The Only Fraternity Recruitment Checklist You’ll Need

Frat recruitment isn’t just a week of hanging out and hoping for the best. If you want a solid group of new fraternity members and events that don’t flop, you gotta approach it with a real plan (pls don’t just go off vibes). If you’re crashing out because you’re not sure where to start, dw; we broke down everything your chapter needs to show up organized, ready, and way ahead of everyone else.

“How do we prep our frat house?”

Before any PNM meets you, they see your house. If your porch looks like a party aftermath and your porch light hasn’t worked in two semesters, that first impression’s already tanked.

This might seem obvious, but start cleaning the place! Patch the holes, toss the trash, mop the floors, fix the lights. It doesn’t have to look like a hotel, but it should feel…liveable and taken care of enough. This matters since rush week includes house tours or early open house event ideas where PNMs observe everything.

Also, don’t forget to create a house banner that doesn’t make y’all look like a meme. It shouldn't look like you guys just used acrylic paint on leftover canvas. Pick out the best spots around the house for photos too. People will be taking pics and you don’t wanna be the ones with horrible lighting.

“What does the recruitment chair/committee do?”

Frat recruitment doesn’t run itself. If you want to get the quality recruits, then you need all the guys locked in. Every role below matters, so make sure you can fill these in as early as possible.

The Recruitment Chair leads it all: he’s your organizer, communicator, and lowkey the coach for the rest of the house. In larger chapters, there can also be two recruitment chairs, with each having specific tasks or sub-teams to lead. 

From there, a Recruitment Committee is built. Every chapter runs it differently, but here are some responsibilities you could give to selected members:

1. Organizing the chapter: This guy trains all active members on what goes down during recruitment week. 
2. Recruitment strategy: You need someone who can map out the chapter’s recruitment approach. What’s your message? How are you getting PNMs to events? What’s the recruitment theme? 
3. Event execution and management: Food, transpo, vendors, setup - every detail that makes an event smooth falls here. Whoever’s handling this should basically love checklists.
4. Recruitment merch team: If you’re the merch chair, we actually have a specific merch chair guide for you. But you can ask help from the guys to get more things in order, distribute merch to actives, and give freebies to PNMs.
5. PNM outreach: This person’s in charge of finding out who the PNMs are and reaching out to them in advance. They DM PNMs and invite them to events personally. If you use ChapterBuilder, someone should handle data, PNM notes, and tracking, too.
6. PNM convo team: Ideally, this goes to your best guys to lead convos. These are the ones who can make PNMs feel welcome without trying too hard. You can also have them assigned to rotate at every event.
7. Social media and content: This person keeps all social media accounts active with pics and short vids from events. He should be good at showcasing the guys in real, not staged, moments (unless doing funny skits is your thing lol) and make sure posts show you guys in the best light. 

Put all these roles, tasks, and deadlines in a shared doc. And if sweethearts or alumni help with recruitment best practices, hit them up early so they’re looped in.

“What are good frat recruitment event ideas?”

If your idea of a great recruitment event is just “free food,” you’re already behind. Y’all can (and should) do much better than that. 

First, figure out a recruitment theme. If you need help deciding, we rounded up the 5 best frat rush themes in this blog. Choosing a theme sets the tone for everything: your shirts, your events, your chapters vibe. Picking the right theme early also unlocks better recruitment event ideas and stronger Bid Day planning.

Once you have the theme, think of events that can tie back to it and show what your chapter’s really about. Standard rush week usually follows a structure, with specific days dedicated to open house, brotherhood, philanthropy (if your chapter’s doing it), invitation, and bid day. So make sure your events fit into that schedule!

You can do a grill night or a casual sports night. Or, you can mix in other activities like:

• “Information stations” during open house where assigned members talk about a specific aspect of the chapter (leadership, service, social, athletics, etc.)
• Alumni night with stories and networking (sort of like a professional and personal development mixer)
• Cultural food night to show your chapter’s diversity
• Video game night or watch parties

Whatever you do, make sure the events showcase your brotherhood AND are actually interesting enough to make PNMs want to join. 

Important: If you’re doing food or want to get a DJ, book your vendors early! No one wants to be panic-ordering 15 pizzas the night of. Don’t forget to tell all the guys to wear name tags and chapter merch during these events too. (Need frat rush merch ideas? Read this blog for more). 

Lastly, always have event backups! If it rains, food gets delayed, or less PNMs show up than expected, what’s the plan?

“How do you run a chapter’s social media?”

In case it’s not clocking to you yet, frat recruitment starts waayyy before the new semester hits. PNMs are already stalking you on socials and checking endless subreddits about your chapter. What they see online matters.

So besides wearing your letters on and off campus, get your Instagram and TikTok cleaned up. Be careful of things that are getting reposted using your chapter’s accounts. Then, double down on sharing posts that highlight active members, memorable events from last semester, or even funny clips from people’s daily life in the frat house that show real brotherhood.

You can also set up a Google Form or Linktree in your Instagram and TikTok bios to start collecting interest. Then reach out to PNMs personally to build the connection. Basically, you wanna make your socials feel like someone’s actually behind the account, not like it’s been collecting dust or on autopilot since last year.

Shoutout to the guys of Pi Kappa Alpha at Florida State University, Sigma Chi at Florida Atlantic University, and Theta Chi at Arizona State University. Check their Instas to see how it’s done!

Make recruitment run smooth

This might be obvious, but it’s also important to get everyone looking sharp. No, we don’t mean pulling up in suits and ties…but y’all better be in newly washed clothes!! Ironing those chapter shirts, frockets, and polos can make a difference, too. And even if they're not the ones talking all day to PNMs, remind the guys to clean up and put on some good deodorant and cologne while they’re at it. 

Once recruitment week starts, it’s all about execution. Make sure your members know the plan for each day: who’s greeting PNMs, what’s being served, and where the convos are happening.

Stay present and try to give every PNM personal attention. Have follow-up convos and make the experience feel less like a Shark Tank pitch and more like an invite into something real. That’s what seals the deal.

FAQs About Fraternity Recruitment

1. What are the best recruitment event ideas for fraternities?

Strong recruitment event ideas highlight brotherhood, showcase your values, and give PNMs something worth showing up for. Favorites include grill nights, alumni mixers, sports tournaments, cultural food nights, and themed activities tied to your chapter's branding. 

2. What are good recruitment conversation starters for PNMs?

The best recruitment conversation starters feel natural and help PNMs open up. Ask about their major, hobbies, what they’re looking for in a chapter, or how their college experience has been so far. Avoid rapid-fire questions—go for real, genuine conversation that helps you determine whether they’re a good fit.

3. What are strong open house event ideas during rush week?

For open house event ideas, choose activities that make your space feel welcoming and easy to navigate. Try “info stations” about leadership, philanthropy, social life, and academics. Add guided house tours, casual meet-and-greets, or small games to help PNMs mingle without pressure.

4. What are some recruitment best practices every chapter should follow?

Top recruitment best practices include cleaning and prepping the house early, training your actives, assigning roles, planning events ahead of time, and having backups for weather or vendor issues. Preparation and consistency make your chapter stand out.

5. What does invite only mean during fraternity recruitment?

An invite only round is a selective event during rush week where the chapter hosts a smaller group of PNMs they feel aligned with. It’s designed to build deeper connections, have longer conversations, and see how PNMs mesh with your values before bid day decisions.

6. What is the rush process for fraternities?

Fraternity rush is usually a structured, multi-day process where PNMs visit different houses, meet the brothers, and attend recruitment events. Most orgs follow a schedule that includes open house rounds, brotherhood nights, philanthropy-focused events, and invite-only rounds before bids are given out.

Early rounds are casual and social, while the final rounds involve deeper conversations and more thoughtful recruiting from the chapter.

7. What do frats do when they rush?

During rush, fraternities run a series of events designed to show PNMs what brotherhood looks like inside their chapter. That can mean house tours, philanthropy presentations, alumni mixers, or just hanging out and having genuine conversations.

Behind the scenes, actives are taking notes on PNMs, discussing who aligns with the chapter’s values, and prepping for each night’s schedule. Recruitment teams also handle things like event setup, tracking attendance (sometimes through tools like ChapterBuilder), and making sure every PNM has someone to talk to. 

8. What does a recruitment chair do?

The recruitment chair is basically the project manager, hype man, strategist, and traffic controller of the entire week. He leads and oversees:

• The chapter’s recruitment strategy
• Events and assigned roles to actives
• Coordination with the recruitment committee
• Training actives on conversation expectations and PNM etiquette
• PNM outreach and tracking
• House preparation
• Communication, scheduling, and any last-minute stuff
• Merch like rush shirts and promotional materials

Final advice: act like it matters (because it does)

The best chapters don’t just hope recruitment goes well. They treat it like the future of the house depends on it, because honestly…it kind of does.

Plan ahead, show up with intention, and give PNMs a reason to want in. That’s how you build a chapter that actually lasts.

Need more frat recruitment tips? Check out the best frat rush themes to help you stand out and our guide on tabling.