A record number of women participated in the Panhellenic Association’s annual formal recruitment, which was held last week.

A mix of freshmen and sophomores participated for a total of 1,752 women, more than the last two years.

Jory Mick, vice president of public relations, said recruitment was otherwise similar to past years.

“The only big change (this year) is that bid day is on Sunday instead of Saturday this year,” Mick said.

A rumor began on Twitter that MU had the largest formal recruitment in the country but Mick said it was not true. Alabama’s 2013 recruitment was larger.

When it comes to what chapters look for in new members, every chapter is different.

“Recruitment is a mutual selection process,” Mick said.

Potential sorority members preferenced the chapters of which they wanted to become a part, and chapters preferenced which potential members they wanted to invite back.

Mick said the potential members and their recruitment leaders had a fun, wonderful week.

“The weather has been great, and it’s been a fantastic week so far,” Mick said.

Freshman Bria Baumgartner said she jumped right into recruitment when she arrived on campus last Sunday and had already started to lose her voice by Thursday by talking to so many people.

“Everything is happening so fast,” Baumgartner said.

Baumgartner said on the first day, she and the other potential members were given the same yellow T-shirts to wear with shorts and skirts at the first meeting.

Freshman Angelina Kelly said she did not expect the week to be so fun.

“I knew it was going to be interesting, to say the least,” Kelly said. “I expected it to be more nerve-racking.”

Baumgartner and Kelly agreed that they were most anxious when schedules were distributed because that was when they found out which chapters they were invited back to.

Both agreed that their favorite part of rushing was when the various chapters performed skits on Sisterhood Day, because it gave them a chance to see the sororities’ personalities.

“It’s really easy to tell whether they get along and whether they have fun, or whether they’re just all books,” Kelly said.

Kelly, who described herself as sporty, explained that by seeing the skits, she could envision where she belonged.

Freshman Jessica Ebbs is a legacy of Phi Mu through her sister, who just graduated from MU.

“She just got me out-of-my-mind excited about everything,” Ebbs said.

Ebbs was not always sure whether she wanted to join a sorority once she got to college. Once she stayed in the house while visiting her older sister, she knew that was the kind of sisterhood she would love to be a part of because of how close her and her sister Stephanie were growing up.

Although her sister told her a lot about what to expect, Ebbs said she still got a little nervous.

Potential members said one of the great things about the experience is that they expect to stay friends with the people they met in their recruitment groups.

“Everybody’s going through this process together, you really feel in your … group you can walk up to anyone, and they know exactly what you’re talking about and how you feel because we’re going through the same thing,” Ebbs said.