Recruitment is notorious for being a week of heightened emotions, stress and achy feet. At larger SEC schools such as Auburn, recruitment is taken very seriously. Potential new members, or PNMs, have to acquire letters of recommendation, submit extensive resumes for each sorority and maintain a polished social media presence to attract their desired houses. Girls going through recruitment are expected to learn the proper etiquette and wear certain attire if they hope to make a good impression on active members.
Because many PNMs are legacies and hope to follow in the footsteps of mothers, older sisters or grandmothers, preparation for recruitment can become extremely competitive. For girls who are new to the process, or for those who want exclusive information and advice, private coaching has become the next big thing in preparing for recruitment.
With advice from professionals, sorority hopefuls learn what to wear, appropriate conversation topics and tips for polishing their resumes, just to start. For Auburn alumna Pat Grant, providing this service for young ladies is essential and is a proven factor in a successful recruitment week.
Forming her company RushBiddies in 2010, Grant was inspired to help PNMs who were extraordinary candidates but did not understand the inner-workings of recruitment. Drawing from her past as a member of one of Auburn’s Panhellenic organizations, Grant provides workshops and personalized consultations weeks before recruitment begins. These workshops start at around $100 for roughly two hours, but clients can request consultations over Skype,
Grant said she seeks to prepare young women to pledge the sorority of their choice. However, RushBiddies has been met with controversy since its creation, prompting many to voice their concerns about the business.
One quick scroll through Facebook or Twitter will provide a slew of comments concerning the need for RushBiddies’ services, and question why girls feel the need to be coached in this area. For many parents and friends, the idea that young women are being coached to change themselves in order to fit in is unacceptable. They argue that in order to be placed in the right sorority, PNMs need to show their own personalities and quirks so they can find like-minded girls to be around.
Beyond this, there are others who claim that it is completely unnecessary to pay for services such as this, as it furthers recruitment as a competition and makes it exponentially more difficult for future PNMs to find their place.
RushBiddies is hardly the first company to tap into the profitability of recruitment, but they continue to provide services year after year to satisfied clients.
According to Grant, most of her clients end up pledging their top choice of sorority thanks to the expertise she brings to the table. While recruitment continues to be a hot topic for many, RushBiddies plans on being a part of the industry for years to come and hopes that more and more women will see the value in preparing for such an important event.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
