CORE leadership sought applicants for the Ride from both outside the organization and among CORE veterans, aiming for a reasonably balanced group of black and white, young and old, religious and secular participants, though only two women were included on the first Ride. Applicants had to provide a recommendation from a teacher, pastor, or co-worker and write an essay explaining their commitment to nonviolence and the struggle for civil rights, while volunteers under twenty-one also needed proof of parental permission. Thirteen Freedom Riders met in Washington on May 1 for three days of intensive preparation and training in nonviolence, including briefings on constitutional law, arrest procedures, and the white South, as well as intense role-playing sessions that subjected them to simulated abuse such as being knocked down, shoved, spit on, doused with coffee, and called racial epithets. By May 3 they were emotionally drained but closely bonded, and on May 4, 1961, they received final instructions for carefully planned seating arrangements designed to test the law, with one black Rider in a seat ordinarily reserved for white passengers, an interracial pair in adjoining seats, and the others scattered throughout the bus. The Riders followed a strict dress code of coats and ties for men and dresses and high heels for women, and they were expected to represent the cause of social justice openly and honestly without needless provocation or confrontation.