Recruitment Schedule

Our primary goal is for our students to safely remain on campus throughout the fall semester without having to be sent home early to complete their classes. With this in mind, the Panhellenic Recruitment process will be largely conducted through virtual means in order to prioritize the health and safety of our students. While this situation is less than ideal, we know that alterations to the delivery of the recruitment experience is a small price to pay to help keep our Horned Frogs on campus. We believe that the invaluable connections formed through the Panhellenic sorority experience will withstand the unique challenges being presented during recruitment and likely the semester(s) ahead.

We have shifted the Panhellenic Recruitment schedule back to September in order to accommodate changes to the fall academic calendar, to ensure students can participate in welcome programming, and to allow our students to get acclimated to the fall semester before recruitment begins. While we are still working through several details, we have set tentative dates for Rounds 1 through 3 of Panhellenic Recruitment. Our plans for Round 4 (Preference Round) are still to be determined and will depend on the ever-changing dynamics of COVID-19. Round 4 would ideally be offered in person if it is deemed safe by health professionals at TCU and in Tarrant County and we will offer an online option for women who want or need it. Likely dates for Round 4 would involve weeknights and/or weekends that fall in close proximity to the previous rounds.

Please see below for tentative dates. It is important to note that these dates are subject to change as the COVID-19 pandemic is continually evolving and presenting us with new challenges.

Potential New Member Orientation & Round 1 Videos: Sunday, September 13th, 2020

o   Potential New Members will view chapter videos in their Rho Gamma small groups

o   There will be no conversations between chapter members and Potential New Members during this round

Round 2 & Round 3: Weekend of September 19th and 20th, 2020

o   Both rounds will run back to back over the same weekend and will consist of virtual conversations between chapter members and Potential New Members

o   Please plan for the possibility of starting Round 2 events as early as Thursday, September 17th and/or Friday, September 18th

o   Potential New Members CANNOT miss class for recruitment activities

o   This is the weekend of Rosh Hashana so please let us know if you celebrate this important holiday

Dear Potential New Member,

We have a bit of an update to share with you which is that we have sent tentative dates for Round 4/Preference Round of Panhellenic Recruitment! These tentative dates are Monday, September 21st - Friday, September 25th, 2020 with events taking place during the late afternoon and nighttime hours after the bulk of academic classes have concluded. It is our sincere hope that the Preference Round events will take place in person, however our plan is still being evaluated by TCU's Campus Readiness Taskforce to ensure thorough consideration for student safety. It is important to note that these dates are subject to change as the COVID-19 pandemic is continually evolving and presenting us with new challenges.

During Preference Round, Potential New Members are invited to visit up to two chapters and therefore would have one to two events to attend during this week. Students cannot miss class for recruitment activities so we will be working to gather class schedules to plan accordingly for those who could have an academic conflict. You must be residing in Fort Worth this fall in order to participate in the in-person events. We will have fully virtual Preference Round options for any woman who cannot/does not wish to participate in an in-person recruitment. This includes students who are taking their classes virtually from outside of Fort Worth. Please note that we are still waiting on more information for Bid Day, but it is likely that the majority of this experience will be conducted in a virtual or hybrid format.

Please continue to monitor your email for additional updates in the weeks and month ahead. For more information about the Panhellenic sorority experience or the recruitment process, please review the summer booklet<https://indd.adobe.com/view/ce2f7451-b4d3-44b1-89eb-c6ec013cb5f5> and follow TCU Panhellenic (@tcupanhellenic) on social media.

We are so excited to welcome those of you who are living on campus to TCU next week, and those of you who are attending TCU from afar the week after. Please let your Rho Gamma know if you have any questions and remember that our Panhellenic and Fraternity and Sorority Life team are also here to assist you in any way we can!

It is a huge myth that many women don't receive a bid! Each year, a small handful of women are released from the process, but that is out of over 1,000 PNMs. Other women withdraw voluntarily. About 85% of PNMs that participate in formal recruitment join our Panhellenic community. 

Panhellenic recruitment is a mutual selection process. That means that throughout the week, both PNMs and chapters will narrow down their options to make one match at the end of the week. This is a mutual process, meaning each day PNMs get to indicate their Chapter preferences, while Chapters indicate their preferences for which PNMs they get to see the next day. This can sometimes lead to disappointments when a PNM isn't invited back, which is why the best advice is to keep an open mind to all 13 of our amazing chapters.

Each day of recruitment, PNMs will have ample time to eat using their TCU meal plan. If they do not have a meal plan, they should mention this at recruitment orientation. There are also water coolers outside each chapter. It's hot, please stay hydrated!   

The recruitment registration fee covers all costs associated with recruitment such as the t-shirts Potential New Members wear for both days of round 1 and round 2, snacks, water bottles, a bag for carrying personal items throughout recruitment, the Potential New Member Booklet, and other recruitment equipment expenses incurred by the Panhellenic Council. The recruitment fee also includes a 5% processing fee. Potential new members are responsible for their attire for the rest of the rounds. 

YES! Upperclass women and transfer students can participate (provided they meet eligibility requirements). They register for formal recruitment online like everyone else! For women who have either pledged or been initiated into one of our sororities on another campus and wish to affiliate with our TCU chapter, please contact the chapter directly. 

Legacies are PNMs who are (usually) daughters, sisters, or granddaughters of alumna or active members. Each chapter has a different way of handling legacies. Being a legacy does NOT guarantee membership with that group, nor does it mean a PNM should feel pressured to join that sorority. Oftentimes, a chapter will have more legacies participating in recruitment than they have spots available.