Explore SigEp

Home Why SigEp Undergraduates Alumni & Volunteers Parents Join SigEp

Recruitment Profile: San Diego State University — A Breakthrough Performance

It doesn’t rain often in Southern California, but California Delta is making it pour. The Aztecs really poured it on in 2006-2007, recruiting 64 men, twice its five-year average. Today, the chapter has 117 men with a 3.0 GPA, up from 39 men with a 2.82 GPA in 2003. Chapter President Tom Standish discussed the chapter’s recent recruitment success.

Why is recruitment important to your chapter? Recruitment at SDSU is very competitive. We want to be the best. To be the best, you have to make your presence felt. We do this by having a lot of great men.

What are your chapter’s recruitment standards? Scholarship is important. We don’t look at people under a 3.0. We look at guys who have leadership attributes and professionalism and want to contribute. We use recruitment to improve areas we need to improve. This past year, we wanted to win in intramurals, so we recruited athletes.

What was different about recruitment this year that contributed to your success? Our events were buttoned up and everyone was involved. Before the semester began, we were ready. We set our goal, created our budget, and finalized our calendar. This led to better communication to our members and better participation and allowed us to make a huge presence on campus. Our recruitment chair formed a committee to make sure we got a profile on every recruit with contact information, interests, and activities. Every person on our list was called.

On campus, our brothers were out in force. We made sure our best recruiters were out talking to people every day during rush. When meeting someone for the first time, we encourage our members to ask questions about their future plans of education, how they plan to get involved on campus, any special talents or hobbies, and what sports they participate in. We use these interests to tailor our approach. This really made the guys comfortable with who we are and what we’re about.

What’s different about the chapter now? It’s a lot more fun. Because we have a lot of guys, there isn’t the same pressure to fill the house and everyone is excited about what we’re doing. When I joined, we had 30 men. The sororities didn’t know us. We decided we would work hard and focus on one step at a time. Now, with so many guys, sororities want to hang out with us and we are able to do cooler things like having a sushi night with a sorority as a recruitment event. Guys are involved and having fun.

How You Can Find Recruitment Success

Like San Diego State, you too can find recruitment success through having recruitment standards, preparing well in advance, working hard, and having fun while recruiting. A proven technique to increase your recruitment performance is the Balanced Man Scholarship. Today, SigEp Headquarters offers services to help you with building your applicant list.

A Customized Solution to Meet Your Chapter’s Needs

If it were easy, every fraternity in America would do it. It is not. The BMS requires hard work and your Headquarters staff is here to help you create a solution to fit your need. By using this program, you get:

• Assistance in generating lists of incoming students and/or high school guidance counselors
• Professional correspondence support from top-notch professionals
• Excel template to aid in interview set-up, tracking, and follow-up
• Link for your scholarship from SigEp’s website
• Training on in-home interview best practices
• Discounted mail services through economies of scale provided by SigEp Headquarters

Preparing to Unlock Your BMS Potential

Balanced Man Scholarship

Started by the University of Cincinnati Residential Learning Community, this vital component of recruitment aids chapters in building a solid potential member list that provides the chapter with key information on the quality of individuals it can recruit. The BMS can be used to vault chapters into the top recruitment performers on campus. The BMS is a tremendous complement to a summer recruitment plan and can be applied at all campuses across the country. This technique aids SigEp recruiters in overcoming the “frat boy” stereotype and communicates the value of the chapter’s experience. Using the BMS process during the summer starts with planning and execution now!

Learn more about the BMS at www.sigep.org/bms (login required).

Before submitting your request, three items will greatly accelerate your BMS time line:

1. Mailing List — this list should be sent in Microsoft Excel format with full name and mailing information. Often, you can request a list (sometimes for a small fee) of incoming students. Check with your Greek Advisor or Financial Aid and Admissions departments. If you cannot get a list, Headquarters can help you get a listing of guidance counselors for high schools sending students to your college or university.
2. Introduction Letter — introduces a potential applicant to the BMS, including information on the number and amount(s) of awards to be distributed, criteria used in selection process, and whom to contact with questions (along with an electronic signature of the BMS chairman).
3. Application — one-page in length. Your chapter should have an on-line application in a prominent place on your chapter’s home page. If your web site is less than stellar, your chapter can link its scholarship through Headquarters’ BMS site, www.sigep.org/scholarship.

Price:

• 50¢ per piece (includes envelope, up to three copies, postage)
• $25 service charge (covers handling costs to mail within five business days of receiving completed materials)
• Payment is due at time of production and can be via credit card or check.

For more information, contact Brian Warren at 804-353-1901.