Something Greek's Recruitment Series: How to Answer Tough Questions

Sure, you trust Something Greek for all of your custom Greek apparel needs, but today we have some additional, useful fraternity and sorority recruitment ideas for you! When fraternity and sorority rush comes around, you will most likely be faced with some difficult questions and statements. We've compiled a list of some typical tough fraternity and sorority recruitment questions. My recommendation is to use our advice, and quickly change the subject. Here are some situations that we've been faced with:

1. Is being in Greek Life expensive? I like to tell PNMs that I pay all my sorority dues myself. It's not free, but it's worth it!

2. Do you haze? My automatic response to this is "[Insert the name of your school] has a strict no hazing policy."

3. What kind of time commitment can I expect? I normally tell rushes that they control their personal time commitment. If you want to run for positions, your time commitment will be higher than if you chose not to take on these additional responsibilities.

4. I'm not the Fraternity/Sorority type? Today, I really don't think there is a Fraternity/Sorority type. There seems to be a Greek organization for everyone. Of course, there are your typical social fraternities and sororities, but there are also religion affiliated Greek organizations, heritage-based Greek organizations, and even major-focused Greek organizations. When discussing Greek life, there really is a place for everyone.

5. Will joining a Fraternity or Sorority effect my grades? If the concern is about the new member period, most schools have a mandatory number of library hours that each new member must be given access to. If the individual is concerned about once they are an active member, I like to tell PNMs that learning to prioritize is essential, and if they need help trying to figure out how to incorporate various things into their schedules, an older member of the organization will gladly help them out. I think that being in my sorority has made me practically a professional prioritize-er.

6. Will I have to break up with my boyfriend/girlfriend? The answer to this is obvious: of course not. Instead of completely changing the subject at this point, maybe try introducing the rush to one of your brothers or sisters that is in a long distance relationship. This person will be able to reassure the rush that you can be in a Greek organization and still maintain relationships outside of your schools Greek community.

7. Can I still have outside friends? This questions is similar to the previous question. The obvious answer is "of course!" Next, you can follow up by telling the PNM about your good friend who is on the lacrosse team.

8. How do you decide which organization you want to join? I like to tell rushes that each organization has its own personality, and that by meeting everyone rushes can determine who they fit best with.

9. I don't want to pay for my friends. In my mind, you're not paying for friends. You're paying for the activities that you do with these friends. Even if you weren't in Greek Life you would still do things like buy shirts, go on trips, pay for a dorm room, or rent for an apartment with your friends. When you join a Fraternity or Sorority, you're paying for the same things. The only difference is that you are paying for these things up front, all at once.

10. How is being in a Fraternity or Sorority different than simply having your own friends? Being in a Fraternity or Sorority gives you connections outside of simply your group of friends. You have alumni connections and connections nationally (if your organization is a national organization). Most people have friends just among their age group. I can say that I have very close friends much older than me and much younger than  me. That is a interesting perspective to have, in my opinion. Also, being in a Greek organization gives you something in common with so many people. Even if you meet someone from another organization, you will have stories and experiences to compare. Additionally, you will always be able to find someone who wants to do exactly what you want to do. Having many brothers or sisters pretty much guarantees that a night that you want to go out, someone will want to go out with you, or if you want to stay in and watch a movie, someone will want to do that too.

I hope these questions and answers help with your recruitment experience! If you have any other suggestions for tough questions/statements that you want answered or if you have any additional comments to add to my answers, leave us a comment!

-Michelle Giuseffi