Bama Rush explained: How does sorority recruitment work? (2024)

With nearly thousands of women expected to participate in this year’s Alabama Panhellenic Association (APA) formal fall recruitment (nicknamed “Rush Week”), the University of Alabama will almost certainly have the nation’s largest sorority pledge class when the whole process culminates with Bid Day.

Recruitment officially kicks off Saturday with the Convocation event, and as things ramp up and potential new members (PNMs) continue the process, we want to give you a guide on how it all works at the Capstone.

READ: 15 terms to know about Alabama rush week

Here’s a look at the day-by-day schedule of Alabama’s formal fall sorority recruitment, happening all week on campus and how Bama Rush works.

Alabama Recruitment Schedule

Wednesday, Aug. 3 - Friday, Aug. 5: Early Move-In (on-campus only)

Saturday, Aug. 6: Convocation (morning)

Saturday, Aug. 6: Open House (afternoon)

Sunday, Aug. 7: Philanthropy Day I

Monday, Aug. 8: Philanthropy Day II

Tuesday, Aug. 9: Philanthropy Day III

Wednesday, Aug. 10: Sisterhood Day I

Thursday, Aug. 11: Sisterhood Day II

Friday, Aug. 12: Sisterhood Day III

Alabama Sorority Overview

The APA has 19 active sororities who will participate in formal fall recruitment. The number of potential new members (PNMs) registered for recruitment typically ranges from 2,500-3,000, which usually gives Alabama the largest pledge class in the country each year. More than 2,500 women participated in Alabama sorority rush in 2021, with 2,307 women receiving bids.

In 2022, approximately 2,583 women registered for formal fall recruitment. As of now, UA says at least 20 women have already withdrawn from the process.

APA does not host a structured spring recruitment. Those unable to participate in fall primary recruitment but want to join a sorority may participate in Continuous Open Bidding (COB).

You’re not guaranteed a bid

The majority of the women participating in primary recruitment are invited to join a chapter at the end. APA says, for the last five years, more than 89 percent of the women participating in the Open House Round of Recruitment have received a bid.

But it is possible to go through recruitment and not pledge a sorority. Recruitment is a process of “mutual selection,” which means it can result in “many different outcomes.”

APA says approximately 4-8 percent of women participating in recruitment voluntarily withdraw themselves from the process during the week, choosing not to continue participating. “Each sorority at UA has their own membership criteria, oftentimes governed by their national organization, which they use to make there selections,” the website says. “As such, unfortunately, we also have women who are completely released from the recruitment process, although this number is relatively low, around 5 percent.”

How much does it cost?

Joining a APA sorority costs a pretty penny in membership fees, starting with registration fee for $350, according to UA’s Division of Student Life Fraternity and Sorority life financial information website. All registration fees are nonrefundable, no exceptions.

Each chapter has a financial requirement, which may include membership dues, house fees and room and board if you live in the facility. Membership fees vary by sorority.

New member fees per semester (first year only) range from $4,170.03 to $4,978. This includes chapter meal plan, local chapter fees, and inter/national fees as well as one-time fees associated with pledging and initiation.

Living in-house fees per semester range from $7,465.17 (average) to $9,445 (high). This includes room, chapter meal plan (if applicable), local chapter fees and inter/national fees.

Are there academic requirements?

While APA does not require a specific grade point average to participate in recruitment, each sorority has a minimum GPA requirement for membership. “It is strongly recommended that you have at or above a 3.2 cumulative high school or college GPA,” the recruitment guide says.

Chapters may offer mentorship, peer tutoring and study hours. According to the APA website, studying completed in a proctored environment may be required based on academic achievement, and the average number of study hours among the Panhellenic chapters is 5.5 per week.

Diversity requirements

Alabama developed an action plan that provides a model to promote inclusion in the recruitment process for its Greek community. According to UA, the plan would “enhance the University’s ability to prevent and respond to discrimination based on race or national origin, characteristics that are protected by federal civil rights laws, and to further the University’s progress in increasing diversity in its fraternity and sorority system (’Greek system’).”

In fall 2013, in response to allegations of race discrimination in the selection process for new members in UA’s traditionally white sororities, the U.S. Department of Justice contacted the the university to inquire about the allegations and its response. The school said it was already undertaking a series of efforts to demonstrate the its commitment to a discrimination-free campus environment and increase diversity in its recognized Greek organizations. UA said those efforts resulted in increasingly diverse 2013, 2014, and 2015 new member classes for University sororities, and since that time, it has continued to explore ways to remove barriers to the Greek system and improve how the University responds to allegations of discrimination.

UA Panhellenic replaced the traditional “Skit Night” with “Sisterhood Night,” a national policy change meant to show potential new members what it’s like day-to-day to be in each chapter, emphasizing more of a values-based recruitment. Old and new members will also notice newly built houses on campus. Each house, which all stand at approximately 40,000-square-feet, can accommodate up to 70 women, while all members attend meetings and are served chapter meals there.

Bama Rush explained: How does sorority recruitment work? (2)

Convocation/Open House

On Saturday, Potential New Members (PNMs) attended Panhellenic Convocation at Foster Auditorium, where members of the UA Panhellenic Council gave a brief description of the day-by-day schedule and assigned each PNM to a Sigma Rho Chi group. The PNMs joined their assigned groups and met their leaders for the week. It also marked the final day to register for fall recruitment. This also includes a sorority row walking tour.

Traditionally, rush week includes Open House nights, meant to introduce PNMs to every chapter before they make decisions on which chapters they would most like to revisit during the week, but this is now part of the Convocation sequence. The women visit all chapters during Open House. Following Open Houses, PNMs are asked to select and rank the sororities they would like to revisit on Philanthropy Day.

Philanthropy Days

During the Philanthropy round, which takes place over three days, active sorority members share information with PNMs about their philanthropic endeavors and emphasize to the women the importance of community service. PNMs are allowed to visit up to 12 chapters for 30 minutes each. This round gives the women a glimpse into the philanthropic work done by each chapter. Following this round, PNMs will meet to select and rank the sororities they would like to visit during the next round.

Sisterhood Days

As previously stated, UA Panhellenic replaced the traditional “Skit Night” with “Sisterhood Night,” a national policy change meant to show potential new members what it’s like day-to-day to be in each chapter, emphasizing more of a values-based recruitment. There are three Sisterhood Days, including meetings, parties and voting rounds.

The Sisterhood Round gives PNMs the opportunity to see the personality of each sorority. The women can attend a maximum of seven parties, each of which last 40 minutes. The parties allow for more conversations with sorority women. They ask that the PNMs use this round to think hard about what they’re looking for in a sisterhood, what they would like to be involved with at UA and who might help them achieve their goals.

Preference Day

Considered “the most serious round of recruitment,” Preference Day involves active members explaining what it means to be a sister of their respective sororities and what the organizations have to offer PNMs. The women are allowed to attend a maximum of two Preference parties, each of which last 45 minutes. They ask the women to focus on what they want to gain from joining a sorority. If the PNMs receive an invitation to a Preference event, the sorority is very interested in asking them to become a member. This also gives them a chance to talk privately with active members.

The women are expected to make a final decision about which sorority they would most like to join during this round. Following this event, PNMs meet to rank from favorite to least favorite of which sororities they would be willing to accept a bid for membership. “This is a very emotional day for many women, so we ask that you are respectful of others,” the recruitment guide says.

Bama Rush explained: How does sorority recruitment work? (3)

Bid Day

Bid Day will take place Sunday, Aug. 14. Colonial, Magnolia and Judy Bonner Drive will be closed to traffic from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Bids will be distributed in-person in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Should there be inclement weather, bids will be distributed via email. The email will include additional information about an opportunity for the new members to come to the chapter house at a specific time later that afternoon, as well as information about available accommodations for those who do not wish to visit the chapter house in person.

Here’s a quick primer on what all happens on Bid Day.

Open Bids in Bryant-Denny Stadium

PNMs organize by groups in the Bryant-Denny stands, where they receive envelopes containing their official bids. They open to find out which sorority has chosen them, and the screaming and celebrating begins.

Gathering in the Tunnels

New members find their fellow pledges and are led by active members to form groups that will spill out and run to their respective houses.

Running of the Bids

Led by their active sisters, new pledges sprint from the Bryant-Denny gates and rush to their new sorority houses, where they are greeted and congratulated by active members along with family and friends. This is when most of the running and screaming happens.

Greeting, Hugging, Screaming

Group Photos/Conclusion

Wearing their new T-shirts and hats, each pledge class gathers with active members for a group photo before finally ending the public viewing portion of the festivities. Bid distribution is followed by a lunch hosted by each sorority house for new members and their parents. Each member receives a goodie bag. The pledge classes also attend retreats immediately following Bid Day for an opportunity to bond with their new pledge sisters, learn about their sororities and celebrate finding their new homes on campus.

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