What Does Joining a Sorority Look Like?

Quick answer: Joining a sorority means going through a recruitment process (usually a few days to a week of structured rounds), receiving and accepting a bid from a chapter, then a new member education period before full initiation — typically several weeks of learning chapter history, values, and traditions before becoming a fully initiated sister.

Recruitment: meeting every chapter

Recruitment (sometimes called rush) is a multi-round process where you visit every participating chapter, narrowing down over several rounds until you're matched with one on bid day. See our complete Rush Week guide for how each round works.

New member education

After bid day, new members go through an education period — usually several weeks — learning chapter history, national organization values, and traditions before formal initiation. This period varies significantly by chapter and national organization in length and structure.

Initiation and beyond

Initiation formally welcomes new members as full sisters, often followed by choosing a big sister and settling into chapter life — meetings, philanthropy events, socials, and (for many) moving into the chapter house.

FAQ

How long does it take to become a full sorority member?
From bid day to initiation is typically several weeks, though exact timing varies by chapter and national organization.

What happens during new member education?
New members typically learn chapter history, national values, and traditions, and may have study hours or events to attend before initiation.

Once you're initiated, shop gear for your new chapter.