Fraternity & Sorority Recruitment
Now more than ever cultivating meaningful relationships matters. Membership in one of our organizations will surround you with people who challenge you to become the best version of yourself, while supporting who you are today. Our members are successful students and leaders because they found their people and their purpose in the fraternity and sorority community. Are you ready to find yours?
Living in a Chapter Facility
The Moscow campus is home to 28 chapter facilities that house all of our Panhellenic sororities and most of our IFC fraternities. Students that join a chapter have the opportunity to live in the facility throughout their time as a Vandal, which also satisfies the university's first-year live on campus requirement. The average cost of living in a chapter facility is $3,800-$5,900 per semester, which includes membership dues, housing, meals and more. All chapter facilities are independently owned and operated by local or national housing corporations.
The Joining Process
There are many opportunities throughout the year to become a member of our community. One of the most common ways to get involved in a Panhellenic sorority or IFC fraternity is to participate in formal recruitment before the fall semester begins. During recruitment, interested students meet current members and explore membership opportunities through meaningful conversations and events. These opportunities are designed to build relationships, provide education and build confidence in the decision-making process. Fall recruitment is open to new and current U of I students as well as transfer students.
Fall Formal Recruitment Dates:
- Fall 2025: Aug. 13 -18
Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment: Registration Opens March 18, 2025
Panhellenic Primary Recruitment is a fully-structured, five-day process in which Potential New Members (students participating in recruitment, also known as PNMs) meet current sorority members from all ten chapters and learn more about the Panhellenic experience at U of I. Each participant is connected with a recruitment counselor who serves as a resource and mentor throughout the experience, as well as with a group of peers who are going through the process together. Registration fees cover temporary lodging, meals, storage and more. Registration closes on August 1, 2025.
Have questions? Email phc-recruitment@uidaho.edu or reach out to our office at fsl@uidaho.edu for more information.
IFC Fraternity Recruitment: Registration Opens March 18, 2025
IFC Recruitment at the University of Idaho is a structured multiday experience where students can meet current members from all 18 IFC chapters and learn more about the membership experience. Registration fees cover temporary lodging, meals, storage and more during the experience. Registration closes on August 1, 2025.
Have questions? Email ifc-recruitment@uidaho.edu or reach out to our office at fsl@uidaho.edu for more information.
Fraternity and Sorority Multicultural Greek Recruitment: Participate in Events Throughout the Fall and Spring Semesters!
Recruitment for the Multicultural Greek Council chapters begins with an MGC Showcase Week where all six chapters host community-wide events to introduce prospective members to their community. Shortly after the showcase week, each chapter begins their intake process by hosting an event or series of events where interested students can meet active chapter members, ask questions about the national organization and learn more about the intake experience. Examples of these events have included community service, game nights, shared meals, roller skating, study sessions, dance/exercise classes, crafting and creative arts, trivia and more.
Have questions? Email mgc-president@uidaho.edu
FAQ
Students participating in recruitment will be staying in on-campus residence halls for the week. The cost of overnight accommodations 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. Have dietary restrictions? Be on the lookout for outreach over the summer about a dietary restrictions survey or reach out to let us know after you register at fsl@uidaho.edu.
Students should plan to bring everything they will need for the fall semester with them when they arrive for recruitment. Students going through recruitment will be permitted two suitcases to keep with them in the residence halls for the week. For additional belongings, each student will be permitted to bring four storage bins to place into provided temporary storage space. These bins will not be accessible during the week of recruitment, so please pack all necessities in your suitcases. Once recruitment has ended, students will retrieve their belongings and move into their 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
- 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/blister patches
- Drinks/snacks
- Books/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 with registered students over the summer.
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. Please note that 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 interested students with the fraternity or sorority that is right for them. The goal of this week is for every student participating in recruitment to get a sense of which chapter will be the best fit for them and for current chapter members to figure out which students best align with their organization’s goals and values. This is achieved through a mutual selection process, where students choose which organizations they are most interested in joining, and chapters choose which students they are most interested in inviting to join their group.
The recruitment process for fraternities and sororities looks a little different, but the idea is the same: explore the community, make connections and find your home away from home.
For fraternity and sorority recruitment, each day provides opportunities for conversation and connection with one or more chapters. Peer
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, students will get a nametag and a key for their temporary space and have the opportunity to place items in our 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 students and families. During this event, you’ll hear from students and staff about the process and get excited for the week to come! At the conclusion of the presentation, students will be asked to say goodbye to their families and leave to join groups of student leaders, called recruitment counselors, who will guide them to their next scheduled event. Families are invited to remain in the presentation space for an optional Parent and Family Orientation Session.
Days 2-5: Invitation Rounds
Students will spend most of the week of recruitment attending scheduled events to get to know every chapter on campus. Each student will receive an individualized schedule each morning and will have assistance from a recruitment counselor to get to their events. As the week progresses, students will visit fewer and fewer chapters as they engage with the mutual selection process and narrow down their choices.
Day 6: Bid Day
Bid Day is the final and most exciting day of recruitment. On Bid Day, students 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, the festivities begin! Students join their new fraternity or sorority, who will be waiting to welcome them. It is exciting, high-energy and lots of fun! Then, together as an entire chapter, students will head back to the facility to check out their new home.
For the week of recruitment, after students check-in and store their extra bins in the provided temporary storage space, they will be given a key to their assigned residence hall room. Once students arrive at the residence hall, recruitment staff will be present to help show where rooms are located, demonstrate how to use key cards to access the building and carry bags to rooms. Students can then unpack and settle in before recruitment events begin.
After recruitment, students paired with a housed chapter can move directly into the chapter facility on Bid Day. Members of the chapter will assist students in the moving process. Parents are welcome to return to assist their students and check out the chapter facility, but it is not necessary (and not common!).
To participate in recruitment, students must be enrolled in the University of Idaho and qualify as full-time students (enrolled in 12 credits or more). Students must be in an undergraduate program.
Students at any point in their undergraduate career are welcome to participate – whether it is a student’s first year in college, they are transferring from another collegiate program, or they are heading into their final academic year.
Want to learn more? 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.
View the new student checklist.
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
Key Terms
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 inter/national 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: this is the week of fraternity and sorority recruitment that takes place before classes begin each fall.
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 of PNMs joining a sorority or fraternity which aligns with their personal values, achieved through conversations between PNMs and chapter members about the values of the organization and the associated events/services that demonstrate personal values.