Are you about to start your college life and wondering if you should join a women’s fraternity? In this article, we will discuss everything important you need to know before joining a sorority.
If you want to make friends quickly in college and have access to a large number of social and fun events, being a member of a sorority may be your ticket.
However, becoming part of this network of women is not so easy. There are some requirements that you need to be familiar with and have a good reason why you want to join.
Let’s first start with what exactly a sorority is, what the recruitment process is, and what you should look out for when applying. The answers to all of these important questions and more will be found in the following lines.
FAQ Before Joining a Sorority
What Is a Sorority and Why Should I Join One?
Sororities are organizations associated with colleges and universities that aim to unite young women with common values, interests, and goals into one community. They are most often located and operate on college campuses in the USA and Canada.
These types of organizations are often called “Greek” because their names are composed entirely of Greek letters. Furthermore, they have restricted access, а set rules of conduct, and strict procedures for recruiting new members.
Their main purpose is to promote academic achievements, group activities, self-organized events, cultivate strong friendships, and improve the social and leadership skills of their members.
In general, sororities can make your transition from school to college life much easier. Therefore, if you want to quickly establish a new social circle and have access to many fun activities and events, then don’t hesitate to apply for membership.
Is It Hard to Get into a Sorority?
Not every college girl can get into a sorority. Most Greek organizations require a minimum GPA of 2.5 to 3.0. Furthermore, your personality and extracurricular activities also play an important role. However, it mostly depends on the size and popularity of the sorority and how many students are willing to join.
In any case, it is strongly advisable to first inform yourself very well about the sorority you want to join. You must know the organization’s history, values, rules, traditions, requirements, and so on.
Think carefully and have a meaningful answer as to why you want to join. Only then contact them and attend rush events. A letter of recommendation from an alumna can also give you an advantage.
What Does Rushing Mean in a Sorority?
Rushing is another name for the process of recruiting new potential members for a sorority. It usually consists of several rounds in which it is judged whether a student has the qualities to become a member of the organization.
If all goes well, the PNM (potential new member) will receive an invitation to join the sorority on bid day. In fact, ‘rush’ is an outdated word that is still used to name the process of sorority recruitment.
As explained here, ‘rush’ referred to the practice of fraternities “rushing” to the train station to meet the newest members of the freshman class and pinning their fraternity colors on the freshmen to identify them as potential new members.
How Do Sororities Decide Who Gets a Bid?
As I already mentioned, your GPA and extracurricular activities matter. But there are many more factors as to whether you will be accepted as a sorority member or not.
By attending recruitment parties, you will be able to meet and talk to other PNMs (Potential New Members) and representatives of different Greek-letter organizations.
In general, recruiters are always looking for girls who could contribute to the sorority with their qualities and personality. If you have common values and interests with most of the girls in the organization this is also a big plus because it is important to be able to get along with your future sisters.
All in all, good essential soft skills and a genuine interest in the sorority will make you stand out and increase your chances of getting the bid. The girls you have spoken to at the various events will have the final say on whether or not you become part of the women’s fraternity they are a member of.
Do Sororities Check Potential New Members’ Social Media?
During the recruitment phase, active sorority members could conduct a little research into your social media profiles. This is done to find out more about your personality, interests, and also if the content you post online is appropriate and overlaps with the values and guidelines that the organization has.
It is important to note that the number of followers you have doesn’t matter as well as your popularity online!
How Do You Stand Out During Sorority Rush?
It is clear to all that there are a lot of sorority candidates who are very motivated and have dreamed of joining a particular Greek organization since they were in school.
Therefore, each will do their best to be noticed and liked. Here are a few tips that would help you impress the members of a sorority:
- Be sociable – You can’t afford to be shy and self-conscious. Be confident, talk about topics that interest you, and try your best to leave a good impression without overacting.
- Dress well – Your appearance at these recruitment events plays an important role and if there is a dress code, you MUST follow it. Choose elegant clothing, don’t wear a lot of make-up, and display confident body language.
- Be yourself – As cheesy as it sounds, this is the best strategy to get someone to like you. Remember that you will spend a lot of time with these people, so show them your strengths and weaknesses without fear of being judged.
What Is Dirty Rushing?
A dirty rush is the act of sorority members contacting new potential members before the beginning of the recruitment phase to influence and attract girls to the organization. This is against the established rules and should not happen.
Moreover, gift-giving, promising bids, and bad-mouthing other sororities are also considered a dirty rush and are not allowed.
To make sure that all sororities follow the rules and that the recruitment process is fair for all, every college has a Panhellenic Council. This is a governing body comprised of the members who serve on the executive council and one delegate from each sorority on campus.
The Panhellenic Council is responsible for the good and safe cooperation between the different sororities on campus, for fair play during the formal recruitment, and for evaluating the development and image of the communities
Are Sororities a Major Time Commitment?
Yes, although again it would mostly depend on the Greek Life environment at your college and the specific sorority you are affiliated with. Some Greek-letter organizations have more laid-back programs than others. But overall, being a member of a sorority is certainly time-consuming.
You will need to organize your time well because, in addition to studying and possibly working part-time, you will now have to attend various social and recreational events with your sorority sisters, attend chapter meetings, and do other engaging activities related to your organization membership.
For this reason, you need to think carefully about whether Greek Life is for you with all the responsibilities, time, and sacrifices you will have to make so that you contribute to the sisterhood.
What GPA Do Sororities Require?
All sororities place particular importance on the academic success of their active members and potential new ones. Most often, the minimum GPA required by Greek organizations across the US is between 2.5 and 3.0, with some of the top-tier ones even requiring between 3.3-3.6.
GPA is essentially one of the first and most important criteria when recruiting new members. Even if exceptions are made in some cases, you should get good grades first before rushing.
To see what minimum GPA is required by the sorority you want to join, it’s best to visit their website where they should have listed their requirements for new and active members of the organization.
Do Sororities Have Secrets?
The answer is YES. All sororities have their own secret rituals, traditions, handshakes, etc. This secrecy is meant to strengthen the bond between the sisters through mutual trust and keeping common secrets.
Furthermore, these secrets add uniqueness and more excitement to the idea of being a member of this type of organization.
“Our sorority had a secret signal: the ‘eyebrow stroke.’ If at any time you were trapped in an awkward conversation or scenario (like being hit on by an annoying drunk guy at a bar) you knew if you stroked your eyebrow, a sister would immediately come to your rescue.”- Erin Stephenson, Alpha Phi
Do Sororities Matter After College?
Sororities offer you a great opportunity to network with girls with whom you have similar interests and goals. After college, you may stay in contact with some of your sisters. It won’t be a surprise if some of those relationships turn into great friendships.
Ways in which you can stay connected with your sisters after college and continue to feel an active part of the sorority is by joining the organization’s alumni club, attending reunion events, and continuing to help the organization financially or in other ways.
Having good friends from college will always be to your advantage. For example, if you have sisters who are in the same industry as you, they can be helpful with career advice and job opportunities.
Is Joining a Sorority Worth the Money?
It mostly depends on you as a person and whether you think Greek Life is right for you. If you want to make friends faster in college and feel a sense of belonging to a community, then joining a sorority is a wonderful idea.
You’ll have access to a lot of parties and other social events and activities. What’s more, you’ll be able to quickly find study buddies and also live together with other sisters in a house associated with the organization, which in most cases comes out cheaper than dorms.
Yes, being a member of Greek organizations is not cheap and usually costs a few thousand dollars per semester. Nevertheless, many positives and benefits come with it as well.
Does Being in a Sorority Look Good on a Resume?
Yes, your sorority membership can bring you some perks if you mention it the right way on your resume.
Try to emphasize the events you were a part of. What qualities/skills you have gained from the responsibilities you had in the organization. If they are relevant and transferrable to the job you are applying for, then you should certainly mention them.
Very often people who have taken initiative and been active members in Greek organizations mature faster. They also have amazing soft skills and demonstrate good leadership qualities. All these things are sought after by companies.
Pros And Cons Joining a Sorority?
As a conclusion to this article, here are my pros and cons of joining a sorority. I encourage you to make the same one on a piece of paper and then carefully consider whether Greek Life is for you or not.
Pros:
- Easier transition from high school to college life
- You meet people with similar values and goals
- Participate in many social and fun events
- You make lifelong friendships
- Learn many new skills like working in a team
Cons:
- It sometimes takes a long time
- Lots of young women = lots of drama
- Greek Life can sometimes interfere with your studies
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