Recruitment starts before move-in day. Where am I supposed to live?

If you are registered for Panhellenic Recruitment by June 15th, you will be guaranteed an early move in appointment on either August 11th or August 12th. Those registered after June 15th will not be guaranteed early move-in appointments and may be assigned appointments after August 12th. For more information about move-in, please visit the University Housing's website and be sure to check your VOLmail regularly!

More information about move-in will come from University Housing.

Individuals moving into an off-campus apartment building will need to work directly with the leasing agents.  The Panhellenic Council is unable to provide temporary housing prior to people’s leases beginning.

Do I need to provide my own meals during recruitment?

Lunch will be provided during select rounds of Recruitment. More information on provided meals will be available closer to Recruitment. You will be responsible for providing meals at all other times during the week of Recruitment. When you register for Recruitment, please be sure to identify any food allergies or dietary restrictions. Throughout Recruitment, we will also be providing light snacks.

What are Letters of Recommendation, and do I need them to join a sorority?

Recommendation letters are written by an alumna of one of our Panhellenic sororities on behalf of the potential new member.  Recommendation letters are done through the individual national sororities, not through the Panhellenic Council.  For information about each organization’s recommendation letter process, please visit the national organization’s website or our Panhellenic Lookbook on pages 23-24. The link to the lookbook can be found at the bottom of this page under “Links & Resources.”

All letters must be submitted prior to August 1st to ensure that chapters have adequate time to review the information.

Recommendation letters are best when they are written by someone who knows you and can speak to your character.  We encourage you to seek out individuals that you know, but if you are unable to secure a recommendation for any of our sororities, please do not stress and spend an unnecessary amount of time trying to secure them.  Recommendation letters will not make or break your recruitment experience.

Please note that each sorority has its own policy as to whether or not they require a recommendation/reference and that the University of Tennessee Panhellenic does NOT have access to individual sorority Recommendation/Reference Forms.

Typically, a sorority alumna, or potentially a collegiate member of a sorority, can write a recommendation to her sorority. It is also recommended that the alumna use her sorority’s official recommendation form, which can usually be found on the sorority’s national website or in the sorority’s national magazine. 

Securing letters of recommendation is ultimately NOT the obligation of the potential new member, so below are a couple of things to keep in mind if you choose to seek out letters of recommendation:

• If a PNM decides she wants to personally seek out alumnae to write a rec of her behalf, she need only secure ONE recommendation for every chapter that accepts letters of recommendation. More than one per chapter is unnecessary.

• If a PNM is struggling to find alumna to write letters of recommendation, we encourage reaching out to a local alumni chapter, searching the national website, or contacting the Chapter President by email and asking for recommendations on local alumni who would be willing to write one.

Additionally, many sororities have changed their policies and no longer require letters of recommendation. They can be helpful for the chapter to learn more about you but are not a deciding factor if you do not have them. Do not stress over finding a recommendation for every chapter!

Currently only the following chapters accept letters of recommendation

• Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Omicron Pi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Zeta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, and Zeta Tau Alpha

While there are 26 NPC sororities, when seeking letters of recommendation for recruitment, you ONLY need letters for those 13 National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities participating in formal recruitment at UTK. They are: Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Omicron Pi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Zeta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Mu, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Kappa, and Zeta Tau Alpha.

If you cannot find a letter of recommendation for each of the 13 NPC sororities participating in primary recruitment at UTK, please do not worry! Recs are like extra credit—it’s great if you can get them, but they are not required. If a sorority really wants to pledge someone and they have a policy that requires a PNM have at least one recommendation/reference form in order to be eligible for membership, they will find a recommendation for her. They won’t let her get away just because she can’t find her own recommendation

Supplemental Academic Letters of Recommendation

While chapter specific letters of recommendation are preferred, for women unable to find an alumna from each of the recognized sororities at the University of Tennessee to write a letter of rec, there is another option. As a part of the recruitment application women may elect to submit a generic, supplemental academic letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, or principal. The individual writing the letter of recommendation does not have been a member of a Greek organization; however, the letter should speak to your character as it applies to leadership, scholarship, community service, and friendship. Please note that this is an optional feature and as such, is not a required part of the online application form. The weight by which these Supplemental Academic Letters of Recommendation is up to each chapter’s discretion. 

Supplemental Academic Letters of Recommendation can be submitted directly through CampusDirector during registration.

What is a Gamma Chi?

A Gamma Chi, or Recruitment Counselor, is a member of one of our 13 chapters at the University of Tennessee who has taken on the role of an impartial member, disaffiliated from her chapter in order to provide an unbiased opinion for the potential new members.

What if I don’t get my first choice on Bid Day?

When you show up on Bid Day, your chapter is looking forward to seeing you run home. Trust the process and give the chapter a try! This happens more than you might think, and women end up loving their chapter.

Can I work if I am in a sorority?

Each sorority has different requirements for events and time commitments. Many have optional and mandatory events, but working a part-time job is very possible. Many students in our community hold part-time jobs while participating in their sorority. Chapters understand that many college students have jobs and do their best to work with members to meet financial, attendance, and other obligations. Additionally, many of our members pay for their dues through summer and part-time jobs.

What questions should I ask during recruitment?

Some of the best questions to ask a chapter member are about her personal experiences with Greek life. Other possible questions include:

• What does your chapter mean to you?

• How have you benefited from being a member of your sorority?

• What kind of scholarships and award programs does your chapter have?

• What is your philanthropy, and how does your chapter support it?

• What kind of leadership opportunities does your chapter offer?

Remember: the way you get to know a chapter is by asking questions that matter to you.

What if I don’t visit the maximum number of chapters I’ve been invited back to each round?

During recruitment, the number of chapters a potential new member can visit will vary from one person to the next. It is very common to not have a full schedule. The number of events you attend is not important, but the conversations you have during these rounds will help you make your final decisions about your top choices for membership. However, PNMs are expected to attend all events to which they are invited to throughout the recruitment process. Failure to attend an event may result in a lack of invitations the following round or removal from the recruitment process completely. Additionally, if you miss a round you were assigned, you will have to sit out the next round.

Is it common for women in different chapters to be friends with one another?

Yes! Panhellenic unity is so important to our community. We love working together on different service projects, fundraising, and other events.

I have a scheduling conflict during the week of Primary Recruitment - what do I do?

Any university sanctioned events (orientation, academic advising appointments, etc.) are required, so you unfortunately may miss some events during Primary Recruitment. Please notify your Gamma Chi, who will make sure that absences are passed along to each of the chapters.

How do I know who my Gamma Chi is?

You will receive communication from your Gamma Chi both by phone and by email the day prior to Recruitment Convocation.