Sorority Recruitment Numbers Remain Steady in 2013

Despite the addition of a fourth sorority on campus, the number of women who signed up for sorority recruitment at Harvard this year remained constant from last.

Approximately 250 women attended the first recruitment event for Harvard’s four sororities on Saturday, the same number as in 2012. Last year’s showing represented a small decrease from the record-breaking group of 268 women who showed up in 2011. Prior to 2011, recruitment classes averaged about 150 women.

The recent stabilization of large rush numbers led to interest in introducing a fourth sorority to campus. This year, Alpha Phi joined Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Kappa Kappa Gamma.

After the conclusion of the second recruitment event on Wednesday, women will rank their sorority preferences. They will then receive invitations to attend further events.

The procedures to rush Alpha Phi differ from the recruitment process for the other three. Women who attend the first two recruitment events have the opportunity to meet members from all four sororities. Because there are no current Harvard students in Alpha Phi, women from other school’s chapters of the sorority will come to host the first and second recruitment rounds along with the other three sororities. However, Alpha Phi will not hold a third or fourth round at the same time as the other three sororities, and will instead postpone recruitment events until the end of February. Therefore, women who were not offered bids by another sororities, chose not to join another sorority, or did not participate in the first rounds of recruitment at all will still be able to join Alpha Phi.

National standards require new chapters on a university campus to complete the recruitment process after the established sororities.

“Right now, since [Alpha Phi has] not colonized yet, that’s the way national rules dictate recruitment has to be,” said Natalia Duarte ’14, vice president of recruitment for the Cambridge-Area Panhellenic Council.

Regardless of a potential new member’s interest in joining Alpha Phi, the Panhellenic Coucil suggested that women attend the first two general recruitment events.

“We really encourage girls who are thinking about joining a sorority to try and meet the girls from all four sororities before they make up their minds,” Duarte said.

Women may still rush Alpha Phi without attending rush events this week.

—Staff writer Laya Anasu can be reached at layaanasu@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @LayaAnasu.

—Staff writer Elizabeth S. Auritt can be reached at eauritt@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @eauritt.