By Maia Mehring
If you’ve been paying attention to campus chatter lately, you may have heard the acronym “COB” dropped here and there. To most, it’s a cryptic term that holds no meaning, but for some at Cornell, it can completely transform the college experience.
COB, or Continuous Open Bidding, refers to the Panhellenic Sororities' informal recruitment process. It happens every fall and after the conclusion of formal recruitment every spring. Although fall COB selections were finalized last weekend, this casual alternative to typical rushing may be the right Greek experience for you.
At Alpha Xi Delta, COB Director Jess Wiemels (‘27) described this process in greater detail.
“[It’s an] informal recruitment process that many sororities use to fill available spots outside of the primary recruitment period,” she told the Sun.
In fall, COB is open to sophomores, sophomore transfers, juniors, and junior transfers. In spring first-year students are also allowed to participate after formal recruitment (FMR) ends.
As opposed to structured “rounds” during FMR, “COB consists of smaller events like open houses or one-on-one coffee chats to get to know potential new members (PNMs),” Wiemels explained.
Nonetheless, only certain sororities participate in COB each semester. Which houses partake is contingent on the number of girls who end up joining each sorority after FMR is completed. Only five out of the eleven Panhellenic Sororities held informal recruitment this semester (Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Delta Delta, and Pi Beta Phi). And while this adds an element of uncertainty to COB, it is unmistakably less stressful than its formal counterpart.
“COB is an amazing opportunity for students to join the Panhellenic community after freshman year when they’ve better acclimated to campus life,” said Gigi Chan (‘26), Vice President of Recruitment for Alpha Chi Omega. “Many students who are initially unsure about going Greek in freshman year participate in COB after learning more about the community.
Additionally, COB is a great option for transfer students to find a welcoming sisterhood and make campus feel “smaller and less intimidating.” Katie Turek (‘27), a sophomore who went through continuous open bidding last spring, found community at Kappa Delta Sorority because of the process. Despite hesitation about committing to formal recruitment, she decided to step into the unknown and continue with the preliminary FMR rounds. After completing two virtual rounds and one in-person round, she decided the fast-paced, formal aspect of FMR was not what she was looking for from the Greek experience.
“I wish someone had told me that just because formal recruitment had ended, it didn’t have to be the end of sorority recruitment,” Turek said. “It would have been a different experience.”
In actuality, Turek did have an atypical COB experience. A Kappa Delta alum herself, Turek’s mother received an email prospecting student interest in COB for KD following formal recruitment. Intrigued by this alternative avenue and the chance to follow in her mom’s footsteps, she signed up for COB and met with a senior in KD.
“We talked about the outcome of formal recruitment and my hesitations toward COB; the conversation was so honest and real,” she recalled.
In addition to being the COB Director for AZD, Jess Wiemels had a similar experience after being recruited through COB herself. “Unlike formal recruitment, COB is more casual, ongoing, and chill.”
With FMR conflicting with her sister’s wedding in Costa Rica, there was no possibility of her being on campus in time for the first round. She still knew she wanted to join Greek Life in the spring and remembered learning about COB from Panhellenic representatives at club fest.
After filling out the interest form linked on Cornell Panhellenic’s Instagram and coffee-chatting with sisters from various chapters, Jess ultimately chose AXiD.
“I really enjoyed chatting with girls from different sororities in an informal, one-on-one setting. Ultimately, I’m really glad I did COB, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to join a sorority outside of the formal recruitment process.”
Current Kappa Delta president Caroline Park (‘27) also feels that joining greek life through COB is a great way to “make Cornell feel like home.” Though KD did not offer the informal recruitment option this fall, Park had a personal connection to wanting COB members to feel integrated into the KD family.
After she completed formal recruitment last spring , her younger sister decided to rush the same sorority informally. Park worked to ensure her sibling felt just as connected to her new sorority sisters as she had.
Though they had different journeys, the end result was the same: a feeling of sisterhood and belonging found at Kappa Delta.
Though each sorority conducts itself differently in both the COB and FMR processes, those on the recruitment side of COB take steps to ensure the process is equitable and inclusive for all PNMs.
“Our recruitment selection process is solely based on the conversations our potential new members have with our sisters. We have DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) trainings for our recruiters and are very transparent about chapter requirements and finances throughout the COB process,” Chan said.
Both Wiemels and Chan spoke about the benefits of having smaller-than-usual member classes for COB PNMs, but Wiemels felt it was important to note the purpose of COB: to invite more people to join Greek Life if the member quotas for sororities allow for it. In this past round of COB, AXiD only had six spots for PNMs interested in joining, making the selection process more difficult after talking to many excited PNMs.
“I did my best to meet with as many PNMs as possible (meeting first with the girls who indicated AXiD as their first or only choice), and deliberated heavily with the recruitment team about who to offer bids,” Wiemels said. Though a great option for many, COB does not guarantee a bid from a sorority, making it riskier for those wanting to be a part of Greek Life on campus.
Still, despite the risk, the most common advice sisters give to those considering COB is to keep an open mind.
“Every sorority is filled with incredible girls, and there is a place for every PNM,” Park stressed. “Focus on the conversations you are having with the girls, and see if their values align with yours.”
Chan shared this sentiment of focusing on values.
“I chose the house I felt at home in and whose sisters I could picture myself becoming close friends with, who reminded me of my sister and best friends from home, and who matched my values,” she explained.
Panhellenic emphasizes the importance of each unique member in the recruitment process, offering COB as a chance to express individuality. Informal recruitment is an opportunity to let sororities get to know you authentically, without the pomp and frill of formal recruitment.
Maia Mehring is a sophomore in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She can be reached at mjm743@cornell.edu.
