Panhellenic FAQs

• What is a recommendation letter or RIF?

  A letter of recommendation, also referred to as a Recruitment Information Form(RIF), is written by an alumna member of an organization for the purpose of introducing a woman to a chapter. It provides a brief description of her interests, activities, and personality. A letter of recommendation is often a checkbox and may not even be viewed by the chapter so please do not stress if you are unable to get one for a chapter. The standards and policies set by the National Panhellenic Conference regarding letters of recommendation state:

  • "The responsibility for providing letters of recommendation for prospective new members rests with the members of NPC fraternities, and recruitment information distributed through College and Alumnae Panhellenics shall contain nothing that infers that letters of recommendation must be secured by the potential new member. 

    Individual NPC member groups will clarify this responsibility with their membership. NPC area advisors will clarify this responsibility with College and Alumnae Panhellenics. Remuneration from the potential new member or her family for any such letter is inappropriate."

  Recommendation letters may be considered in the membership selection process, however they are in no way required for joining any chapter and some chapters may not accept them. An alumna member unfamiliar with the recommendation letter process can visit her inter/national organization’s website for further instructions. The letter of recommendation should be submitted electronically via the inter/national organization’s website. Any recommendation letters received by the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs and/or by the Panhellenic Council will be destroyed. Registering with a local Alumnae Panhellenic Association for recommendation letters does not register you for recruitment. To register, you must complete the online registration form.

• When are recommendation letters due?

  There is not a due date for recommendation letters. The earlier they are sent in, the better off you will be. However, recommendation letters can be sent in as late as August. Please note, recommendation letters must be sent directly to the chapters using the addresses found on the Chapter Profile Pages. Alumnae are also encouraged to submit electronic recommendation forms online by visiting their inter/national chapter’s website before recruitment. 

• What if I don’t have a recommendation letter for every chapter? 

  You are not required to have any letters of recommendation to go through recruitment. If you know alumnae from chapters we have on campus, ask them to write you a letter. These letters are written to introduce you to the chapter members, but it does not guarantee you will be given a bid to a certain chapter.

• What is a legacy?

  A legacy is defined differently by each inter/national organization. However, in general, a legacy is defined as a woman whose sister, mother or grandmother is a member of a National Panhellenic Conference sorority. Some chapters are asked by their inter/national organization to get to know each of its legacies participating in recruitment. Policies have changed in recent years, please check with your organization to check the lastest policies. It is important to note a sorority is not obligated to offer a bid to a legacy, and a potential new member is not obligated by anyone to commit to a chapter where she is a legacy.

  Please remember that the ultimate decision to join a chapter rests with the potential new member. The potential new member should not make a decision or be under pressure based on her legacy affiliation. The potential new member should make a choice based on where she is most comfortable, not on the experience of another individual.

• What if I don’t visit the maximum number of chapters during each round? 

  During the recruitment process, the number of chapters a PNM will visit each day will vary from one woman to the next. The majority of women who go through recruitment at OSU do not have full schedules of events to attend. The number of events is not important; it is the conversations and people you are interacting with that are important.

• If I am going through recruitment as a sophomore or going through again, am I at a disadvantage?

  Many women choose to go through recruitment as a sophomore or junior for various reasons. As long as your high school GPA is at least a 3.0, or your college GPA is at least a 2.7, and you have been involved in campus and community activities, you should not have a problem. For those going through recruitment a second time, there is a chance that chapters that released you the first time through will release you again. You should keep an open mind and discuss all the activities in which you have been involved over the past year as well as let the sororities know why you are going through a second time.

• Am I guaranteed to receive an invitation for membership (bid) from a chapter?

  Invitations are only guaranteed to Potential new members for the first round, which takes place in early August. There is no guarantee that you will be invited to attend the second, third, or forth rounds. There is no specific formula that defines why a woman is not invited back. Therefore, there is no guarantee you will receive a bid to any sorority. However, if you progress through the week and attend all the events you are invited to during the fourth event round and list each of those chapters on your preference sheet that night, you will receive a bid to one of those chapters.

• Will my grades suffer if I am in a sorority?

  The all-Greek average GPA at OSU is consistently higher than the non-Greek average GPA. The average Panhellenic women’s undergraduate GPA is 3.5 while the All Non Greek undergraduate Women’s GPA is 3.2. Each sorority has its own scholarship program that will help you succeed academically as well as learn to effectively manage your time outside of class.

• Will I be able to work in addition to being in a sorority?

  Many chapter members at OSU have part-time jobs in addition to being in a fraternity or sorority.

• General FAQs

  Visit the main Fraternity & Sorority Affairs site for additional frequently asked questions.