How to Join

At a minimum, any student looking to join a FSL organization must have earned 12 credit hours from W&L with a minimum GPA of 2.5 to be eligible to participate in a Formal Recruitment or Membership Intake Process. Please note that specific chapters may have additional eligibility requirements.

As a general rule, first-year students who are taking an incomplete grade(s) in their coursework may participate in a Formal Recruitment or Membership Intake Process with the express understanding that in order to continue with new member education and initiate into an organization:

• The incomplete grade(s) must be resolved by the due date set by the instructor and no later than the end of the 15th class day (third week) of the term in which they are seeking membership.
• Students will have earned 12 credit hours from W&L and a minimum GPA of 2.5 upon completion of the incomplete grade(s).

If a student fails to meet these requirements, the student must immediately discontinue all new member activities and cannot be initiated into the organization. Should a student be granted an extension to carry an incomplete beyond the 15th class day of the term in which they are seeking membership, they should expect to hear from their class dean to discuss. Similarly, the organization of which they are seeking membership will be notified by the appropriate council life advisor.

Panhellenic Formal Recruitment is the main process that Panhellenic sororities use to recruit new members. Joining a Panhellenic organization is a process of mutual selection for potential new members and sorority chapters, and all pre-joining and joining activities focus on giving you the opportunity to meet members in all of our chapters. The recruitment process starts in the fall semester with the Meet the Greeks Fair, Sorority Information Sessions, registration, and various other opportunities to meet active sorority members.

To participate in the Panhellenic Formal Recruitment process, all women must register through the official Washington and Lee Campus Director Registration link (see below).

Panhellenic Formal Recruitment at W&L is deferred to January. During the recruitment events, women will have the time to ask questions about sorority activities, financial obligations, new member programs, scholarship, community service, and sorority life in general. Participating in Formal Recruitment does not obligate a woman to join a sorority, nor does participation in the recruitment process guarantee that a woman will receive a bid to join a sorority.

Formal Recruitment 2026

Current dates for Formal Recruitment are January 4-8, 2026. All rounds are currently set to be held in person. Students may return to campus on Saturday, January 3, 2026, and must move in by 12:00 pm on Sunday, January 4, 2026.

• Sunday, January 4, 2026 – Sorority Information Session 4: Overview of Formal Recruitment
• Monday, January 5, 2026 – Open House Round (Potential New Members visit all six chapters)
• Tuesday, January 6, 2026 – Sisterhood & Philanthropy Round (Potential New Members visit up to four chapters)
• Wednesday, January 7, 2026 – Preference Round (Potential New Members visit up to two chapters)
• Thursday, January 8, 2026 – Bid Day (Potential New Members receive a formal invitation to join a sorority)

Note: Those planning to participate in Panhellenic formal recruitment will need to register by the given deadline in Fall 2025 and will need to schedule their travel back to campus in January with the formal recruitment dates in mind. 

Register for Formal Recruitment

Registration for Panhellenic Formal Recruitment will open on September 8, 2025, at 9:00 am!

1. Go to the mycampusdirector website
2. Create an account using your W&L email
3. Select our school and the correct registration process:
   • “Washington and Lee University Panhellenic Sororities”

Recruitment Counselors/Rho Gammas

Each incoming student will be assigned a guide called a Recruitment Counselor or “Rho Gamma.” Rho Gammas are members of sororities who have temporarily disaffiliated from their chapter and have been selected to serve as a mentor to a group of potential members before, during, and after the formal recruitment process. Rho Gammas are assigned to each first-year hall and have been chosen to make the recruitment experience as enjoyable as possible. These sorority members undergo multiple hours of training to ensure that they can provide all PNMs with the best guidance through the formal recruitment process. 

• View the Potential New Member (PNM) Guidebook
• View the Recruitment Handbook
• Financial Information
• What is mutual selection?

Interfraternity Council (IFC) Formal Recruitment is the main process that IFC Chapters use to recruit new members. The process of joining an IFC organization begins in the fall semester with the Meet the Greeks Fair, Fraternity Information Session, formal recruitment registration, and various informal events that chapters host to provide opportunities to meet active fraternity members.

To participate in the IFC Formal Recruitment process, all men must register through the official Washington and Lee Campus Director Registration link (see below). 

IFC Formal Recruitment at W&L is deferred to January. During these formal recruitment events, men will have the time to ask their final questions about fraternity activities, financial obligations, new member programs, scholarship, community service, and fraternity life in general. Participating in Formal Recruitment does not obligate a man to join a fraternity, nor does participation in the recruitment process guarantee that a man will receive a bid to join a fraternity.

Formal Recruitment 2026

Current dates for IFC Formal Recruitment are January 5-8, 2026. Each round of recruitment will be held in person. Students may return to campus on Saturday, January 3, 2026, and must move in by 5:00 pm on Monday, January 5, 2026.

• Monday, January 5, 2026 – Potential New Member (PNM) Orientation [Required]
• Tuesday, January 6, 2026 – Invite Only – Round 1 (Potential New Members are invited to fraternities for a formal dinner/event)
• Wednesday, January 7, 2026 – Invite Only – Round 2 (Potential New Members are invited to fraternities for a formal dinner/event)
• Thursday, January 8, 2026 – Bid Day (Potential New Members receive a formal invitation to join a fraternity)

Note: Those planning to participate in IFC formal recruitment will need to register by the given deadline in Fall 2025 and will need to schedule their travel back to campus in January with the formal recruitment dates in mind. 

Register for Formal Recruitment

1. Go to mycampusdirector website
2. Create an account using your W&L email
3. Select our school and the correct registration process:
   • “Washington and Lee University IFC Fraternities”

IFC Recruitment Resource

• Financial Information

The Membership Intake Process (MIP) is very different than the experience of recruitment through the Interfraternity or Panhellenic process. Unlike the other two councils, each of our National Pan-Hellenic (NPHC) organizations holds Membership Intake Processes (MIP) at different times depending on interest from students and approval from their national headquarters.

Please note that the minimum GPA requirement in order to be eligible for MIP varies by chapter:

• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority – 2.5
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity – 2.5
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – 2.75
• Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity – 2.5

If you are interested in one of our NPHC organizations, please contact Heidi Bustos, Assistant Director of Student Leadership. Additional information about our NPHC community can be found on the National Pan-Hellenic Council page.