Greek Life recruitment

Bid: a formal invitation of membership offered by a chapter to a potential new member (PNM). These are offered on Bid Day, which is the last day of Primary Recruitment.

Chapter: the local entity of an international fraternity or sorority. It’s a word used to mean “fraternity” or “sorority” on a campus.

Chapter facility: this is an officially recognized property where members of fraternity or sorority reside. In other words, it’s a fraternity or sorority house.

Greek Row: this is the informal name of the street(s) on campus where our fraternity and sorority facilities are located.

Potential new member (PNM): a person who is interested in joining a Greek-letter organization and will participate in recruitment.

Primary Recruitment/Formal Recruitment: often called “rush,” is a structured, multi-day event that happens before the fall semester begins.  It's your chance to meet members of each sorority or fraternity, attend events, ask questions and explore where you feel most at home. Through this process, you'll build friendships, learn about each chapter’s values and traditions, and decide if joining a Greek organization is right for you.

Recruitment Counselor: trained volunteers, typically chapter members, who provide unbiased assistance during the recruitment process. For Panhellenic sorority recruitment, they are called “Rho Gammas.”

Values-based recruitment: the idea for PNMs to join a sorority or fraternity which aligns with their personal values. This is achieved through conversations between PNMs and chapter members about the values of the organization and the associated events and services that demonstrate personal values. 

Formal recruitment allows you to explore membership in IFC fraternities or Panhellenic sororities through a set of organized activities before the start of the fall semester.

The event helps you become acquainted with different fraternities or sororities on campus, who are also actively seeking new members. Your grades, talents, activities and interests are all considered during this selection process.

Multicultural Greek Recruitment is conducted by individual chapters throughout the fall and spring semesters.

Yes. New Student Orientation is also held in the fall for first-year students, typically during the week following fall recruitment. Even though you register for recruitment, you are still expected to register for and attend New Student Orientation.

To participate in recruitment, you must be enrolled at University of Idaho and qualify as a full-time student (enrolled in 12 credits or more). Students must be in an undergraduate program.

You are welcome to participate – whether it's your first year in college, you're transferring from another collegiate program, or you’re heading into your final academic year.

No. While recommendation letters were once common practice, University of Idaho’s Greek community has shifted focus towards improving the overall experience and strengthening connections potential members build with our chapters during recruitment. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and the governing councils no longer facilitate collection or distribution of recommendations for recruitment.   

Students participating in recruitment will be staying in on-campus residence halls for the week. The cost of overnight accommodation for the week is covered in the registration fee.

Yes! Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided for participants. Students will enjoy meals either at on-campus dining or chapter facilities. Do you have dietary restrictions? Be on the lookout for an email over the summer about a dietary restrictions survey or reach out to let us know after you register at fsl@uidaho.edu.

You should plan to bring everything you will need for the fall semester with you when you arrive for recruitment. While going through recruitment you will be permitted to keep two suitcases with you in the residence halls for the week. You will be permitted to bring four additional storage bins to place into secure, temporary storage space. These bins will not be accessible during the week of recruitment, so please pack all your necessities in your suitcases. Once recruitment has ended, you will retrieve your belongings and move into your permanent space for the semester.

Please see a suggested packing list below. Pack for warm temperatures and lots of walking and outdoor activities — comfort is key!

Important items

• Clothing
• Pajamas
• Sweatshirt/sweatpants
• Bedding (pillow, blanket, twin XL sheets, twin XL comforter)
• Towel
• Shower caddy with shower supplies
• Shower shoes
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Toiletries
• Water bottle
• Phone chargers
• Medications

Optional items

• Fan
• Multiple pairs of shoes (dress shoes, walking shoes, slides or slippers)
• Shower shoes
• Mattress topper
• Sunscreen
• Stain stick
• Computer
• Notebook and pencils
• Portable charger
• Sunglasses
• Backpack or tote bag
• Band-Aids and blister patches
• Drinks and snacks
• Books and activities for free time

Check-in for recruitment will span a few hours from the late morning to early afternoon on the first day of recruitment. Please plan to check-in anytime within the check-in window. More details on the exact time and location of check-in will be shared over the summer after you’ve registered.

For those with long travel times, some students and families choose to come a day early, stay in a hotel or short-term rental and explore Moscow and campus together. The university is unable to provide overnight accommodation for early arrivals.

Other students and families arrive on the day of check-in. Lunch will not be provided on this day, so make sure to leave enough time to eat before recruitment starts.

Recruitment is a six-day experience focused on matching you with the fraternity or sorority that is right for you.  The goal of recruitment week is to help students find the chapter that feels like the best fit, while also giving chapter members a chance to meet students who share their values and goals. U of I uses a mutual selection process, where you choose which organizations you are most interested in joining, and chapters choose which students they are most interested in inviting to join their group.

The recruitment process looks different for fraternities and sororities, but the idea is the same: explore the community, make connections and find your home away from home.

During fraternity and sorority recruitment, each day provides opportunities for conversation and connection with one or more chapters. Peer recruitment counselors and support staff will help walk students through the process, are available to answer questions and oversee the week.

Day 1: Check-in day 

Check-in will span a few hours from the late morning to early afternoon on the first day of recruitment. When checking in, you will get a nametag and a key for your temporary space and have the opportunity to place items in temporary storage.

After the check-in window has ended, fraternity and sorority recruitment will begin on check-in day with a combined kickoff event for you and your family. During this event, you’ll hear from students and staff about the process. At the conclusion of the presentation, you will be asked to say goodbye to your family and leave to join groups of student leaders, called recruitment counselors, who will guide you to your next event. Your family is invited to remain in the presentation space for an optional Parent and Family Orientation Session.

Days 2-5: Invitation rounds 

You will spend most of the week of recruitment attending scheduled events to get to know every chapter on campus. You’ll receive an individualized schedule each morning and will have assistance from a recruitment counselor to get to your events. As the week progresses, you will visit fewer and fewer chapters as you engage with the mutual selection process and narrow down your choices.

Day 6: Bid Day 

Bid Day is the final and most exciting day of recruitment. On Bid Day, anyone matched with a fraternity or sorority will gather to open their bid cards. A bid is a formal invitation to join a fraternity or sorority.

Once bids are opened, you’ll join their new fraternity or sorority, who will be waiting to welcome you. It's exciting, high-energy and lots of fun! Together the entire chapter will take new members to check out their new home.  

After you check-in and store your extra bins, you will be given a key to your assigned residence hall room. Once you arrive at the residence hall, recruitment staff will show you to your room, demonstrate how to use key cards to access the building and help you get settled. There will be time to unpack before recruitment events begin.

After recruitment, anyone paired with a housed chapter can move directly into the chapter facility on Bid Day. Members of the chapter will assist you in the moving process. Your parents are welcome to return to assist you and check out the chapter facility, but it's not common.

Both the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Housing and Residence Life recommend that first-year students participating in recruitment do not sign a residence hall contract. Ninety-seven percent of women and ninety-nine percent of men who participate in Formal Recruitment through Bid Day are matched to a chapter. All incoming first-year students are guaranteed on-campus housing and will be placed in the residence halls if they do not join a housed chapter through Greek recruitment.

Returning students are not guaranteed a space in the residence halls, so we recommend that non-first-year students secure an alternative housing option. 

After you register for recruitment, more information will be sent to your student email address ending in @vandals.uidaho.edu and the preferred email address you provide during registration.

Follow our Instagram pages to stay up to date on additional information and get a sneak peek into our communities.

• Fraternity and Sorority Life: @idahogreeklife
• Panhellenic Sororities: @idahopanhellenic
• Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment: @uidahorecruitment
• Interfraternity Council Fraternities: @idahoifc