Rush and recruitment for Greek Life starts this week, and while the specifics may vary between organizations, fraternities and sororities have a lot in common in the preparation going into the week. 

Both groups have spent the last three or more weeks preparing and training to recruit new pledges. 

Austin Litton, the vice president of growth for Alpha Sigma Phi, talked about prepping, getting info and outreach to the students earlier than rush week. 

“We start preparing for rush week in the summer before,” Litton said. “Tabling during freshman orientation days is key just to make a small connection with incoming freshmen and their parents. We really focus on WOW Week as being a key factor into rush week, just getting those PNMs around us to familiarize ourselves with them is huge.”

PNMs is the acronym both fraternities and sororities use to refer to potential new members during rush and recruitment week.

“Organizing and setting up events and activities that showcase what each sorority is about is important. This could involve things like themes, decor and schedules,” said Kylie Fisher, member of Alpha Xi Delta.

Fisher also went through examples of what type of marketing different sororities and fraternities do. 

“Promoting the events through social media, flyers and word-of-mouth to attract potential recruits are the usual tactics,” she said. 

Fisher went on to describe also how the communication training sorority members receive, saying, “Members are trained on how to effectively communicate and present the sorority’s values, history and activities to potential new members.” 

Sean Donovan, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said rush week is such a big part of the year for Greek Life “because it promotes exposure for campus groups and increases your chapter sides and promotes the good things from fraternities besides partying.”

Fisher also spoke on the importance of getting to know the different Greek Life organizations beyond stereotypes. 

“What makes a sorority unique often comes down to its values, traditions and culture,” she said. “For instance, one sorority might emphasize community service and philanthropy more than others, while another might focus on academic excellence or leadership development. Understanding these aspects can help potential new members find the sorority that best aligns with their own values and interest.”