For people who haven’t gone through any form of Greek recruitment, the process could seem daunting and complicated. College students who have considered Greek life have different ways of approaching the process, the most popular being formal recruitment.

Women interested in joining one of the fourteen Panhellenic council sororities can participate in formal recruitment, which, according to the WSU Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life website, takes place the week before classes begin in August.

The Panhellenic Council oversees all primary recruitment events during the week and guides potential new members through orientation programs, educational programming events, personal development activities, campus events and most importantly, recruitment.

“Formal recruitment is getting members that match the brand of our chapter into making them fit the best way possible,” Kendra Kranc, Alpha Phi 2018 recruitment chair, said.

While formal recruitment is where PNMs may find their new home, Kranc said a sorority’s preparation is just as important as the event itself.

To prepare the chapter for primary recruitment, Kranc holds mandatory weekly recruitment practices for the chapter women and makes sure they are ready for the two mock trials all Panhellenic sororities engage in.

During these weekly practices, Kranc will show the newest member class what a real recruitment party would be like. During each recruitment event, Kranc said she personally looks for well-rounded girls who are involved and favor scholarship.

“For example, on Panhellenic Day [there] are 35-minute parties,” said Kranc. “We will have about 10-15 parties that day with each of the Rho Gamma groups.”

She explained the Rho Gamma groups consist of 15 to 20 PNMs who go through Panhellenic Sorority Primary Recruitment together.

During Panhellenic Day, which is the first day of formal recruitment, Kranc said the women of Alpha Phi — as well as other chapters — will give a brief explanation of what each chapter is about. It’s the first day PNMs get to experience the different chapters.

During the second day of recruitment, Philanthropy Day, each chapter will explain what their philanthropy is and what they do to raise money. Alpha Phi’s biggest philanthropic event is the Red Dress Gala, which happens during Mom’s Weekend.

House Tour Day is the third day of recruitment, when the women give house tours of their chapter facility.

“[They] talk about the different memories they have had in the house and how they found the connections they’re hoping the PNMs will have,” said Kranc.

Preference Day, the last day of recruitment, involves a ceremony to incorporate the PNMs into their sisterhood and open up so they feel welcome, Kranc said. Since it’s also Bid Day, after brunch the women open their bid cards and find out what sorority they’ll be a part of for the upcoming year.

Fraternity recruitment has its similarities to sorority recruitment and is overseen by the Interfraternity Council. Men’s recruitment is categorized into three different processes.

Men can engage in summer recruitment, which is an informal process that takes place between mid-May and mid-August.

Cameron Mandelis, Phi Kappa Sigma 2018 recruitment chair, said he is the person to go to for questions about recruitment for his fraternity, but men can also participate in formal recruitment. In addition to visiting over 25 primary residential fraternities, they also have to attend some of the same events as the women, such as educational programming events and personal development activities.

The fraternities on campus host “hangout events” for the PNMs. Mandelis said it is a chance for the men to participate in a mutual selection recruitment process, as the fraternity men have 30-minute conversations with the PNMs.