What’s a Sorority & Should I Join One?

11 Aug 2024, by Danielle Slauter, min. read

What is a sorority and what do they do?

Navigating Greek life in college can be a massive challenge, especially for freshmen and new students. Joining a sorority is the equivalent of running a gauntlet, so it’s totally okay if you’re intimidated or nervous about Greek life during your time as an undergrad.

This is your ultimate guide to sororities and Greek life. Have questions? We have the answers you need.

What is a sorority and how do they work?

Have questions about joining a sorority? We’ve got the answers. While there are plenty of people out there ready to give advice to new and returning college students, we’re going to tell it how it is. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about Greek life in college. From rush week and bid day and everything in between, this is the guide to use.

What is a sorority?

The technical definition of a sorority is a social organization that is typically part of the Greek system found in colleges and universities. They are usually based on values like sisterhood, academic achievement, community service, and social development. Most sororities are a part of the College Panhellenic Council (CPC).

One of the biggest draws of joining a sorority is the social aspect, but they do much more than just that. They also give students academic support, opportunities to volunteer and engage with the local community, help network students for future career opportunities, and offer lifelong friendships.

What do sororities do?

Sororities themselves help to create a supportive community and network of connections. Since they are often national organizations with multiple chapters on campuses around the country, each has its own set of traditions and standards.

By being a nationally affiliated sorority, members feel a sense of unity, all while being connected to a huge network of resources. Most of them also engage in charity work for specific organizations they partner with, giving members opportunities for community service.

How do you join a sorority?

Joining a sorority often involves a rigorous recruitment process. The rules and requirements vary by chapter and university, but most will begin their formal recruitment process at the beginning of the fall semester. The general requirements are:

Being a full-time, regularly enrolled student
Having a minimum GPA
Earning a minimum number of credit hours

What is the recruitment process?

The recruitment process for joining involves multiple rounds of meetings with your prospective sororities and their members to see if they think you would be a good fit to join them. Simply put, it’s a bit like being on The Bachelor.

Round 1 consists of meeting with every sorority on your college campus. Yes, every single one. Even if you don’t have any intention of joining a certain sorority, you’ll still be required to meet with and learn about them.

During round 2, you’ll make a list of all of the sororities you’d like to go back to and visit again. During this time, current members of the sororities are discussing which potential members they want to invite back for round 2.

At the beginning of round 2, you’ll receive your invitation schedule, which is a list of all the sororities you’ll be meeting with. Just note that your invitation schedule doesn’t always directly match the sororities you requested to meet with again.

During round 2, you’ll speak directly with the members of your prospective sororities. Then the process repeats itself for round 3. This cycle repeats itself until Bid Day, during which sororities give bids to about 50-60% of potential new members, formally inviting them to join.

What is rush week?

Rush week is the beginning of the sorority (or fraternity) recruitment process, usually taking a full week. During this time, potential new members learn about the sororities on campus and their values and missions, participate in various social events, and meet with current members.

While the sororities definitely have the upper hand during rush week, it’s a two-way learning process. It gives current members a chance to learn about you while you also learn about them. This helps you determine which one you want to pledge and (hopefully) eventually join.

What is pledging?

Pledging happens between accepting your bid and being formally initiated. During this time, new members are educated on all the ins and outs of their respective sorority. This time period can last anywhere from four to 12 weeks, depending on which sorority you join.

There are plenty of meetings and activities that take place during this process, almost all of which are mandatory. This is a huge time commitment, so be sure to plan your schedule (academic or otherwise) accordingly.

How much do sororities cost?

While it might seem like a fun idea to join a sorority when you head back to campus during the fall, it’s important to remember that they aren’t just a time commitment, but a financial one as well. It’s also difficult to determine just how much money it costs being in a sorority.

All members are required to pay dues every semester. These vary widely by chapter, as each campus has a different cost of living, so to speak.

Schools with huge Greek life programs, like the University of Alabama, generally cost more. For example, for the 2022-2023 school year, the average new member fee was around $4,170. Once initiated, the average cost for a member living in the house was $7,465. For those opting to live off campus, the cost was $3,621.

Again, all of it varies immensely. Some colleges have smaller Greek life programs that are more affordable to join. Other schools with bigger programs generally cost more to join.

However, there is financial aid available for students interested in joining Greek life on their campus. During the 2022-2023 school year, 26 different sororities gave out a total of $6.6 million in scholarships. More chapters are starting the conversation about affordability and Greek life, but there is still an inherent cost associated with joining the college Greek system.

What are the benefits?

There are plenty of benefits of joining a sorority during your time as a undergrad student. The main perks are:

Community: providing a sense of belonging and being a part of a community of like-minded women.
Social skills: building social skills and having plenty of events to attend.
Community service: volunteering to raise funds and awareness for a specific cause or charity.
Leadership: opportunities for personal and professional development.
Academic assistance: offering academic support to members.
Networking: help you build a network of women while making professional connections with alumni networks for post-graduation opportunities.
Housing: many sororities have their own housing on or off campus which may be more modern or comfortable than traditional housing.