Recruitment Information for Families
Going through recruitment can be stressful for some students and it can be equally as stressful for families and loved ones. Some family members were involved in Greek life during their time in college, but for others being a member of a sorority is a new concept. Whether you were involved in Greek life or this is a new experience for you, it is important to familiarize yourself with the Recruitment process here at Florida State University.
The Recruitment process varies between institutions and over time.
The Recruitment process has drastically changed over time. Here, at FSU, we have a fully structured, formal, value-based Recruitment process. This means that your student will have the opportunity to meet every chapter on our campus. Each chapter and each university may have a different Recruitment process, so we encourage you to go through it with an open mind. We understand that you and your student may be nervous about going through the Recruitment process. Please know that the Panhellenic Association at FSU is always here to answer your questions and put any rumors to rest! Refer to our website, Facebook or Instagram for updated tips and information about Recruitment.
Encourage your student to have meaningful, values-based conversations
At Florida State University we have a values based Recruitment process. This means that the women in our chapters are looking for women that have similar values to join their chapter. When going through Recruitment, your student should ask questions to see if her values align with the women that she is conversing with at each chapter. At night, you can talk to your student about how her Recruitment experience is going. Help her reflect on her values and see which chapters’ values she connected with that day.
Letters of Recommendation
A recommendation is a personal letter of reference provided by an alumna of a sorority to her sorority’s chapter at FSU. The purpose of a recommendation letter is to simply introduce you to the sorority so that the chapter members may become better acquainted to you prior to recruitment. As a general disclaimer, FSU does NOT require letters of recommendation in order to participate in our formal recruitment process. That being said, if you do want to submit recommendation letters, you can find the delivery addresses for each chapter on our websiteunder the Chapter Profiles tab.
Oftentimes our recruitment staff is asked how you should go about obtaining these letters, and here is how you can do so:
Personally ask an alumna to write a letter or fill out the national form on your behalf
Once an alumna has offered or been asked to write a reference, she may request some information from you. The alumna writing the reference is solely responsible for obtaining the appropriate form from her national organization, completing the form, and mailing it to her chapter.
Reference and recommendation letters do not guarantee a bid for membership. Recommendation letters are not required to receive a bid, and you will not be penalized in any way if a letter or form is not submitted on your behalf.
While there is no set due date for letters of recommendation, we recommend that you have them sent by the middle or end of July so that our recruitment chairs have time to process them.
Meal Plans
All of our Panhellenic chapters offer meal plans for the 2023-2024 academic year.Sorority meal plans are included in dues and vary from chapter to chapter. Typically, sororities provide dinner on Sunday-Thursday and lunch from Monday-Friday. During the Investment Round of Recruitment, each sorority will describe the type of meal plan they offer.Feel free to have your student ask questions about meals during this round!
2022 Dues Information
When deciding to join a sorority, it is important to consider the financial requirements of membership. The financial obligation varies depending on the chapter. Chapter dues are distributed to the respective national organization, the Panhellenic Council, and to the local chapter. Local chapter fees may be utilized for food, sisterhood events, activities, housing corporation fees, and chapter facility staff. The first semester of membership typically involves a new member/ initiation fee in addition to chapter dues, making the first semester of membership more expensive than the rest of your semesters.
2023: New Member Fees (per semester):
Average - $2,961; High - $3,642
2023: Living In-House (per semester):
Average - $4,844; High - $6,875
2023: Living Out of House (per semester):
Average - $2,538; High - $3,216
Joining a sorority is a financial obligation that should be taken seriously and discussed with everyone involved. During investment round, chapters will give comprehensive financial presentations to the potential new members. After the presentations, the potential new members will have the opportunity to ask the chapter women any specific questions they may have about member dues. Potential new members are encouraged by Recruitment Staff and their Recruitment Counselors to share this information with whomever may be assisting them financially.
2024 Dues Information will be updated later in the summer
