How to Prepare For an Interview with a Fraternity or Sorority | NPHC Advice | Corey Jones
Being a leader of a fraternity lead to many great things in my life. In fact, it lead to my first job (here) at GreekYearbook! While I was President of my chapter we hired GreekYearbook to photograph events. After graduating, the Founder of GreekYearbook approached me about coming on as the first full-time employee of GreekYearbook. GreekYearbook was very small at the time, but I took a chance and became a sales associate. I turned down other big job offers because I believed in the brand. My parents thought I was crazy! How could I graduate from college and then go work for a small fraternity & sorority photography company, making very little money?!
Chelsea: Each sorority provides their own service projects to their members but as a Panhellenic we also provide opportunities to all members of the Greek community. Our Panhellenic has sponsored Habitat for Humanity for the past couple of years, not only raising the $40,000 it takes to pay for a house but also going out every weekend to physically build it.
Chelsea: I’ve learned many skills that will help me as I move forward like working with difficult personalities, delegating specific tasks to those I know would excel at them and fostering an environment that is safe and positive to let leaders and ideas grow. I have learned so much in this leadership position and I continue to learn every day.
Chelsea: My advisor, Susan West, is so helpful and encouraging when going through anything. She always has the right answer and when she doesn’t she knows where to find it, plus she always has my back no matter what the situation. The support I receive from her lets me know that I’m doing alright and everything is under control.
There were some tough times at first. There were weeks where we struggled and couldn’t afford to pay ourselves. I never gave up and continued to believe in what we were doing. I traveled the country to hundreds of schools shooting events for GreekYearbook. I worked my way up from Sales Associate to eventually President in five years.
Round 2 & Round 3 Questions
Congratulations! You made it through the whirlwind of opening day conversations. Now, the sorority interview questions will turn towards sisterhood and philanthropy-related topics.
If you are a freshman rushing a sorority, expect a few questions about your high school experience. This sorority interview question allows you to choose what aspect of that experience to focus on. For example, you can discuss athletic involvement and highlight your ability to form friendships and contribute to a team. At a sorority that prizes high GPAs, you can discuss academic involvement. If you were part of an honors program or debate club, feel free to discuss that experience.
If possible, connect this answer to the present to keep the conversation flowing. For instance, “I loved doing that in high school. I’m looking forward to participating in something similar on campus (intramural sports team, leadership club, etc.).”
On the other hand, you could say, “Now that I’ve finished that and learned a lot, I’m interested in branching out and trying [insert new activity].”
These finishers allow the sister to share insight about what the campus offers and, if applicable, her own experiences with these activities.
Philanthropy is a significant part of Greek life. If you have volunteer experience, talk about your involvement and experience. If you didn’t volunteer in high school, don’t worry. Discuss organizations that you’d be interested in volunteering for or share your interest in participating in the sorority’s philanthropy activity.
Be open about what led you to rush and why you’re interested in being a part of a sorority. There are so many routes you can take with this question. Share how you see the sorority helping you grow as a person and allowing you to give back in a meaningful way (philanthropy). Or discuss the friendships you hope to build, the leadership opportunities, and more.
Sororities want to know who you are and what you stand for. Think about what drives you and what values you appreciate in other people. For example, loyalty and leadership are two important values for many sororities.
Find values you resonate with and discuss how you view them, and live your life according to these values. You can also talk about why they are important and who has modeled these values in your life.
The girls you’ll be speaking to want to have exciting and memorable conversations. Since they’ll be chatting with several PNMs throughout the day, standing out is crucial. One great way to be memorable is to share a passion. Discussing a true passion makes you come across as interesting and authentic. Whether it’s a common activity or a unique one, share how it has impacted your life and why you enjoy it. Ensure you are honest about these interests and activities; a sister will likely dig deeper and ask more questions about them.
This sorority interview question allows a sister to understand what you’re like in day to day life. Would you mesh well with the girls in a specific house? It’s important to give an honest answer, not an answer you think someone wants to hear. After all, you want to get a bid from a house that likes you for you. As always, refrain from discussing partying in your answer.
Sorority Interview Questions to Expect
Unlike a college admissions interview, a sorority interview is a more relaxed conversation. Of course, you want to put your best foot forward. But it’s important to come across as authentic and approachable.
Remember, the sister you’re talking to is gauging how well you would fit in with the other women in her sorority. Being authentic opens the door for connection, making you more memorable when bid day rolls around.
Here are seven sorority interview questions that you can expect during rush week.
Round one of the recruitment is fast-paced and light-hearted. You’ll meet with members from various houses on campus and answer questions about your background and goals.
Out of all the colleges to attend, you selected this specific campus. Share what drew you to the college. Avoid mentioning parties, drinking and other related activities in this question and throughout all of recruitment. Share something meaningful about the university. You can talk about a program the school offers that you’re interested in, the fact that you have family members that attended or how the location drew you to the school.
This is one of the most common sorority interview questions, and you’ll be answering it throughout the day. When you share your major, add a reason why you selected it. Is there a passion or unique aspect that drove you to pick it? Is there a long-term goal that the major will help you reach? Share something unique and deeper than a one-word answer.
This question is pretty straightforward, but it provides an opportunity to connect with the sister you’re talking to. Rather than simply stating the place you’re from, share what you like about it or how it’s different from the college town. You can also ask the interviewer where she is from to keep the conversation going.
Refrain from giving a generic answer about making connections that last a lifetime. While that might be your goal, you want to stand out. Research the values of the sororities you’re most interested in for discussion ideas. Also, think about something unique about your life and weave it into your answer.
For example, “Throughout high school, I was a member of the soccer team. I made amazing friends, and we always knew we could count on each other. Now that that chapter of my life has ended, I think that a sorority would be an amazing place to cultivate new friendships and join a group of amazing women as we navigate college together.”
A sorority is a sisterhood. Each house is looking for fun and dynamic members. Highlight an exciting or adventurous activity you participated in over the summer. If you worked hard at an internship, share a bit about that experience. If you took a fun vacation, tell an interesting story from your travels.
Well-rounded women make great additions to a sorority. Share an interest you have and a club or organization that you’re thinking about joining. Since leadership positions are available at sororities, this is a great opportunity to ask the interviewer about sorority leadership.
FAQ
What questions should I ask in an executive interview?
- What are your strongest traits? …
- How would you describe our company? …
- Why do you want to be a leader in our company? …
- What is your management style? …
- Can you describe your last supervisor? …
- Did you ever have a negative experience with a supervisor?
What questions do they ask in a sorority interview?
- Why did you choose this college/university? …
- What’s your major? …
- Where are you from? …
- Why are you interested in Greek life? …
- Did you do anything fun over the summer? …
- Do you have any plans for involvement on campus? …
- What were you involved in during high school? …
- Do you have any volunteer experience?
How do I prepare for an executive-level interview?
- Do your research. …
- Study and prepare for executive-level interview questions. …
- Ask questions. …
- Prepare open-ended questions. …
- Dress appropriately. …
- Deliver your introduction with confidence. …
- Talk about your past experience. …
- Begin and end your interview professionally.
Why do you want to be on the executive board answer?
