VOCAB

Here are some common slang that you might hear girls use and what they mean!

PNM (Potential New Member)

A student who is eligible to participate in recruitment and meets the campus standards

Rho Gamma

Also known as a recruitment counselor

A sorority member who disassociates from her sorority during recruitment to guide PNMs through the recruitment process, answer questions and provide unbiased advice. Each PNM is assigned a group which is headed by 2 rho gammas.

Sister

An active member of a sorority on campus

Philanthropy

Each chapter has its own unique philanthropic cause(s) it supports through its membership and fundraising events.

Chapter House

Each chapter has its own house on campus, either on Fraternity Row or around the Graham Cracker. Members can live in their chapter house and chapters often conduct chapter events in their house.

Graham Cracker

A block in College Park where sorority houses are located

Rounds

Sections of recruitment that focus on different topics (ex: Values, Philanthropy...). Each round can last either 1 or 2 days. Read more about the rounds of recruitment in the Round of Recruitment blog.

Events

A period in which you visit a specific chapter and speak with sisters of that chapter. There are multiple Events in each round with breaks built in for you to relax.

Bid

An invitation to join a sorority. You are given a bid on Bid Day.

Bid Matching

The system by which a PNM is matched with a chapter of their choice between Preference Round and Bid Day.

Big sister/Little sister

Each new member is matched with a big during the new member process in their new chapter. Their big is someone who is already initiated and will show them the ropes, mentor them and bring them closer in the sisterhood.

Bid Promising

The intentional or unintentional acts of a chapter member that lead a PNM to perceive that they will receive a bid to a particular chapter. This act is prohibited and should be told to your Rho Gamma immediately.

NPC (National Panhellenic Conference)

The governing body for all 26 international women's fraternities and sororities

Legacy

A PNM who has a relative (sister, grandmother...) of an initiated sorority. Being a legacy does not guarantee a bid to a sorority

MRABA (Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement)

A PNM signs her MRABA after her last event on Preference Round. It is a binding agreement that says that a PNM agrees to accept a bid from any chapter she lists on her MRABA. If she declines the bid she may not go through recruitment again until next year.

Comment or email us with some vocab that you've heard and don't understand! We'll respond with the definition and add them to the blog!