Some frequently asked questions regarding formal recruitment:
- Am I obligated to join a sorority if I go through Recruitment?
If you sign your bid card and do accept a bid after Preferentials and then decide to withdraw, however, you must wait one calendar year before you can go through Recruitment again.
Do I need letters of recommendation for Recruitment?
More information on letters of recommendation
The University of Virginia by no means requires letters of recommendation. Thus, we have no formalized procedure or forms for processing letters of recommendation. However, if a potential new member has someone close to them that wishes to provide a letter of recommendation, we definitely welcome such letters. Many chapters actual provide their own national form for letters of recommendation. If you are a recommending alumna, you should check with your national chapter organization for these forms.
- We request that the recommender send ONLY ONE copy of their letter to the address of the chapter to which a PNM is being recommended.
Do I need to be a legacy to be accepted in a sorority? Or does being a legacy help my chances?
- Legacies are dealt with differently by each sorority, so we cannot provide one blanket answer. However, being a legacy is certainly never required to be a part of a sorority. Most of our sisters, in fact, are not legacies of any sorority.
- Legacies can be indicated on the online registration form, and if you are a legacy, we would encourage you to note that. This allows sororities to at least have the information, depending on how they weight legacy consideration.
- Is alcohol involved in sorority Recruitment?
- Absolutely not. Alcohol is prohibited during the Recruitment process. In addition to not condoning underage drinking, Recruitment is about giving both chapters and potential new members the opportunity to evaluate their match as sisters, not whether or not they mesh in an alcoholic social setting.
- Will I be hazed as a new member?
- The Inter-Sorority Council does not condone hazing. Our hazing policy can be found in the Resources section of this website. Not only do we prohibit hazing, but we encourage new members and sisters to come forward if they know of such violations occurring. We have our own ISC Judiciary Committee in place to handle such issues, and we treat hazing very seriously. If a new member feels uncomfortable in their sorority, due to any type of hazing, physical or psychological, we will take steps to ensure the sorority realizes these actions are not only violations of ISC Standards of Conduct, but also unsisterly conduct.
How much are sorority dues?
Sorority dues vary by chapter, but are usually paid on a semester basis. Dues, for the most part, contribute to sorority expenses, including housing costs, meal plans, social events, recruitment, and sisterhood activities. Financial information will be provided to potential new members during the Themes round of Recruitment. Semester dues for the New Member Semester, your first semester as a member of the sorority, average around $1,200. The average sorority dues following this first semester will decrease to around $600-$800 per semester.
Will I have to live in my sorority house?
Most of the chapters do not require sisters to live in the house. However, living in the sorority house is usually one of the best experiences for sisters, and thus, many sisters choose to live in the sorority house. Due to the varied sizes in our chapter houses at the University, sorority houses may accommodate anywhere from 14 to 30 sisters at a time and generally only third years live in the sorority houses.
