RECRUITMENT FAQS

Recruitment Dates:

August 15th – PNM Orientation (in person), Round 1 Selections

August 16th – Round 2, Day 1

August 17th – Round 2, Day 2

August 18th – Round 3, Day 1

August 19th – Round 3, Day 2

August 20th – BREAK FOR FDOC

August 21st – BREAK FOR CLASSES

August 22nd – Preferentials

August 23rd – Bid Day

Summer Webinar Dates: 

June 4 

July 2

July 22 (parents) 

July 30

All webinars will take place at 7:30 EST on zoom! Stay tuned to our Instagram and website to sign up! Whether you’re deciding to go through the recruitment process or just want some more information on Panhellenic and recruitment operations, these webinars can help you stay informed!

The in-person Orientation will take place at the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. There will be two Orientation sessions and you will be placed into one of them after Recruitment registration closes. It is mandatory to attend your Orientation session. This is a casual event with only PNMs and Pi Chis so there is no dress code. Please do not bring a bag to expedite the security process, anything you need will be provided. This will be a great time to learn more about the Recruitment process and we will be able to answer your questions before the process begins!

As stated on the Recruitment registration form, the Recruitment registration fee is non-refundable. The registration fee is not transferable to any future semesters, as each Recruitment process is its own entity.

Specific chapter operations including meal plans, finances, etc. are determined individually by each chapter and their national organization. The Financial Information tab on our website provides Financial Transparency Sheets, accompanied by video explanations of typical semester dues. During Round 2 of Recruitment, you will be provided with the financial information of each of the chapters that you visit and will have the opportunity to ask chapter women specific questions about finances, meal plans, etc.

The greatest piece of advice our council has to offer PNMs this year is to be yourself! Our community is built upon authentic friendship and the development of character through sisterhood, both of which rely on honesty and bravery on the part of PNMs and chapter women in being vulnerable during Recruitment. These years have created unique challenges in each of our lives, and we believe that the ways in which we deal with challenges reveal our true character. Despite great distances and emotional hardships, our community has remained strong in sisterhood and has continued to uphold the ideals upon which we were founded: to be a place of love, comfort, and support for women on college campuses. Our community cannot wait to meet the authentic you this Fall and walk with you during your time at the University of Florida. Come to Recruitment with an open heart, trust yourself, and know that no matter where your time at UF takes you, you will always have an ally in our community.

Recommendations are letters or statements from an alumnae member recommending a Potential New Member for sorority membership. Recommendations are not required to participate in Panhellenic Recruitment and some chapters may no longer accept them at all. Additionally, there is no advantage to having more than one recommendation for a chapter. Please note: a PNM should not contact chapters about recommendations – it is only appropriate for an alumna to contact her chapter. Recommendation letters can be submitted through each chapter’s individual website.

The attire for Recruitment gets more formal as the Rounds progress. The Panhellenic Council has a Pinterest page with suggestions for what to wear during each Round. Ultimately, you should wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and most like yourself! 

Round 1 (virtual): Your favorite blouse or sundress

Round 2: Fancier brunch attire 

Round 3: Nice dinner attire

Preferentials: Fancy event attire

No, you are not obligated to join a chapter. Recruitment is an opportunity for you to visit our chapters, get a glimpse of Greek life, and assess whether or not you would like to be a part of the UF Greek community. 

To be eligible to participate in Recruitment 2026, you must be a degree-seeking student at the University of Florida, enrolled in at least one UF credit hour, and have paid (or opted into, if applicable) the Activity and Service (A&S) Fee. All students will undergo an eligibility check through the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life before officially joining, and eligibility may vary depending on your academic program or enrollment status.

Some student groups have additional considerations. PaCE and UF Online students are eligible as long as they opt into the Optional Fee Package and meet the credit-hour requirement. Innovation Academy students are not eligible during their first fall semester but may join in the spring once enrolled in UF coursework. Students in specialized pathway programs (such as those completing coursework at Santa Fe College) are not eligible until they have fully transferred to UF and are enrolled as degree-seeking students.

Potential New Members often experience the greatest disappointment by beginning the Recruitment process only wanting to be in a specific chapter. Sorority membership is more than wearing Greek letters. It is giving your time and energy to the chapter, agreeing to abide by all its rules and regulations and living up to high expectations. Don’t make a decision based on stereotypes and others’ opinions. Keep an open mind, focus on your values, and make the decision that is right for you.

The only opinion of a chapter that should matter is your own. Each chapter is different from campus to campus and from year to year. If you allow someone else’s perceptions to influence you, then you may not feel satisfied with your choices during Recruitment. Remember that each chapter is made up of many different women with different talents and qualities. If you hear derogatory remarks about any chapter, please disregard those comments as inappropriate rumors that are against the Panhellenic spirit. It is very important to keep an open mind about each chapter throughout the process and not to dismiss a certain chapter based on rumors or stereotypes.

UF Panhellenic has implemented a selection process that gives sophomores, juniors and seniors a fair opportunity at Recruitment. With this, you go through Recruitment as usual, but when you preference your chapters after each round you do not compete with freshmen because there are two separate pools (upperclassmen and freshmen). This system makes the process fair, and you do not have to worry about being at a disadvantage because of your classification.

Each Potential New Member is considered on an individual basis; a legacy is no more obligated to join a particular chapter than the chapter is obligated to offer a bid to her. The PNM and the chapter should be looking for compatibility, not necessarily a family connection to the group. Panhellenic has no policies regarding legacies because each chapter has its own policy, and Panhellenic has no input in individual chapter membership decisions. More specific questions regarding legacies should be directed by alumna to the individual chapters.

As your Recruitment schedule is reduced from round to round, so is the number of women each chapter is allowed to invite back. Every Potential New Member has something to offer a chapter, but chapters are required to release some PNMs. In deciding which PNMs to invite back and which to release, each chapter has a democratic voting process. In other words, one or a few women cannot guarantee that a PNM will receive an invitation to the next round. Additionally, chapters are not required to offer a bid to their legacies. Most importantly, a chapter woman should never imply or promise a PNM that she will be returning to that chapter for any subsequent round(s).

As your Recruitment schedule is reduced from round to round, so is the number of women each chapter is allowed to invite back. Every Potential New Member has something to offer a chapter, but chapters are required to release some PNMs. In deciding which PNMs to invite back and which to release, each chapter has a democratic voting process. In other words, one or a few women cannot guarantee that a PNM will receive an invitation to the next round. Additionally, chapters are not required to offer a bid to their legacies. Most importantly, a chapter woman should never imply or promise a PNM that she will be returning to that chapter for any subsequent round(s).

PNM stands for Potential New Member. This is any woman looking to join a Panhellenic chapter.

Pi Chi stands for Panhellenic Counselor, and they are here to support you throughout your Recruitment process. You will meet your Pi Chis at Orientation, and you will see them every morning at home base and around row. They are equipped to assist you in answering questions, counseling, and helping with directions. They even have a backpack full of anything you may need!   

The preferential bidding system is a method in which Potential New Members’ preferences are matched to sororities’ preference lists. Following your last Preferential Round event, you will meet with a Panhellenic representative to sign a Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA). You must maintain complete silence between each Preferential Round event from the time you leave your last house until you sign your MRABA. You may ask a Recruitment Executive Officer for assistance. However, remember the silent period is important to ensure that your decision is yours and yours alone.

On your MRABA you will be asked to list, in order of preference, the sorority/sororities you wish to join, and you will sign your MRABA with the understanding that you are willing to accept a bid from the group(s) listed. If a bid is extended to you from one of your choices and you decide not to accept it, you will not be eligible to participate in Continuous Open Bidding and/or Recruitment until 2027 Formal Recruitment.

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Remember that the decision you indicate on your MRABA is binding for one year. If you attend more than one Preferential Round event, a Panhellenic representative will encourage you to list more than one sorority on your MRABA because this maximizes your opportunity to receive a bid. However, the final choice  to decide which chapter to list is up to you. Once you have signed and turned in your MRABA, it cannot be changed. If there is ever any problem with your MRABA, only a Panhellenic representative will contact you about it.​

Yes, the University of Florida does have a Spring Recruitment process which typically begins toward the end of January each year. This process is informal, meaning there is no registration or fee required to participate. There are no formal rounds and you will most likely get to know the chapters through coffee chats or small gatherings. There will be an information session in January with more details. Please note that we cannot predict which chapters will participate in Spring Recruitment each year.

If you have any questions regarding the Recruitment process, please refer to the Recruitment FAQ or contact Ava M., our Membership Vice President, at panhellenic.ufmvp@gmail.com. Stay connected with UF Panhellenic on the website and Instagram for more details.