FAQs
Do I need letters of recommendation for Recruitment? I know people say they aren’t mandatory, but will they help me?
By no means are letters of recommendation necessary. Every chapter takes recommendations into consideration differently. Most letters of recommendation can be submitted online through the local chapters' websites or their national headquarters' websites. If you have recommendations, you can find the instructions to submit them for each chapter on their websites, which are listed under the "About Us" tab.
Is it possible to play a varsity sport and be in a sorority at the same time?
It’s definitely possible! Plenty of varsity athletes are sorority women. Sorority membership is what you make of it. You can as involved as you would like to be by taking on leadership positions and participating in chapter events, or just attend weekly meetings and activities. In terms of recruitment, sororities are very understanding when games or practices conflict with formal recruitment rounds. You will handle recruitment conflicts closer to the start of formal recruitment with your recruitment counselor.
I started to fill out the registration form and it asked for my current GPA/Hours completed. What do I put there exactly since I’m a first-year?
You can put 0 and 0.0 for your GPA. That is mostly there for upperclassmen. The ISC conducts grade checks during winter break, so we will manually add in everyone’s GPA. Keep in mind the ISC strongly recommends at least a 2.0 to participate in recruitment.
Is it possible for students in the UVA School of Continuing and Professional Studies to join a sorority even if they don’t live in Charlottesville?
Unfortunately, students in the SCPS are not permitted to join a sorority or participate in recruitment. According to national standards, students must be regularly matriculated in order to be eligible to pledge a sorority or fraternity.
For those of us attending UVA on financial aid, is it unrealistic to participate in Recruitment when we do not have the financial resources to be in a sorority? Are there ways to alleviate financial hardships and participate?
There are definitely ways, available from both the ISC and from the individual chapters. Sorority dues are a significant financial responsibility. The average dues for the first semester are around $1,200 but will drop by several hundred dollars (and will remain consistent) for your remaining three years. Each chapter offers different scholarships. You will be given information from each chapter about these opportunities during recruitment. For information about ISC scholarships, please contact our VP of Finance, Emma Hardwich, at uvaiscvpf@gmail.com.
When filling out the recruitment enrollment form, should the activities we list be only from this year (ie first semester for first years), or can we include things from high school?
Most people just put activities that you are involved in at UVA. You also may include activities from high school, too. Please note somewhere in the box which ones are high school activities.
Does the ISC plan on making any changes to recruitment so pledge classes can accommodate the greater amounts of women participating in recruitment?
Every woman who registers for Formal Recruitment is eligible to receive a bid, no matter how many women register for recruitment. The maximum number of women that chapters are allowed to invite back for each round depends on the number of women participating in recruitment and is adjusted after every round. Similarly, the number of women that chapters extend bids to depends on the number of women participating in recruitment through the end of the Preferences round. Chapter pledge class sizes are based on the number of women receiving and accepting bids, not on any arbitrary number set by the ISC. As more women register for and participate in Formal Recruitment, we expect all chapters to see increasingly larger pledge classes.
Is it tough rushing for a second time?
No. Going through recruitment for a second time does not make it a more difficult process. If anything, you may find it easier now that you know how recruitment works and know more of the sisters in our chapters. It is always a relief to see a familiar face during a recruitment party!