Frequently Asked Questions
How does recruitment work?
At Depauw we have a condensed, three day formal recruitment period. There are three separate rounds. The first round all potential new members (PNMs) visit every Panhellenic chapter on DePauw’s campus. After the first round, all the chapters and the PNMs preference their choices. If a PNM and chapter mutually selects each other, the PNM is invited to return to that chapter during round two (a PNM can only return to at most 4 chapters during Round 2). After Round 2 is complete, the chapters and the PNMs preference each other again. The third round, PNMs (if mutually selected) will return to at most, 2 chapters. After 3rd Round/Preference Round, PNMs will rank the (up to) two chapters they visited in order of their preference. If their top chapter mutually selects the PNM as a suitable fit to their sorority and extends a bid, the PNM can then choose to accept or decline said bid.
When can I join a sorority?
To join a sorority, you must be a full-time undergraduate student, in good standing with the University (as defined by DePauw guidelines). In order to become a member of a sorority, you must participate in a formal recruitment process where you’ll have the opportunity to meet members of different chapters on campus. DePauw's formal recruitment is in the spring during the first week of second semester classes. During the fall semester there are informal recruitment events that potential new members can go to. These are opportunities to gain more knowledge and information about the chapters on DePauw's campus.
Does everyone get a bid?
The purpose of the recruitment process is to allow you and the chapters to decide on the best fit. The reality is that not everybody who goes through recruitment finds a match, but every effort is made to provide opportunities for involvement to any young woman who is interested in the sorority experience.
I’m an international student, can I still join a sorority?
All women who are fully matriculated as undergraduate students, as defined by the University, are welcome to join a sorority. International students definitely do join sororities!
How will I know which group is right for me?
Each National Panhellenic Conference Member chapter has its own mission, creed and values that it lives by. However, overall, NPC organizations strive to provide members with friendship, opportunities for personal growth/development and fun. In order to choose a chapter that is right for you, you should participate in recruitment, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet members of all chapters on campus. The recruitment process will allow you and the chapters to decide on the best fit. As you go through the process, be sure to keep an open mind, take notes after each round to remember your conversations and be yourself!
I’m a sophomore. Should I bother going through recruitment?
Upperclassman are allowed to, and encouraged to, participate in recruitment as long as they are in good academic standing with the University. Be it that you are a transfer student, or that you went through recruitment the previous year and it did not work out, we welcome and encourage all who are interested to go through the recruitment process, either again or for the first time!
Can I join a sorority if I’m going to be on a sports team?
Athletes are often members of sororities, especially at DePauw. Sorority women welcome the chance to go and support their sisters on the field or court. Once you join a sorority, you should inform them of your commitment to your sports team so that they can work with you and make special arrangements for any sorority events or obligations you might miss due to participation in a sports team.
What is the new member process like?
Each sorority has its own new member education program. The purpose of a new member program is to educate a new member on her organization’s values and its history. Typically, the programs are 6-7 weeks and are filled with fun and interesting activities that lead up to initiation into the organization.
How bad is the hazing?
Neither the National Panhellenic Conference nor any of the 26 member groups of the NPC condone hazing in any form. Each of the 26 member groups have banned hazing in all of their chapters and have policies in place stating so. The NPC is a proud sponsor of HazingPrevention.org and National Hazing Prevention Week. If you have concerns about hazing at DePauw, you should speak with the fraternity and sorority life office on DePauw's campus. Hazing can be reported anonymously at 1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293).
How hard is it to balance sorority life and academics?
Everyone is different when it comes to time management. You might talk to some of the sorority women on campus to find out the time commitment required at each chapter. Many sorority women at DePauw are able to manage sorority responsibilities, jobs or internships, academics and involvement in other campus organizations.
How does housing work?
All NPC chapters on DePauw's campus have chapter facilities in which most of their members live. Each chapter might have live-in policies that require members to live in the chapter house for a certain period of time while others may not have enough space to house all members of the chapter and women may “Live out” of their chapter house. The best way to get a feel for housing is to talk to women in each Panhellenic chapter and understand how the different housing systems work.
How much does it cost to be in a sorority?
Being in a sorority is like all other membership organizations and does require a payment of dues. This money is used to fund the operations, social events and programming for the chapter. It also allows the international/national organization to continue to provide resources and support for the chapter. The costs of sorority membership varies from chapter to chapter. The fraternity and sorority life office on DePauw's campus (located in Anderson Street Hall) should have some basic information on the costs of belonging to a chapter; you can also speak to active members of each chapter. Most chapters have scholarship programs for those who might need financial assistance.
I’m non-Caucasian/multi-racial. Can I still join an NPC organization?
NPC and DePauw Panhellenic welcome all women! We encourage all who are interested to come to our fall events and go through the formal recruitment process in the spring semester.
What if I discover the sorority I’ve selected is the wrong one for me?
Once you’ve accepted a bid to a sorority, the new member process is designed to make sure you are ready to make a life-long commitment to an organization. This period normally lasts approximately 6 weeks but depends on your organization. If, before initiation, you decide that you are not ready for the commitment, you can break your pledge from the organization. If you would like to participate in recruitment again, you can do so at the time of the next formal recruitment period. Once you have accepted a bid from an NPC organization, you must wait until the next formal recruitment period to be eligible to receive another bid from an NPC organization.
If you truly think that the sorority to which you received a bid is the wrong group for you, you should make that decision before you are initiated. Once you are initiated into an NPC organization, you are ineligible for membership in any other NPC organization for the rest of your life. Going through initiation is a way to show that you are ready for a life-long commitment to your group.
What should I do now to help me get into a sorority when I go to college?
If you want to start preparing before recruitment, do some research. Learn about the different organizations on DePauw’s campus inter/nationally and locally to get a better idea of what each group represents.
At Depauw we have a condensed, three day formal recruitment period. There are three separate rounds. The first round all potential new members (PNMs) visit every Panhellenic chapter on DePauw’s campus. After the first round, all the chapters and the PNMs preference their choices. If a PNM and chapter mutually selects each other, the PNM is invited to return to that chapter during round two (a PNM can only return to at most 4 chapters during Round 2). After Round 2 is complete, the chapters and the PNMs preference each other again. The third round, PNMs (if mutually selected) will return to at most, 2 chapters. After 3rd Round/Preference Round, PNMs will rank the (up to) two chapters they visited in order of their preference. If their top chapter mutually selects the PNM as a suitable fit to their sorority and extends a bid, the PNM can then choose to accept or decline said bid.
When can I join a sorority?
To join a sorority, you must be a full-time undergraduate student, in good standing with the University (as defined by DePauw guidelines). In order to become a member of a sorority, you must participate in a formal recruitment process where you’ll have the opportunity to meet members of different chapters on campus. DePauw's formal recruitment is in the spring during the first week of second semester classes. During the fall semester there are informal recruitment events that potential new members can go to. These are opportunities to gain more knowledge and information about the chapters on DePauw's campus.
Does everyone get a bid?
The purpose of the recruitment process is to allow you and the chapters to decide on the best fit. The reality is that not everybody who goes through recruitment finds a match, but every effort is made to provide opportunities for involvement to any young woman who is interested in the sorority experience.
I’m an international student, can I still join a sorority?
All women who are fully matriculated as undergraduate students, as defined by the University, are welcome to join a sorority. International students definitely do join sororities!
How will I know which group is right for me?
Each National Panhellenic Conference Member chapter has its own mission, creed and values that it lives by. However, overall, NPC organizations strive to provide members with friendship, opportunities for personal growth/development and fun. In order to choose a chapter that is right for you, you should participate in recruitment, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet members of all chapters on campus. The recruitment process will allow you and the chapters to decide on the best fit. As you go through the process, be sure to keep an open mind, take notes after each round to remember your conversations and be yourself!
I’m a sophomore. Should I bother going through recruitment?
Upperclassman are allowed to, and encouraged to, participate in recruitment as long as they are in good academic standing with the University. Be it that you are a transfer student, or that you went through recruitment the previous year and it did not work out, we welcome and encourage all who are interested to go through the recruitment process, either again or for the first time!
Can I join a sorority if I’m going to be on a sports team?
Athletes are often members of sororities, especially at DePauw. Sorority women welcome the chance to go and support their sisters on the field or court. Once you join a sorority, you should inform them of your commitment to your sports team so that they can work with you and make special arrangements for any sorority events or obligations you might miss due to participation in a sports team.
What is the new member process like?
Each sorority has its own new member education program. The purpose of a new member program is to educate a new member on her organization’s values and its history. Typically, the programs are 6-7 weeks and are filled with fun and interesting activities that lead up to initiation into the organization.
How bad is the hazing?
Neither the National Panhellenic Conference nor any of the 26 member groups of the NPC condone hazing in any form. Each of the 26 member groups have banned hazing in all of their chapters and have policies in place stating so. The NPC is a proud sponsor of HazingPrevention.org and National Hazing Prevention Week. If you have concerns about hazing at DePauw, you should speak with the fraternity and sorority life office on DePauw's campus. Hazing can be reported anonymously at 1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293).
How hard is it to balance sorority life and academics?
Everyone is different when it comes to time management. You might talk to some of the sorority women on campus to find out the time commitment required at each chapter. Many sorority women at DePauw are able to manage sorority responsibilities, jobs or internships, academics and involvement in other campus organizations.
How does housing work?
All NPC chapters on DePauw's campus have chapter facilities in which most of their members live. Each chapter might have live-in policies that require members to live in the chapter house for a certain period of time while others may not have enough space to house all members of the chapter and women may “Live out” of their chapter house. The best way to get a feel for housing is to talk to women in each Panhellenic chapter and understand how the different housing systems work.
How much does it cost to be in a sorority?
Being in a sorority is like all other membership organizations and does require a payment of dues. This money is used to fund the operations, social events and programming for the chapter. It also allows the international/national organization to continue to provide resources and support for the chapter. The costs of sorority membership varies from chapter to chapter. The fraternity and sorority life office on DePauw's campus (located in Anderson Street Hall) should have some basic information on the costs of belonging to a chapter; you can also speak to active members of each chapter. Most chapters have scholarship programs for those who might need financial assistance.
I’m non-Caucasian/multi-racial. Can I still join an NPC organization?
NPC and DePauw Panhellenic welcome all women! We encourage all who are interested to come to our fall events and go through the formal recruitment process in the spring semester.
What if I discover the sorority I’ve selected is the wrong one for me?
Once you’ve accepted a bid to a sorority, the new member process is designed to make sure you are ready to make a life-long commitment to an organization. This period normally lasts approximately 6 weeks but depends on your organization. If, before initiation, you decide that you are not ready for the commitment, you can break your pledge from the organization. If you would like to participate in recruitment again, you can do so at the time of the next formal recruitment period. Once you have accepted a bid from an NPC organization, you must wait until the next formal recruitment period to be eligible to receive another bid from an NPC organization.
If you truly think that the sorority to which you received a bid is the wrong group for you, you should make that decision before you are initiated. Once you are initiated into an NPC organization, you are ineligible for membership in any other NPC organization for the rest of your life. Going through initiation is a way to show that you are ready for a life-long commitment to your group.
What should I do now to help me get into a sorority when I go to college?
If you want to start preparing before recruitment, do some research. Learn about the different organizations on DePauw’s campus inter/nationally and locally to get a better idea of what each group represents.