If you’ve already received your acceptance letter, congratulations! If you’re still waiting, our fingers are crossed for you.
Allow me to introduce myself – I am the Hiking in Heels sorority recruitment coach, aka “rush coach” who works with ALL our SMU girls, or should I say PNMs (potential new members), to help them get ready each fall. Dallas is such a fun place to spend college, and I’m so excited for you to experience four years of SMU game days and sorority events!
I love that Hiking in Heels has helped thousands of girls get bids, and I’m excited to give you an overview of everything you need to know for rush! I’m here to talk all about sorority recruitment, and I’ll be doing a BIG Q&A with some of the top questions we get every year, leading up to sorority recruitment at SMU this fall.
If you’re planning to participate in sorority recruitment this upcoming fall, or if your daughter is considering it in the future, be sure to bookmark this post!
Let’s get started with the top question on everyone’s minds…
How do you join a sorority at SMU?
Southern Methodist University holds its formal sorority recruitment every year in August. SMU recruitment is a week-long process that takes place right before school starts, and it consists of four rounds: PNM Orientation and Open House, Philanthropy, Sisterhood, and Preference. These rounds are followed by Bid Day, when participating PNMs receive a max of 1 sorority bid, aka, an invitation to join a chapter.
In order to enroll in formal recruitment, a PNM is required to register with the SMU University Panhellenic. Registration typically opens in May. The deadline to register has historically been sometime in early August.
How hard is it to get into an SMU sorority?
Sorority recruitment at SMU is competitive. 750+ potential new members are going through rush, and maybe 4-6 officers on each sorority’s recruitment team are sorting through all those girls. The sororities make lists of incoming freshmen they’re especially interested in spring semester before recruitment (as early as January for some chapters), and they call these their “top girls” lists. These potential new members then get added to a slideshow that’s played at recruitment trainings for chapter members and during their work week (the week before recruitment, when the chapters get ready for formal recruitment) to help the members get to know the girls. They memorize their names and faces and make an effort to say hi to these specific girls during recruitment. They might even invite you to pre-rush events in the spring. If you don’t make it on one of these lists/slideshows (we’ll talk about how to get on them later in the post), it’s very tough to get a bid because no one in the chapter is looking out for you.
Reason #2 Why Recruitment Is So Competitive at SMU
Sorority members can only vote on PNMs they have personally met. If a member has not met you, she cannot vote on you. It is a simple yes or no. And meeting you at any point counts. High school. Summer camp. A mutual friend’s event. Or during formal recruitment at SMU. Hear this clearly: chapters are not trying to cut amazing girls. No one is sitting in a room thinking, “Let’s drop someone great.” But when members are only allowed to vote on the women they have actually met, it becomes a numbers game. If enough members have not personally connected with you, you simply cannot receive enough votes to move forward. That is how incredible PNMs slip through the cracks. It’s not about worth; It’s about exposure.
Think of it this way: if the chapters don’t know about you ahead of time, they can’t get excited about you during recruitment, and it’s easier to slip through the cracks. It’s like expecting a cute guy from one of your 100+ person college classes who doesn’t know you yet to ask you out. You could be the cutest, sweetest, most interesting girl in the class, but if you haven’t introduced yourself, a date’s pretty unlikely, right?
Keep in mind, even though you hear about this nice-sounding “mutual selection process” where supposedly PNMs and sororities get a say, sororities are in charge of whether a PNM returns or not, regardless of how high she ranks that chapter in her preferences. Ranking a chapter highly in no way guarantees a PNM will return. In fact, many sororities cut as many as a third of the PNMs from round 1 to round 2.
At SMU, chapters aren’t obligated to extend bids to every PNM who registers for recruitment. Because of that, PNMs are not guaranteed a bid. It’s very common for girls to be released from the process midway through recruitment. That doesn’t mean they did anything wrong. It doesn’t mean they are not impressive, accomplished, or kind. It simply means the process is competitive, space is limited, and chapters have to make difficult decisions at every round.
With all that being said, a PNM absolutely CAN still have a successful recruitment if they understand how the process really works.
[ PS – Heading somewhere other than SMU? We help prepare PNMs for recruitment at over 70+ schools. Click here for a complete list! ]
When should I start getting ready for recruitment?
On average, most of our girls heading to SMU begin getting ready for recruitment in January of their senior year in high school. Some begin earlier, during the fall semester (when they’re narrowing down their final few schools). The majority of girls make their commitment in January-March.
Remember these lists/slideshows referenced above in question #1? The sooner you get on the recruitment team’s radar, the sooner you can get yourself added to them, and the more you can maximize your chances of getting more invites when formal recruitment week rolls around. Earlier is better, so as soon as you know SMU is on the table, it’s important to make a game plan.
What does “getting ready” mean?
Getting ready means…
- Telling any friends in the sorority chapters at SMU you’re coming and plan to participate in sorority recruitment. If you haven’t explicitly told them, assume they don’t know.
- Getting your Instagram ready for the sororities to stalk it.
- Creating a sorority recruitment resume and digital rush packet that will stand out from the crowd.
- Submitting your Letters of Recommendation. (This can be submitted as early as February!!)
- Registering for recruitment via the SMU Panhellenic Association by the deadline.
- Submitting your PNM video assignment which is due with your Panhellenic registration form.
- Submitting your PNM essay, which is due with your Panhellenic registration form.
- Planning out your outfits for the formal week of recruitment (notice how outfits are important, but later on the list?)
- Interview Prep for the week of recruitment!
What is a Letter of Recommendation? Are they required?
A Letter of Recommendation / Recruitment Information Form (RIF) is a form that an alum completes on their national sorority website. Nationals send the form to the local SMU chapter, and it helps the recruitment team get to know the PNM ahead of time. How does a PNM get on a recruitment team’s radar if they don’t know current members at that chapter? One way is with Letters of Recommendation.
- If you do not know anyone in the chapters (and even if you do), you should STILL obtain these.
- SMU has a competitive recruitment process, and you absolutely need these if you plan to rush here.
- Why? Aside from the fact that turning these in shows interest, if you don’t personally know anyone and you aren’t able to register for recruitment until end of June (when the SMU registration typically goes live – this went live on May 15, 2025), turning in Letters of Recommendation helps the sorority chapters: 1) know of your existence 2) get to know you before recruitment and most importantly – get excited about you!
Click here to get our Sorority Recruitment Guide with a step-by-step Checklist & Action Plan!
When are Letters of Recommendation due?
In order to maximize your chances of receiving more invites back, SMU Letters of Recommendation are due on – or even better, before – May 1, regardless of the listed dates on the Southern Methodist University Panhellenic website & Instagram account, SMU sorority websites, and your city’s local Panhellenic Association’s suggested dates.
- Yes, technically, you can turn them in later, but think of this like you would approach a job application.
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Think about it this way. If a company keeps a job application open for 90 days, yes, you can absolutely apply on day 89. The door is technically still open. But if they have already identified strong candidates they love, built momentum around them, and only have a limited number of positions available, what do you think your odds look like walking in at the very end? It is not impossible. It is just statistically less likely than someone with similar qualifications who got in early, built relationships, and stayed top of mind.
- Disregard the national deadlines that the Panhellenic associations are required to state, and have your Letters of Rec turned in by May 1st if you want to maximize your chances of receiving more invites from more chapters. (If you’re reading this after May 1st – deep breath, don’t panic. You’re behind, BUT it’s still better to turn them in ASAP vs. not at all. Not sure if it’s still worth doing? Depends on how far along in the summer you are.) *If you’re unsure if you’ve missed the window for recommendations, you’re welcome to contact us, and we can help you fully understand what to do / when it’s due / and how to expedite this process.
- We can help PNMs navigate this entire process surrounding what these letters are, where to turn them in, and who can/should complete them, but we can’t do anything after the window to turn them in closes.
What is the PNM video assignment?
SMU has a PNM video assignment to help get to know the girls before formal recruitment. This will be part of your fall 2026 recruitment registration assignments:
- PNMs are required to answer specific prompts and record a video of themselves answering them.
- This video is due along with registration over the summer before formal recruitment and will be factored into your PNM score. Your video will impact whether or not you return for round 2. Take it seriously and turn it in early!
- We help PNMs with scripting, filming tips, and suggestions on how to be more memorable in their videos with 1×1 coaching sessions, so if you want guidance – that’s what we’re here for!
Can my friends in the chapter guarantee me a bid?
It is absolutely helpful to know someone in a chapter. She can vote on you and advocate for you during recruitment. But here is the reality: each SMU sorority has a fixed number of spots. And you are not the only PNM who knows someone. If every member had even one friend she hoped would join her chapter, the numbers would far exceed the available bids. Having a friend can help, but you need significantly more than one vote to get in. Also, PNMs do NOT need to know someone in that chapter to get a bid. It helps, of course, but it’s NOT mandatory. That’s why Letters of Recommendation and other materials are super helpful. Use all the tools available!
Are upperclassmen able to receive bids?
In 2025, SMU did away with its secondary (aka sophomore) quota, meaning there was not a required “minimum” number of bids each chapter offered. This could change for 2026. However, if you’re considering participating in recruitment at SMU as an upperclassman, you should definitely do it!! As a sorority recruitment coach, I work with sophomores as well as freshmen every year, and there’s nothing I love more than seeing all their happy bid day photos!
Where should I live if I plan to participate in sorority recruitment at SMU?
Students are required to live on campus for their first two years of school. Eastline apartments are popular for upperclassmen! A tip for all dorms: no one goes potluck anymore. Pick your roommate beforehand for the best match.
How do you stand out during recruitment with so many girls going through?
- Complete everything, even if it’s listed as “optional” like Rec Forms.
- Complete every task as early as possible! Rec Forms should be turned in by May 1 (or earlier) in order to be most effective.
- Get a sorority recruitment consultant who can help you get ready and stand apart from the crowd. It’s literally our full-time job to help make you more successful and prepared. We do this every day and work with a HUGE amount of girls heading to SMU every year!
PS – if you like all the free tips on our blog, you’re going to REALLY like our Hiking in Heels Insider Pass.
What’s the Insider Pass? The Hiking in Heels Insider Pass is a monthly email subscription packed with insider-only recruitment tips, templates, and resources you won’t find anywhere else. Created for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, it’s designed to help you feel prepared, confident, and ahead of the curve going into sorority recruitment (with a few fun freebies and surprises along the way).
Legacy status
At SMU, being a legacy no longer guarantees preferential treatment or a bid to your legacy chapter(s). During 2020 and 2021, most chapters did away with legacy policies nationally. With so many legacies already going through at SMU, they already more legacies than each house could admit before the policy change, so it was only a matter of time.
So, gone are the days of legacy perks. It used to be that legacies would get:
- A courtesy invite back to Round 2
- A guaranteed bid if she made it to Preference Round (last round)
- Other preferential treatment, depending on the chapter
But on the upside, remember all those spots that would have been courtesy invites to other PNMs? Those are open to you now…and that’s good news for PNMs with and without legacy ties.
Is Theta coming back?
After a brief suspension, Kappa Alpha Theta will join SMU Panhellenic in the first round of recruitment to share more about their organization and how to join. Theta will then hold a separate recruitment process (led by inter/national representatives) in the early fall semester, shortly following the Panhellenic formal recruitment process in fall 2026. The Theta chapter house will begin looking for members to move into the house as residents for the 2027-2028 academic year.
But I was promised a bid…
Oops. Let’s assume she had the very best intentions. But here is the truth: no single member, and not even a small group within a chapter, has the authority to guarantee a bid.
When someone says something outright like, “Don’t worry, XYZ will definitely give you a bid. You’re on our list,” or implies it with comments like, “I can’t wait to be your big” or “You’re going to make the best XYZ this fall,” that is called bid promising.
It’s not allowed. And even though it is against the rules, it still happens. A lot. So how should you respond? Assume your friends mean well. They’re excited. They like you. They hope it works out. But understand this clearly: they cannot promise you a bid. They cannot guarantee you a spot. Recruitment decisions are made collectively, through a formal voting process, and nothing is official until Bid Day.
Why should you get guidance from a Hiking in Heels sorority rush coach?
Hiking in Heels is one of the most established and nationally recognized sorority recruitment coaching companies in the country. We have helped thousands of PNMs navigate competitive campuses like SMU, and we have a proven track record of successful Bid Days. Our coaches are deeply knowledgeable and connected to SMU. Recruitment evolves every year. Our team continuously gathers the latest insights from current members and alumnae so our guidance reflects today’s standards, expectations, and voting realities. Featured in national media and trusted by families nationwide, Hiking in Heels is known for strategic preparation, successful results, and helping girls grow into the most confident, polished version of themselves before recruitment even begins.
Outside of that, it’s the same reason you’d hire a tutor, use a personal trainer, work with a college admissions counselor, or sign up for an SAT prep course. You could do it on your own, but do you want to? A sorority recruitment coach helps you move through the process easily and efficiently, and provides private, individualized support and guidance throughout the entire process.
A sorority recruitment coach helps you and your daughter navigate the entire recruitment process from start to finish – from social resumes, cover letters, and rec letters/letters of support, to social media and registration forms, the PNM video, networking tips, what to wear/expect for the week of, an overview of formal recruitment, & interview style prep.
It’s our job to tell you the answers to questions you don’t know to ask.
Let’s work together to make this process easier, more fun, and less stressful!!