Primary Recruitment FAQs
When can I participate in sorority recruitment?
Primary sorority recruitment at The University of Alabama is only conducted in the fall semester, prior to the start of school. 2024 Recruitment week begins Saturday, August 10, 2024, and concludes with Bid Day on Sunday, August 18, 2024. It is important to note that the UA Panhellenic does not host a structured spring recruitment. If you are unable to participate in fall primary recruitment, but are interested in joining a sorority, you may participate in Continuous Open Bidding (COB).
COB begins immediately following the end of the Primary Recruitment process, on Bid Day. COB is also sometimes held in the spring semester; however, not all sororities are eligible to participate in COB. In order to host COB events, a chapter must be under Chapter Total (I.e. Median Chapter Size). For Spring 2024, Chapter Total at Alabama is currently set at 443 members. Women interested in COB, should complete a COB Interest Form. Once we receive your COB interest form, we will share it will be shared with those sororities under Chapter Total that have elected to participate in COB. For more information about the COB process, please contact the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life at (205) 348-2693
Is a snap bid the same as COB?
NO. SNAP BIDDING IS RARE AND TYPICALLY DOES NOT HAPPEN. Snap bidding ends when bids are distributed on Bid Day. Continuous Open Bidding (COB) begins as soon as Bid Day begins. Further, Snap Bidding is ONLY allowed for those chapters that did NOT match to quota in the bid-matching process of Primary Recruitment. The Snap Bidding process takes place before bids are distributed on Bid Day and eligibility is limited to women who participated in at least the first round of recruitment (I.e. Open House). Snap Bids are coordinated and extended through the College Panhellenic, prior to the distribution of bids and the start of Bid Day activities.
Can I go through Recruitment as an upperclassman or transfer student?
Yes. Provided you are a full-time student at UA who consistently lives and self-identifies as a woman and have not been initiated into an NPC sorority at UA or on another campus, you may participate in fall Primary Recruitment. Alabama utilizes a secondary quota that separates upperclassman from incoming freshman. A dual quota system is used to specifically to place upperclassmen potential members. Its purpose is to give upperclassmen and transfer students a greater opportunity to pledge during Primary Recruitment.
Is there a required GPA to go through Recruitment?
Although Panhellenic does not require a specific grade point average (GPA) to participate in Primary Recruitment or COB, each sorority has a minimum grade requirement to be eligible for membership. Every sorority strives to maintain a high chapter grade point average (GPA), therefore each must consider a woman’s ability to adhere to the chapter's scholastic standards. With the large amount of women that participate in the Primary Recruitment process, GPA tends to be an easy way for the chapters to begin to manage the numbers. As such, it is HIGHLY recommended that women participating in Primary Recruitment or COB have at or above a 3.4 cumulative high school or college GPA at the time they are seeking membership.
Does participation in Primary Recruitment guarantee a bid for membership?
No. Although majority of the women participating in Primary Recruitment are invited to join a chapter at the end of recruitment, for the last five years, more than 90% of the women participating in the Open House Round of Recruitment have received a bid, it is possible to go through recruitment and not pledge a sorority. For comparison, the national average for women receiving a bid during primary recruitment is 79%. Recruitment is a process of mutual selection, and as such, there are many different outcomes to this process. Typically, approximately 4-8% of women participating in Recruitment voluntarily withdraw themselves from the process during the week, choosing not to continue participating in Recruitment, even though they have chapters available to attend. Each sorority at UA has their own membership criteria, oftentimes dictated by their national organization, which they use to make there selections. Unfortunately, we also have women who are completely released from the recruitment process, although this number is relatively low, up to 5%.
If I decide not to participate in recruitment, is my registration fee refundable?
No. All registration fees are nonrefundable, no exceptions. This is clearly stated on the recruitment registration payment link, so before you register for recruitment, please take this into consideration.
What is the MRABA?
The Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA), is a one-year binding agreement signed by a potential new member when ranking chapters after the final round of Preference events during the Primary Recruitment process. Prior to signing the MRABA, PNMs have several options to consider and reflect on with regard to membership options.
A PNM may choose not to complete the MRABA, thereby withdrawing from recruitment. If a PNM chooses this option, she is eligible to accept a bid for membership from any sororities participating in Continuous Open Bidding (COB). However not guaranteed, a small number of sororities may be able to recruit a limited number of women through the COB process after primary recruitment, if their chapter is below Panhellenic Total (I.e. Average Chapter Size).
A PNM may choose to list any sorority whose preference event she attended and from whom she is willing to accept an invitation to membership (a bid). PNMs should NOT rank any sorority on her final selection that she is absolutely not willing to accept a bid for membership. If a PNM matches with a sorority that she listed on her MRABA, regardless of whether she accepts the invitation for membership or not, she is bound to that sorority for one calendar year (August 2023-August 2024), and is not eligible participate in COB or accept a bid from another NPC chapter until the next primary recruitment period.
A PNM may choose to list only one or two preferences, but she must understand that by choosing to single intentional preference that she is not guaranteed to receive a bid for membership. Only potential new members who maximize their options and list ALL of the chapters that they attended during the Preference Round are guaranteed to receive a bid for membership, although it may not be their top choice. If a PNM does not receive an invitation to membership (a bid) from any of the sororities that she listed on her MRABA, then she is eligible to participate in Continuous Open Bidding (COB).
What if I received a bid during recruitment and have since decided to decline it?
If, at the conclusion of Primary Recruitment, a PNM receives a bid to a chapter that she listed on her MRABA and later decides to declines it, she is still bound to the chapter for one year or until the next primary recruitment period, meaning she cannot participate in COB and/or accept a bid for membership to another NPC sorority.
What should I expect to receive after registering for Recruitment?
Immediately after completing registration, you will receive a confirmation email from the APA Recruitment Team. The 2024 Sorority Recruitment Guide will available online in May. All potential members participating in recruitment will receive a physical copy of the Sorority Recruitment Guide when they check-in at Convocation.
Do I need to send my transcript to Panhellenic (APA) or the sorority chapters?
Although it is not required that you submit your high school and/or college transcript to each individual sorority, it is recommended that it is sent to the chapters along with any other documents (resume, headshot, etc) that are sent in with a recommendation from an alumna if they are submitting a recommendation on your behalf. It is also in the PNM's best interest to submit a transcript, especially if she has a low high school grade point average. We kindly ask that you please do not send copies of your transcript to the Alabama Panhellenic Association or the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Does the University need a copy of my final high school or college transcript?
Yes! If you have not already done so, you will need to request that a final copy of your high school or college transcript be sent to the Office of Admissions by July 17, 2024. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that UA has your FINAL high school and/or college transcript. In order to verify the academic standing of all Potential New Members, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life will request a grade report from the Office of Admission and the University Registrar, which will be shared with all the chapters participating in primary recruitment. Please note that all the sororities at UA will ONLY recognize the Grade Point Average (GPA) on listed file with The University of Alabama as the OFFICIAL recognized GPA for all students. As such, please have your high school or college send a certified copy of your FINAL transcript to the address below prior to July 17, 2024.
The University of Alabama
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Box 870132
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0132