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    Sorority Bid Day: The Inside Scoop

    • 6 min read

    What Is Sorority Bid Day?

    What is sorority bid day? Let me tell ya, it's the start of the best college experience I could ever imagine. After a whirlwind of meeting new people, attending events, and getting to know different sororities, it's the moment when potential new members find out if they've been invited to join their dream sisterhood.

    It works like a matchmaking process, with both the sororities and the potential new members ranking their top choices. The Panhellenic Council then steps in to match everyone up based on mutual preferences. Bid Day is all about celebrating the start of an amazing journey filled with lifelong friendships, personal growth, and unforgettable memories. Let's walk through my sorority bid day at the University of Arkansas!

     

    What is sorority bid day? Let me tell ya, it's the start of the best college experience I could ever imagine. After a whirlwind of meeting new people, attending events, and getting to know different sororities, it's the moment when potential new members find out if they've been invited to join their dream sisterhood.

    It works like a matchmaking process, with both the sororities and the potential new members ranking their top choices. The Panhellenic Council then steps in to match everyone up based on mutual preferences. Bid Day is all about celebrating the start of an amazing journey filled with lifelong friendships, personal growth, and unforgettable memories. Let's walk through my sorority bid day at the University of Arkansas!

     

    8:00 am

    After throwing on my tennis skirt, Panhellenic tee and converse, it was time to meet with our Gamma Chi group at the Union. A Gamma Chi is similar to a camp counselor and helps guide their group through the recruitment process. After about an hour of waiting, she passed out our envelopes. A red envelope with my name in silver sharpie was going to determine the rest of my college experience. It sounds dramatic, but that's how it felt.

     

    After throwing on my tennis skirt, Panhellenic tee and converse, it was time to meet with our Gamma Chi group at the Union. A Gamma Chi is similar to a camp counselor and helps guide their group through the recruitment process. After about an hour of waiting, she passed out our envelopes. A red envelope with my name in silver sharpie was going to determine the rest of my college experience. It sounds dramatic, but that's how it felt.

     

    9:00 am

    As everyone walks to the Greek Theater, all I can hear is chanting and cheering. Thousands of girls are lined up on the top of the steps, sectioned with their sororities wearing their Bid Day fits. My Gamma Chi group found a space towards the middle of the crowd and began dancing with everyone else. We had all just been through a week of stress, tears, incredible joy and friendship. That's a lot for seven days. The Gamma Chi's all leave their groups and head to the stage and then we know the event is about to begin.

     

    As everyone walks to the Greek Theater, all I can hear is chanting and cheering. Thousands of girls are lined up on the top of the steps, sectioned with their sororities wearing their Bid Day fits. My Gamma Chi group found a space towards the middle of the crowd and began dancing with everyone else. We had all just been through a week of stress, tears, incredible joy and friendship. That's a lot for seven days. The Gamma Chi's all leave their groups and head to the stage and then we know the event is about to begin.

     

    10:00 am

    Our Greek Life Coordinator walks onto the stage. She welcomes all PNM's, families, and current members. We begin cheers and chants, and of course, we call the hogs! Then the Gamma Chi's dance onto the stage, rip of their tank tops, and reveal their sorority's tee underneath! The coordinators and other Greek Life officials give their spiels and then its time.

     

    Our Greek Life Coordinator walks onto the stage. She welcomes all PNM's, families, and current members. We begin cheers and chants, and of course, we call the hogs! Then the Gamma Chi's dance onto the stage, rip of their tank tops, and reveal their sorority's tee underneath! The coordinators and other Greek Life officials give their spiels and then its time.

     

    10:30 am

    The countdown begins. Girls start recording, the music gets louder and louder and then... screams! As I ripped open my envelope, I couldn't help but scream along. I run to the group of girls that are screaming my sororities name. I look around and see my giant name plate and run to the girl holding it. I am so thankful to see that it was one of the girls I had talked to throughout recruitment. We wait for one more girl and then head to the sorority house. The phrase "running home" is used a lot on Bid Day, but when your campus is on a giant hill, let's just say we aren't trying to exhaust ourselves. We walk to the house, and run once it's in eyesight. All of my new sisters and I run through a tunnel of screaming and laughter. At the end of the tunnel, I am met with the greatest surprise!

     

    The countdown begins. Girls start recording, the music gets louder and louder and then... screams! As I ripped open my envelope, I couldn't help but scream along. I run to the group of girls that are screaming my sororities name. I look around and see my giant name plate and run to the girl holding it. I am so thankful to see that it was one of the girls I had talked to throughout recruitment. We wait for one more girl and then head to the sorority house. The phrase "running home" is used a lot on Bid Day, but when your campus is on a giant hill, let's just say we aren't trying to exhaust ourselves. We walk to the house, and run once it's in eyesight. All of my new sisters and I run through a tunnel of screaming and laughter. At the end of the tunnel, I am met with the greatest surprise!

     

    11:00 am

    My oldest sister was at the end of the tunnel waiting for me! She was in the same sorority 10 years ago and wanted to be here for me when I chose my home too. I hadn't talked to her all week because I didn't want any outside influence, but I couldn't help but choose the same chapter. I find my Bid Day buddy (the girl with the name plate) and we head inside to get my bid day bag that has the matching theme tshirt! I throw it on and now it's picture time. I ended up with a total of 250 pictures, both my phone and I were exhausted.

     

    My oldest sister was at the end of the tunnel waiting for me! She was in the same sorority 10 years ago and wanted to be here for me when I chose my home too. I hadn't talked to her all week because I didn't want any outside influence, but I couldn't help but choose the same chapter. I find my Bid Day buddy (the girl with the name plate) and we head inside to get my bid day bag that has the matching theme tshirt! I throw it on and now it's picture time. I ended up with a total of 250 pictures, both my phone and I were exhausted.

     

    12:00 pm

    Lunchtime! My bid day buddy and I meet up with all of her friends and eat lunch. I meet other new members and we all bond over Mexican food. Afterwards, we go to the different pop-up shops to buy sorority merch until our wallets grew tired. The day was full of happiness, laughter and so many fun stories. Hours later, I go back to my dorm, where my family had sent me flowers and a sweet card. I cry a little (because who wouldn't), give them a call, and then call it a day. My roommates and I all decided it was time for a good nights rest to get ready for the first day of Freshman Year!

     

    Lunchtime! My bid day buddy and I meet up with all of her friends and eat lunch. I meet other new members and we all bond over Mexican food. Afterwards, we go to the different pop-up shops to buy sorority merch until our wallets grew tired. The day was full of happiness, laughter and so many fun stories. Hours later, I go back to my dorm, where my family had sent me flowers and a sweet card. I cry a little (because who wouldn't), give them a call, and then call it a day. My roommates and I all decided it was time for a good nights rest to get ready for the first day of Freshman Year!

     


    Loving some of the Bid Day shirts? Emerson Coast is here for you! We hope this Bid Day Breakdown helps! We make it super easy and fun to create a shirt your whole chapter will love!