FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. WHAT DO THE PACKETS INCLUDE?
So glad you asked! These standard components are included with every Complete Sorority Packet order and delivered as electronic PDF files:
- Mailing label
- Personalized return/home address label
- 3 versions of blank custom letterhead for your social résumé + cover letter
- Folded note card featuring your selected design (blank interior)
- Personalized sticker
- Detailed instructions for merging your resume verbiage (created in Word or a similar program) with our blank custom letterhead (PDF)
- Detailed instructions to guide you through the process of printing your electronic PDFs using a local professional print shop or Avery Labels. (Please note: Our printing prices are very competitive. If you plan to print your packets, we highly recommend allowing us to handle it for you. The printing instructions included with your order are intended to make it easy for you to reprint copies of your personal stationery after sorority recruitment has concluded, so that your customized stationery gets more than one use! To ensure the best possible quality, we do not recommend printing your SororityPackets.com PDFs using a home printer. More details on this below—see question 10!)
Some of the additional options we offer:
- Custom résumé formatting and placement of cover letter verbiage—you can download our résumé information form and our cover letter template here, both of which can be edited using Microsoft Word.
NOTE: Resume formatting is a design service and does not include copyediting/proofreading. Like all major design companies, we will place the EXACT verbiage you submit unless you choose to add on our proofreading service. It is your responsibility to carefully review your proofs, request any necessary changes or edits, and submit your final approval so that your order can move into print production.
- Professional printing of all products on high-quality paper + shipping of printed packets to your home address
- Colorful folders and envelopes for presenting and mailing your completed packets
- One-of-a-kind packet design (to ensure that your packet is the ONLY packet of its kind!)
- Rush design and rush shipping
DESIGN PROOFING TIMELINE
Our proofing timeline varies depending on the options you select when building your Complete Sorority Packet.
Proofs will be delivered by email within 3 days for Complete Sorority Packets WITHOUT resume and/or cover letter formatting.
Proofs will be delivered by email within 5 days for Complete Sorority Packets WITH resume and/or cover letter formatting.
If you have chosen to add resume and/or cover letter formatting to your order and would like to expedite the delivery of your proofs, select our Rush Design option to receive your proofs in 3 days (+$75).
**Rush design is not available for one-of-a-kind packets
PRINTING & SHIPPING OPTIONS
*Estimated delivery times are AFTER your design proof has been approved.
- STANDARD Shipping (7-9 business days after proof has been approved) - $8.95
- PRIORITY Shipping (6 business days after proof has been approved) - $10.95
- EXPEDITED Shipping (5 business days after proof has been approved) - $18.95
- RUSH Shipping (3 business days after proof has been approved) - $74.95
2. HOW DO I ASSEMBLE MY COMPLETE SORORITY PACKET?
- 1 resume
- 1 cover letter
- 1 personal note card + envelope (to be sent to alumnae as a thank you card after they have completed your recommendation)
- *3 personal stickers (used to label the backs of your headshots—they also make adorable envelope sealers!)
- *2 return address labels
- *2 mailing labels
3. HELP! MY ENVELOPES OR FOLDERS ARRIVED AT MY HOUSE, BUT I HAVEN'T GOTTEN MY PERSONALIZED ITEMS YET!
Rest assured that the remainder of your order is not lost or missing—our packets are shipped separately from our envelopes and folders, meaning you can expect the rest of your order to arrive soon in another box!
4. HOW MUCH DO THE SORORITY PACKETS COST?
We offer 3 service tiers ranging from completely DIY (Editable Sorority Resumes for Microsoft Word and Mac Pages) to 100% custom (One-of-a-Kind Sorority Packet Design). Check out all of the options using these links!
Editable Sorority Packet Templates with Corjl
One-of-a-Kind Sorority Packet Design
5. I WANT TO ORDER MORE OF MY SAME PACKET DESIGN. HOW DO I DO THAT?
We’ve made it easy for you to reorder elements of your packet OR the entire thing via our customer portal! Please DO NOT reorder your entire packet through our primary website, as this will cause you to pay twice for our design services.
To reorder your design, you will first need to create a customer account with SororityPackets.com. To do so, click here (or for future reference, navigate to the person icon at the top of our menu bar). You must utilize the email address associated with your original order when creating your account. After registering, you will be able to review your order history and order revisions or reprints as necessary.
6. I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT FORMATTING AND PRINTING OPTIONS FOR A COMPLETE SORORITY PACKET. CAN YOU EXPLAIN?
Absolutely! In terms of resume formatting, you have three options when placing your Complete Sorority Packet order:
Option 1: “NO-Send me blank letterhead; I’ll format everything myself” - printing required
You should only choose this option if:
- Your computer is equipped with Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- Your font library is well-stocked with typefaces that will coordinate with the packet design you've chosen.
- You feel confident about the prospect of formatting your own résumé and cover letter verbiage using Word or Pages, using our How to Merge guide to merge your verbiage with our letterhead, then running the printed BLANK letterhead that comes with your order through your home printer.
Option 2: “YES-Format my information for me” - printing optional
Full-service formatting is ideal for those who are:
- Too busy to spend hours designing and perfecting their own social resume.
- Not tech savvy or comfortable working with design programs such as Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- Searching for a HANDS-FREE solution to designing gorgeous and professional sorority packets.
When you choose this option, the information listed on your résumé and cover letter will be an exact match—same fonts, style, and colors—for the design on your custom letterhead.
You will automatically receive electronic (PDF) copies of all of the elements included in your packet. You also have the option to print your packets on your own using the detailed instructions we provide OR you can allow us to handle the printing for you! We offer professional full-bleed printing of your packets on high-quality paper. Our rates are competitive and we truly believe our print quality is unsurpassed. When you choose to have us print your packets, your gorgeous customized stationery products will be delivered directly to your doorstep along with detailed assembly instructions. More on this option below!
Option 3: Full formatting and printing
Maybe you're totally out of your league when it comes to words like "margin" and "bleed," or perhaps you're super skilled in all things design but completely short on time. We feel you! If your To Do list is a mile long, or if you just don't want to think about your packets for a second longer than you have to, this full-service option is 100% for you! We'll do the busy work for you by formatting every last inch of your résumé and cover letter verbiage to ensure a perfect match for the design you've selected, and then we'll go a step further. We'll print your packets—résumé, cover letter, address labels, note cards, personalized stickers, and all—on high-quality paper before shipping them directly to your home. All that's left to do is assemble + deliver your packets to the women writing your reference letters! If this sounds right up your alley, click "Yes" when asked about résumé formatting then indicate the number of printed packets you would like on our order form.
7. I ORDERED THE COMPLETE SORORITY PACKET WITH A FULLY-FORMATTED RESUME, BUT I WANT TO MAKE A FEW MORE CHANGES TO THE FINAL PRODUCT ON MY OWN. CAN YOU SEND ME MY RESUME AS A WORD DOCUMENT SO THAT I CAN MAKE EDITS MYSELF?
Trust us, we WISH we could say yes!! However, our formatted resumes are final, print-ready products that are individually handcrafted by our designer. In order for you to edit your own resume after enlisting our professional designer to complete the formatting, you would have to do two things:
1. Install Adobe Pro, which allows you to edit a PDF.
2. Purchase and install all of the fonts utilized throughout your design (keep in mind that some of the fonts used by our award-winning designer cost upwards of $200 per font)
With that said, if the changes you wish to make are very minor (like a GPA or email address change) our owner has been known to simply make that change for you and send you on your way :) Please email support@sororitypackets.com to inquire.
If you require more than a minor change (like adding a new award or honor), you will need to purchase a revision change via our customer portal. To do this, you will first need to create a customer account with SororityPackets.com. To do so, click here (or for future reference, navigate to the person icon at the top of our menu bar). You must utilize the email address associated with your original order when creating your account. After registering, you will be able to review your order history and order revisions or reprints as necessary.
8. THE UNIVERSITY I'M ATTENDING ONLY ACCEPTS DIGITAL RESUMES AND REC LETTERS. SHOULD I STILL ORDER PRINTED PACKETS?
Stop by this blog post for the complete scoop on electronic recommendations, and read on for a quick overview!
Your options: Go 100% green by ordering our packets in digital form (more details in the "Just the Design" section listed above) and submitting your information via email to the women writing your letters of recommendation. Alternately, you may want to send your letter-writers a printed copy of your packet for their personal use, and provide them with a digital copy of each item for uploading purposes. Whether your information is ultimately received by each sorority house in print or digital form, rest assured knowing that your personal branding and perfectly polished résumé are sure to shine!
9. MY LOCAL ALUMNAE PANHELLENIC/UNIVERSITY PANHELLENIC’S DEADLINE IS COMING UP! HOW QUICKLY CAN YOU DELIVER THE PACKETS TO ME?
If you have opted to have us format your resume and/or cover letter, please allow 5 business days to receive your proofs via email. If you did NOT add formatting to your order, you will receive your proofs within 3 business days. Once you’ve approved your proofs, please allow one week for printing and shipment to your home. Need your packets sooner? Be sure to select our rush design (3-day turnaround for formatted proofs) and rush shipping option, too!
10. I SEE YOU'RE BASED IN DALLAS! CAN I JUST PICK UP MY PACKETS IN PERSON? I'M IN A RUSH!
While we are located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and do stock envelopes and folders in our office, our print fulfillment partner is based in Alabama. For this reason we do not offer in-person pick up. If you live locally, you can expect to receive your folders/envelopes in the mail a day or two earlier than your printed packets.
11. CAN I PRINT MY PACKETS FROM MY HOME COMPUTER?
Technically, yes. However, this is not an option we recommend. There is no way for us to guarantee color or quality if you elect to print your products at home, and we have yet to find a chain retailer that carries all of the components included in our packets (including the correct sticker sizes). Avery Labels purchased from stores like Office Depot and Office Max, which are often used for at-home printing, do not meet the exact size specifications of some of our product designs. Local professional print shops, including FedEx and Office Depot, will easily be able to print PDFs of our letterhead (sized for standard 8.5" x 11" paper) and folded note cards (A2 folded note card size). However, they may have a more difficult time sourcing the correct sizes for our stickers, which is why we also offer printing of just the sticker pack on our sorority packet order form.
Please do keep in mind that our printing prices are highly competitive! If going the DIY route sounds too complex, we would love to take care of printing your packets for you!
12. I WANT TO GET STARTED ON MY COMPLETE SORORITY PACKET ORDER NOW, BUT MY RESUME ISN'T READY YET. CAN I GO AHEAD AND PLACE MY ORDER?
You're so close, but it's not quite time to press the order button—you must have your résumé ready to upload when placing your order if we will be formatting and/or printing it for you. Make those final tweaks and updates and then let's get the order process started!
If you want us to place cover letter verbiage on your custom letterhead for you, that will need to be uploaded at the time of your order as well. Also, don’t forget that your sorority packets can be turned into a personal stationery set post-recruitment! EVERYONE who orders one of our packets receives detailed printing instructions (even those who choose to have us print their packets for them) because we want you to be able to re-use and enjoy these designs long after Bid Day comes and goes.
13. WHAT DOES "3 VERSIONS OF CUSTOM LETTERHEAD" MEAN, AND WHAT IS EACH VERSION USED FOR?
Below you will find an example of the three versions of custom letterhead included with each of our sorority packet designs. The first version, which includes your name, home address, cell phone number, email address, and (if desired) social media handles, is intended to be used for the first page of your social resume. The second version, which includes just your name, is intended to be used for your cover letter. The third version, which features a complementary design and NO header text, is intended to be used for the second page of your social resume (and any subsequent pages).
14. WHY DO CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS RECOMMEND INCLUDING TWO COPIES OF MY RESUME, TRANSCRIPT, AND COVER LETTER IN EACH PACKET?
15. IS JOINING A SORORITY REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO FIND BRIDESMAIDS IN COLLEGE?
Joining a sorority is NOT the only way to make life-long friends and/or "find your bridesmaids" in college (although yes, two of our bridesmaids were our sorority sisters). There are many other clubs, volunteer organizations, and campus ministries that provide college students with the opportunity to build and invest in relationships—don't be afraid to shop around!
Whether you ultimately end up accepting a bid or you decide joining a sorority just isn't for you, however, going through recruitment is an excellent chance to get outside your comfort zone, make new connections, practice those people skills, and find community + get involved on campus right from the start. Why not give it a go?
16. WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR HAVING A SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT?
Our definition of a "successful recruitment" has more to do with approach than outcome. Sorority recruitment can be an emotionally charged process, and—from personal experience and from what our current collegian friends continually tell us—things don't always go as planned, or turn out like you expected. That's why right from the start, we encourage you to stay as open-minded as possible for the duration of this experience. In other words, don't wait until Bid Day to start building relationships. Talk to girls at local Panhellenic meetings. Make friends at Fish Camp. Encourage other PNMs in your group after each round of recruitment concludes. Really listen to what chapter members have to say and be intentional about the questions you ask. Maintain this kind of attitude and you'll end recruitment with friends in not just one sorority, but all of them! Want even more detailed advice about what to expect during sorority recruitment? Be sure to check out our eBook, Everything You Need to Know About Sorority Recruitment!
17. MY LOCAL ALUMNAE PANHELLENIC RECOMMENDED INCLUDING MY SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES WITH MY PACKET. WHERE SHOULD I INCLUDE THIS INFORMATION?
18. WHAT COLOR CHOICES DO YOU OFFER? WHICH COLOR CHOICES LOOK BEST TOGETHER?
