support, it is ok if you don’t have connections with all sororities. If you are a potential new member and need help finding an Alpha Xi Delta alumna in your area, please contact txaxidrecommendation@gmail.com and attach your packet.
Do Legacies matter?
Alpha Xi Delta has eliminated all preferential treatment given to legacies during the recruitment process. Alpha Xi Delta legacies are still defined as any granddaughter, daughter, sister, or niece of an Alpha Xi Delta member in good standing, as well as step- or half-relations resulting from blended or other non-traditional family structures. Potential new members who meet our legacy definition will still be considered a legacy and celebrated after a bid is extended. However, chapters will no longer be permitted to give them preferential treatment throughout the recruitment process. By making this change to our Legacy Policy, we want to ensure Alpha Xi Delta can be a welcoming Sisterhood to all women. In 1893 women were just starting to be invited to colleges and universities. While this was groundbreaking at the time, it’s important to remember that these opportunities were not afforded to those who were not White. Because of this, much of our history and membership has been based on the perspective and ideals of White members. In order to make lasting change to be more inclusive, Alpha Xi Delta is removing barriers for potential new members whose mothers, grandmothers and sisters did not have the same access to higher education or the ability to join organizations like ours.
REGISTER FOR RECRUITMENT!!! Registration began on June 1 and can be accessed here.
So, you've done all this stuff and now you're waiting for August recruitment... what do you do now?
Go over your social media. Is there anything on there that is illegal, puts you in a bad light, etc.: basically anything you wouldn’t show your parents or grandparents. It's helpful to have your Instagram on public so girls can get to know you better as well.
