Panhellenic Association Recruitment
Primary Recruitment (Winter Quarter Only)
At Northwestern University, the Panhellenic Association (PHA) holds deferred primary recruitment each year during the first week of the Winter quarter. Primary recruitment is a multi-day structured joining process in which all 7 of the Panhellenic sororities participate.
Due to Northwestern’s deferred recruitment policy, first-year students are not eligible to join a sorority until winter quarter. This is when primary recruitment takes place—a structured, four-day process where all Panhellenic chapters participate, ending with a celebratory Bid Day. This is the largest opportunity to join and the best way to explore all of our chapters.
To stay up to date on recruitment details and deadlines, follow us on Instagram (hyperlink located on the bottom of page)
Continuous Open Bidding (COB) Informal Recruitment (Fall*, Winter, Spring)
In addition to primary recruitment, there are opportunities to join throughout the year through continuous open bidding (COB). This is a more informal process that some chapters may participate in each quarter, including fall. Sophomores and transfer students are eligible for COB in any quarter. While chapter participation varies, COB remains a valuable opportunity to join the community outside of primary recruitment. Chapters manage the COB process on their own and are responsible for connecting with interested students directly. Students must have completed one term of college-level coursework at an accredited institution to be eligible to join a PHA sorority. Please note that informal recruitment happens on a rolling basis and students may not be contacted if a chapter has already completed their recruitment process.
*First-year students are ineligible for COB in the Fall quarter.
Express Interest
If you are interested in either Primary or COB Recruitment, or if you would like to learn more about the NU Panhellenic community, please fill out our Interest Form. Panhellenic will use the information to create a database of students interested in both Primary and COB recruitment processes.
Any additional questions on joining the Panhellenic community may be directed to nuphavpmembership@gmail.com. Updates may also be found at the PHA on Instagram.
