With Inter-Sorority Council (ISC) fall recruitment approaching and sign-ups closing on Sunday, The Daily spoke to current ISC representatives to answer students’ most pressing questions about what to expect in the upcoming weeks. 

What is fall recruitment?

Recruitment is the process potential new members (PNMs) must go through to join a sorority at Stanford. It has been previously known as “rush,” but Stanford’s ISC has voted to use the term “recruitment” instead. Typically, ISC recruitment takes place in the spring. However, due to COVID-19, current sophomores were not allowed to participate in last year’s virtual recruitment. ISC voted to host fall recruitment to give sophomores the opportunity to join a sorority earlier in the school year. Fraternities will not be hosting recruitment this fall. 

When does fall recruitment officially start?

Fall recruitment will take place from Oct. 7 to Oct. 12 via Zoom. Potential New Member Orientation was held on Sunday at 7 p.m. PT, and all PNMs were required to attend this event before participating in recruitment. Those who could not make this orientation meeting time have until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. to watch the session. 

Which ISC organizations are participating in fall recruitment?

All ISC organizations — with the exception of Delta Delta Delta — will be participating in fall recruitment. These sororities include Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Beta Phi. 

What can I expect to happen during ISC fall recruitment?  

Once potential new members have completed orientation, they will be assigned to attend one of two Sisterhood Days, on either Thursday or Friday. At this event, PNMs will have the opportunity to get to know the five sororities better. PNMs will be given a schedule that lists the events they are required to attend, and they will have their cameras turned off throughout this event. After the end of each round, PNMs will rank the chapters they visited. PNMs are given party schedules for the next round based on a mutual-selection matching algorithm that takes into account both PNM and chapter preferences, though it values PNMs’ preferences more highly. 

In the second round of recruitment, known as “Values Round,” PNMs will hold conversations with the sororities with which they matched. This event will happen on Saturday, and PNMs will be required to have their cameras on for this round. During the final round of recruitment on Sunday, Preference Night will take place. At this stage, PNMs will talk to two sororities and will choose the sorority they like the most at the end of the night. Bid Day will be on Oct. 12. At this time, new members will have the opportunity to celebrate with their sororities in person. Everyone will be matched with a sorority. 

What safety measures will be put in place for fall recruitment?

To protect students against COVID-19, all events except Bid Day will be held via Zoom. ISC representatives determined that an in-person bid day was in compliance with Stanford’s regulations. All students will be expected to wear masks and comply with University guidelines for gatherings on bid day; those guidelines can be found here.

There will also be no alcohol or drugs involved in recruitment. Active members are not allowed to attend parties during the recruitment process, and PNMs are not allowed to attend any parties that involve drugs and alcohol during recruitment. If members violate recruitment rules, ISC says they will be held accountable for their actions.

What is the financial cost of being in a sorority?

There are no fees for participating in fall recruitment. If a PNM chooses to be part of a sorority after recruitment, however, they must pay dues. The costs vary depending on the chapter. 

Financial aid is available for students who join, and, while there are no requirements for receiving financial aid, ISC representatives encourage those who can afford to pay the full price to do so. While dues range in prices, the cost tends to be higher during a member’s first quarter in the organization compared to later quarters. Treasurers of each sorority are available to help students figure out their personal cost for participating in a sorority. Scholarships are also available through national ISC organizations.

Outside of dues, there are also other associated costs. When asked about hidden costs, including funding for social events, gifts for incoming members (formally known as “littles”) and out-of-state-leadership conferences, some sororities said they had funds to help subsidize these costs. Funding varies from chapter to chapter, and there may be circumstances in which students will be expected to financially contribute for particular events. 

How is ISC taking into consideration concerns over equity and inclusion?

With the concerns highlighted by Abolish Stanford Greek (ASG) and the ASSU Greek life survey results, equity and inclusion are at the forefront of the sororities’ work, according to Bella Juarez ’23. 

Each sorority chapter has a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) chair, who is key in shaping the recruitment process. All ISC chapters go through bias training, and some sororities require diversity syllabi for their organization. In the past, as highlighted by ASG and the ASSU Greek life survey, students have reported feeling unwelcome at ISC recruitment after being asked insensitive questions about cultural, social or economic circumstances. The diversity syllabi is meant to make ISC members more aware of students’ backgrounds. 

Additionally, ISC removed clothing, hair and makeup requirements for recruitment last year to ensure that PNMs do not face discrimination based on their appearance. PNMs are expected to present themselves in a way that makes them feel comfortable. PNMs who experience discrimination can fill out a report of their experiences. 

ISC also unanimously voted to end its legacy policy as of last year. This will be the second ISC recruitment season in which legacy status will not impact one’s likelihood to be accepted into a sorority. 

What is ASG saying about fall recruitment?

ASG remains steadfast in its position that ISC Greek life is beyond reform, posting fliers that urge people to boycott recruitment. Many of ASG’s members were once in Greek life, and have experience with the Greek system. More information about their stances on Greek life can be found on their Instagram page @abolishstanfordgreek.

Which non-ISC Greek organizations are holding fall recruitment?

There are two multicultural sororities doing fall recruitment in addition to their usual spring recruitment: alpha Kappa Delta Phi (aKDPhi) and Lambda Theta Nu. 

aKDPhi, Stanford’s only Asian-interest sorority, will be hosting an event each day from Monday to Friday. Events will be outdoors and in-person, per University guidelines. PNMs are expected to attend three of the five events, but those who cannot show up will not be disqualified from recruitment. For more information, students can reach out through this interest form. 

Lambda Theta Nu, Stanford’s only Latina-interest sorority, hosted their fall recruitment last week. However, anyone who missed Lambda Theta Nu’s events can contact the sorority’s recruitment chair.

Can I participate in both ISC and non-ISC recruitment?

Technically yes, but ISC representatives recommend checking your schedule because you will be in for a busy week. There is also no guarantee that respective recruitment events will not overlap. 

This article has been updated to more accurately reflect the decision-making process after each ISC recruitment round.