Warning: This post is going to be harsh. As shallow as it sounds, you will be partly judged on your appearance and I'm not going to sugarcoat the fact. You will have a better chance into getting into the sorority of your dreams by wearing last year's well-fitting clothes from Target than a too tight dress with stripper heels fresh from the Gucci boutique. Sororities, at first appearance, are old-fashioned entities. While the sorority members may dressed like hookers, dressing like you're accompanying your grandma to a church tea social will win you points in recruitment.
Recruitment is a week-long process, and most schools follow the model I'll describe below. Most schools also now will tell you what you need to wear, this is just a visual to help guide you.
Typically when you register for recruitment, you'll get a tee to wear for the open house round (I used WVU tees as stand-ins). This round is where you go to all the sorority houses (or rooms if they don't have houses), and meet the sisters. With the tees you'll usually get the option of wearing shorts or jeans with it. I pulled some examples here to show you what you need to look for. Make sure your jeans aren't hole-y or overly distressed, make sure they fit, no muffin tops, and no coin slots or whale tails showing. If you opt for shorts, repeat after me: NO BOOTY SHORTS. The inseam should be as long as your middle finger. If your shorts don't cover any cellulite you may have, they're too short. Wear shoes that are cute and comfortable and consider investing in some runner's block, which is a waxy substance that runners use to avoid blisters on their feet. Don't try to wear heels. You're going to be spending most of the night on your feet and heels will just make your feet ache.
For jewelry, makeup, and hair, keep it simple and something you're comfortable with. Now is not the time to try a sock bun or a smokey eye. Make sure you give yourself a mani/pedi. You can have some fun with your polish colors and a mani in your school colors would be a great choice. However if you're going to use more than one color, make sure it doesn't match any of the groups' colors, as that tends weird them out (it reeks of desperation).
After the open house rounds you start to narrow the sororities down to ones you like, and the sororities do the same. This is the round where schools vary the most and they'll let you know what you need to wear. Some schools will have a philanthropy night, and for example, you make help the sisters make cards for a local hospital unit. Others may have presentations that go more in-depth in the group's history, philanthropy, etc. If you're going the craft route, you'll wear something similar to that of the open house round. If you're in the presentation route, you'll want something dressier. A sundress is perfect for this round, but a nice pair or pants or capris--no denim allowed--will work, too. I don't recommend wearing strapless dresses for this round, as I said earlier, sororities tend to skew old-fashioned during recruitment. Wear cute sandals or flats while avoiding heels. You can be a bit more daring with your makeup/hair/nails in this round but as I said earlier, don't try new things. If you try something new you may not be on your best foot and that is exactly where you want to be during recruitment.
After the invitational rounds comes Preference, or more commonly known as pref night. This is where the sororities make their last impression on you and why you should join their house. This is typically an emotional night for the sororities, and you may cry along, too. This is a dressy occasion, which again means no jeans or khakis. A lot of schools require black dresses for this night, but others will let you wear another dress of choice. Strapless dresses are okay for this night. These are clothes you would wear to a fancy dinner party, a simple cotton dress from J. Crew isn't really recommended. You can wear heels this night, but keep them under 3" high and don't wear your everyday black flats. Tasteful jewelry and makeup is your best bet.
And now here's a pictorial of what not to wear:
1. NO BOOTY SHORTS. Booty shorts make you look cheap, and sororities don't want cheap-looking members.
2. Avoid jeans with any rips, holes, or major distressing. Now is not the time to scream your love of Hollister.
3. The heels on these shoes are simply way too high.
4. This dress is just too much. If you'd wear it to a club, you should not wear it to a sorority function.
5. No rubber flip-flops. Leather ones like Rainbows are fine, but leave the rubber for the beach or pool.
6. Avoid old trends like Ed Hardy, Von Dutch, sublimation prints, those crinkly blouses from Fashion Bug, or anything the cast of the Jersey Shore would wear.
7. This dress would be a fantastic pick for a sorority formal, it's too formal for recruitment.
