A record 207 female undergrads participated in the sorority recruitment process this year, marking an approximately 48 percent increase from the 140 students who sought bids last year, said Maggie Johnson ’16, vice president of the Panhellenic Council, public relations chair for Greek Council and member of Kappa Alpha Theta.
This year’s sorority recruitment process kicked off Feb. 6 and lasted four days, with the University’s three sororities — Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Delta and Theta — distributing bids Feb. 9.
“People are finding new ways to find communities and social outlets,” Johnson said of the increased interest in joining a sorority.
The Panhellenic Council accommodated for the influx of interested students by holding additional recruitment events and increasing the maximum number of bids each house could extend.
Of the 207 students who partook in the recruitment process, 135 students were offered bids to one of the three houses — an 80 percent increase from the 75 bids allocated last year, Johnson said.
Though 72 students were not given an invitation to join a house, some of them had already decided to drop out of recruitment before final decisions were made, she added.
Forty-three bids were given to potential new members of Theta, said Meredith Heckman ’16, the sorority’s president. Theta offered 28 bids last year.
Heckman attributed the overall rise in new recruits to the sororities’ engagement in the Brown community, adding that all three houses are “extremely involved on campus.”
This marks the second year that KD formally gave bids, following the creation of its Brown chapter in 2013. KD offered 46 bids, an increase from 28 bids last year.
“It can be overwhelming, but Panhellenic makes (recruitment) a good environment for all three sororities,” said Cara Mund ’16, president of KD.
Though KD “felt more prepared” in its second year of recruiting new members, AXO and Theta have acquired knowledge and resources over the years while KD “still feels new,” Mund said.
“Having a third sorority has made (Greek Life’s) presence on campus a lot bigger,” Mund said. “More girls are reaching out and trying to have networks with girls in different areas.”
The Panhellenic Council was “excited to extend invitations to such a high number of female students” this year and become more of an “inclusive community with a place for everyone,” Johnson said.
This was the second year that the Panhellenic Council used a computer-based system to organize the recruitment process, Johnson said. The council “looks at online trends” to help accurately match students to houses according to their preferences, she added.
Given the spike in students seeking to join sororities, the Greek Council is considering expanding Greek Life on campus and evaluating the measures that would require, Johnson said.
Those who have received a bid from a sorority have until Feb. 26 to confirm their status as new members.
