Joining AXΩ

Thinking about joining our Kappa Nu chapter of Alpha Chi Omega? There are two ways to become a new member of AXΩ: FMR and COB/IMR. Keep reading below to find out what those acronyms mean!

FMR

FMR stands for Formal Membership Recruitment. Formal Membership Recruitment is when women who are interested in going Greek visit each sorority house on campus. FMR is a ‘structured mutual selection process’ run by the National Panhellenic Conference. FMR has a set timeline and rules intended to give women interested in going Greek the opportunity to visit and learn about each sorority chapter on campus.

On the first night of FMR, you visit every chapter on campus. On each subsequent night, you visit fewer chapter. Which chapter you go back to depends both on your preferences (you say which you want to go back to) and chapters’ invitations.

Your conversations and interactions with sisters during each night of FMR give each chapter a glimpse of your qualities and how you could potentially contribute as a member. Chapters extend invitations based on how well they think a participant fits their membership criteria.

At AXΩ, the membership criteria we consider are: academic interest, character, leadership ability, personal development, and financial responsibility. After the final night of FMR, chapters extend bids to the women they believe would fit their chapter well, and women participating in recruitment choose which chapter’s bid they wish to accept.

At Carnegie Mellon, FMR happens during the Fall Semester over four nights, starting on a Friday night and ending on a Monday. If you’re interested in participating in FMR, you can sign up through the CMU Greek Life site. You can also find out more about sorority life at CMU by going to Greek events at the beginning of the Fall semester. Even if you’re not too sure about going Greek, going to the beginning of the semester events is a great way to meet new people and learn about opportunities available at CMU.

COB/IMR

COB stands for “Continuous Open Bidding” and IMR stands for “Infomal Membership Recruitment”. When chapters haven’t reached the total number of members they are allowed to have after FMR ends, they can invite other women to join their chapter (giving out ‘bids’) later in the Fall and Spring semesters.

Informal recruitment at Alpha Chi Omega is exactly that: informal. Potential Members are invited to relaxed, fun-filled events so that they can meet more sisters and get an idea of what it’s like to be in Alpha Chi Omega . If we think AXΩ is a good fit for both the potential member and the chapter, we offer them a bid (inviting them to join).