Informal Recruitment
Following Formal Recruitment, Potential New Members may be invited back to specific houses to continue getting to know the members and experience each cooperative on a deeper level. You can choose to attend as many or as few of your invitation events as you'd like.
These visits are designed to help you build stronger connections with current members, learn more about each house's culture and traditions, and imagine what it would be like to call that cooperative home. The atmosphere is more relaxed, giving you plenty of time to ask questions and have meaningful conversations.
Attire for this round is casual, with many PNMs opting for outfits such as jeans, sweaters, cardigans, or other comfortable, put-together clothing.
Recruitment
At Purdue, Women's Cooperative Recruitment takes place twice each academic year:
Fall Recruitment (September): Primarily for incoming Purdue freshmen who are beginning in the fall semester. This is the largest recruitment cycle and allows first-year students to find their home away from home early in the school year.
Spring Recruitment (February): Open to incoming spring-admit students as well as current Purdue students who are interested in joining a women's cooperative after the fall semester.
Fall 2026 recruitment registration is NOW OPEN!
Formal Recruitment
During Formal Recruitment, Potential New Members (PNMs) will have the opportunity to visit all seven Women's Cooperative houses while dressed in business casual or professional attire. Whether you choose a dress, skirt, slacks, or a pantsuit, we encourage you to wear something that makes you feel confident and reflects your personal style.
As you visit each house, you'll tour the home, meet current members, ask questions, and learn more about each cooperative's unique values, traditions, and community. It's the perfect opportunity to discover which house feels like home.
For more information about the recruitment process or cooperative house, check out the Purdue Fraternity, Sorority, and Cooperative Website!
After Informal Recruitment, Potential New Members will rank the houses they attended. Following the mutual selection process, each PNM may receive one bid to join a Women's Cooperative.
To be eligible to receive a bid, you must participate in both the Formal and Informal Recruitment rounds. Completing only one portion of the recruitment process does not qualify you to receive a bid.
This final step brings the recruitment process to a close and matches each PNM with the cooperative that is the best mutual fit.