Panhellenic Recruitment Frequently Asked Questions

Below we have expanded on a few frequently asked questions. For your convenience, questions are broken down by subject: Registering for Recruitment, Logistics, and Recruitment Week.

Registering for Recruitment

I want to change something on my registration. How do I log back in?

Once registered, you can login to your PNM Profile to update any of your registration information HERE. You will need to activate your account by creating a password with the e-mail you used to register. If you do not recall making a password, then you may enter your email in the login and click "Forgot Password" to create one.

What is a legacy?

A legacy is defined differently by each inter/national organization. However, in general, legacy is defined as a woman whose sister, mother, or grandmother is a member of a National Panhellenic Conference sorority. Most chapters are asked by their inter/national organization to get to know each of its legacies participating in recruitment. 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 you. You should not make a decision or be under pressure based on your legacy affiliation. You should make a choice based on where you are most comfortable and not on
the experience of another individual.

What are letters of recommendation? When are recommendation letters due? Where do I get recommendation forms?

A letter of recommendation 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. See Page 5 of the Recruitment Booklet for more information.

What is the Core GPA?

The Panhellenic Council does not set specific academic conditions for you to participate in recruitment. However, it is important to understand each chapter has grade point average requirements set by its inter/national organization and the local members. It is possible, but extremely rare, for exceptions to be made to these guidelines. These individual requirements are listed in the 2023 Recruitment Booklet on the chapter profile pages.

Please note that you are not asked to provide your own academic information on your application because your academic record will be verified using the Student Information System (SIS). The high school GPA that the Panhellenic Council accepts is the Core GPA provided by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, which is also used for admittance into Oklahoma State University. Core GPA is defined below.

15-Unit Core Curricular Requirements:

4 units of English (grammar, composition and literature);
3 units of mathematics (algebra I, geometry, algebra II and above);
3 units of history and citizenship skills (Must include 1 unit of American history and 2 units from the subjects of history, economics, geography, government, civics and/or non-western culture);
3 units lab science (biology, chemistry, physical sciences, physics or any lab science certified by school district); and
2 units of other courses selected from any of the sections above or computer science or foreign language.
AP and higher-level IB courses are identified and weighted in the Core GPA (i.e. If a student makes a B in AP language composition, it is calculated as an A. An earned A grade is given an extra point when calculated.)

*While the State Regents strongly support the initiation of honors courses, honors weighting will not be used in the calculation of either high school (overall or core) GPA because there is no equitable mechanism to include the honors premium

Additional Information: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education: Section 3.9.4 Admission of First-Time Freshman: Performance Requirements: http://www.okhighered.org/state-system/policy-procedures/part3.shtml

Please refer all questions specific to your Core GPA to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions

The above information can be found at https://admissions.okstate.edu/admission-requirements#freshmen.

Please don’t forget to send your final, eight-semester transcript to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as soon as you are able. (Do not send your transcript to the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs or to the Panhellenic Council. We do not have access to enter it into Banner.) Transcripts not postmarked by the application deadline of July 26 will not be processed. Women whose academic records cannot be verified will not be permitted to participate in recruitment.

If your high school Core GPA is below a 3.0 or college GPA is below a 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale), you will have significantly fewer opportunities than participants with higher GPAs. Potential new members who do not meet the minimum academic requirements of a specific chapter typically are released early in the recruitment process to allow these women to explore other alternatives.

Logistics

Can I move in early for recruitment?

If you will be living on campus during the fall, you have the ability to move into your housing assignment on Monday August 14th. When you arrive, you should report to the front desk associated with your permanent housing assignment on that same day

Following the Bid Day activities at the chapter houses, new members will retain access to their permanent housing assignments and can move the remainder of their belongs in at that time. Therefore, it is recommended that you bring only what is needed for recruitment or that you pack strategically due to the limited amount of time allotted for move in. Women who withdraw from the process early will be allowed to remain in their permanent housing assignment.

Do I need a parking permit for recruitment?

You must bring your parking permit with you to recruitment. Your parking permit may be ordered online at http://parking.okstate.edu. We recommend waiting until right before you leave to order your permit. When you order it, you’ll be able to print off a one week temporary pass. Then, your permit is mailed to your on campus address. If you do not have your parking permit on your car during recruitment, you may be ticketed by OSU Parking and Transit Services. The Panhellenic Council is not associated with the OSU Parking Department and will be unable to dismiss any tickets that you receive during recruitment week.

Recruitment Week

I need to miss a day of recruitment. Who should I tell?

Like sorority membership, recruitment week requires a significant time commitment. The Panhellenic Council has adopted a no-tolerance policy regarding missed days or events. Women participating in recruitment must be available to attend all scheduled invitational rounds and evening events; exceptions will only be made for University-related activities (i.e. OSU Band or OSU Athletics). You are expected to be present at every chapter event you are scheduled to attend. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from recruitment.

Women who have unavoidable conflicts that will require absences from recruitment are encouraged to consider Continuous Open Bidding or to wait to participate until fall recruitment 2023.

Where will I eat during recruitment week?

Each woman has a meal plan included in the cost of the registration fees. This meal plan includes Monday Dinner and Tuesday and Wednesday Lunch. All other meals throughout the week will be independent and individuals can use their semester meal plan to eat what they would like on campus. This will help encourage them to explore the on-campus dining options during recruitment week. We also encourage PNMs to plan ahead to have snacks and breakfast options available in their own dorm.

Will I be able to talk to my family during recruitment?

During the day, you will have limited time to talk to anyone not at Recruitment. Please note that inappropriate cell phone usage is grounds for dismissal from recruitment. In the event of an emergency, please have your parents/guardians contact the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs at 405-744-5490 or the Recruitment Central at 405-744-6583.

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

Recruitment is a mutual selection process that balances the preferences of each potential new member with those of the existing sorority chapters. The Panhellenic Council strives to allow every young woman an opportunity to find a sorority that best suits her personality, interests and future goals, while providing an organized and unbiased membership selection process for the chapters.

Invitations are only guaranteed to potential new members for the first round, which happens on Thursday. There is no guarantee that a PNM will be invited to attend the second (Tuesday), fourth(Thursday) or fifth (Friday) event rounds. There is no specific formula that defines why a woman is not invited back.

Therefore, there is no guarantee that a woman will receive a bid to any sorority. However, if a potential new member progresses through the week and attends all the events she is invited to during fourth event round and lists each of those chapters on her preference sheet that night, she will receive a bid to one of those chapters.

There is no specific formula that explains why a woman is released from a particular chapter, or why a woman prefers one chapter more than another. The Panhellenic Council makes every effort to allow each potential new member the best opportunity to join the sorority of her choice, but there are no guarantees a young woman will be placed within that specific sorority. It is important to keep an open mind during recruitment week and to use the time to meet and make new friends!

For more information on decision making and mutual selection, click here to view a brief presentation.