Find Out if You Should Join A Sorority With These 8 Hot Takes!
As you enter your first year in college, one thing that you probably heard being asked around was, “Do you want to join a sorority?”
Some people are like, “Yeah, totally! Why shouldn’t I join a sorority?”, especially if their parents were once part of Greek life (or if they were big fans of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde). Others are like, “I’ll just go rush because I saw RushTok.”
And then there’s you, wondering, “Should I join a sorority? What’s in it for me? What are the pros and cons of joining a sorority?”
It’s a big decision and we know you need some time to think about it! We sat down with some of our Campus Managers who are currently in Greek life to know why you should or should not join a sorority!
- The Pros of Joining a Sorority
- 1. You get to expand your social life
- 2. You gain awesome connections
- 3. You can be more active in the community
- 4. You get to know yourself more
- The Cons of Joining a Sorority
- 1. Events are going to invade your calendar
- 2. Everything you do becomes an extension of your chapter
- 3. There are fees you need to consider
- 4. Your priorities might change over time
The Pros of Joining a Sorority
1. You get to expand your social life
Being in a sorority is like finding your sisters from other mothers!
One of the scariest things about starting college is that you barely know anyone on a huge campus that’s at least twice the size of your high school. If you’re lucky, you might find one person in all your classes that vibes with you and then you two are inseparable until graduation.
Sororities, however, are huge groups of awesome women who more or less have similar interests and personalities! While each sister has their own distinct identity, they still belong with the other sisters like pieces of a beautiful puzzle that is their chapter.
Sofi Melgarejo, one of our CMs and the outgoing apparel chair of Zeta Tau Alpha, said that she even knows she’s found her bridesmaids in her chapter!
Jordan Ostrowski, another CM and the outgoing merchandising chair of Pi Beta Phi, also said that her sorority is like her campus family.
Joining a sorority just might help you find your best friends!
2. You gain awesome connections
Elle Woods and Brooke Windham are such sister goals <3
Do you remember that scene in Legally Blonde where Elle got their then-stubborn client Brooke Windham to open up to her because they were both from Delta Nu? This eventually led Elle to be acknowledged for her skills as an up-and-coming lawyer.
If you don’t, then you should watch it (y’know... for “research”). Their sisterhood throughout the movie is so cute!
And that’s what being in a sorority can be like for you as well. The women who were once part of sororities in college never forget their roots, and they are always willing to help a sister in need. Even once you graduate and look for jobs, they’re there for you. Sisters are loyal to each other!
3. You can be more active in the community
You might get to meet a cute volunteer too— oops, we mean it’s a fun cause!
One of the biggest misconceptions about sorority girls is that they’re vapid, shallow young women who only care about their looks and the latest fashion. In reality, sororities are full of smart and kind women passionate about various philanthropic movements!
For example, Zeta Tau Alpha advocates for breast cancer awareness, Alpha Phi focuses on heart health, and Alpha Chi Omega seeks to support victims of domestic violence through awareness and prevention programs. At least once a year, they all band together to raise money for each of their philanthropies.
There’s bound to be a sorority for the advocacies you support and your sisters can help you make a difference in our world!
4. You get to know yourself more
Which vibe are you? Well, you’re welcome in the chapter, anyway!
With events and other activities that sororities get involved in every school year, you might find out that you’re into something you never would’ve considered before. The biggest example of this is realizing you have what it takes to be a leader!
Many girls who joined sororities figured out later on that they are great candidates for the exec team (the leaders of the sorority), and they’re right! Their passion for making their chapter as best as it can be for their sisters bloomed the longer they stayed in their sorority.
Of course, not every sister gets to be on the exec team, and that’s acceptable! Many girls also realize they don’t want to be deciding on things. Instead, they found a love for executing plans like event organizing or PR and even choreographing their chapter’s RushTok vid.
As Sofi said when we talked to her about what it’s like to be in Zeta Tau Alpha, you’ll eventually find your place in your sorority, and that happens when you find out more about yourself!
The Cons of Joining a Sorority
1. Events are going to invade your calendar
Sometimes, you might be planning events at breakfast…
Being in a sorority is not for the faint of heart, especially if you are the type to just coop up in your dorm room after every class!
Sororities are organizations and, like any other organization, they have events going on. But unlike other organizations, they’re a lot more frequent than you’d expect. Parents Week, formals, retreats, Game Day, Homecoming—each month has something going on and the weeks leading up to those events can get hectic!
Being in a sorority means you have to develop your time management skills because you can easily fall behind on either taking part in chapter events OR your studies. Choosing between the two isn’t an option, especially when many chapters require their members to meet a certain GPA.
If you won’t be able to commit your time or if you get really cranky when you’re at way too many events in a sem, Greek life might not be for you.
2. Everything you do becomes an extension of your chapter
Sometimes, you might be planning events at breakfast…
One of the best things about being in a sorority is that, when you live in the chapter house, it’s like being in a sleepover with your best friends without needing to go home the next morning! But that means you’ll also be super accessible to everyone, so they’ll see all sides of you and might comment on it from time to time.
This might make you super conscious of how you come off to others, whether it’s to your sisters or Non-Greeks. After all, you’ll carry the letters of your chapter and whatever you do will also reflect on your sorority!
The privacy issue is likely not as bad as your situation at home, but chapter houses can still be hard for people who need lots of alone time. If you get overwhelmed with being in one house with lots of people, you might need to ask first if you can opt to not live in the chapter house. Otherwise, being in a sorority might be hard for you.
3. There are fees you need to consider
You have to budget everything with the sorority fees in mind…
Membership fees, recruitment fees, application fees, housing fees, merch fees, and other social expenses can total up to a few thousand dollars in just one year.
Different sororities mean different fees and, if you’ve graduated from being a recruit to an active member, the fees might get lower. However, if you’re not ready for this financial commitment, then the sorority life might not be for you.
Of course, there are other ways you can prepare for this financial commitment, like making sure you’re tracking your expenses or taking up a job, like being one of our Campus Managers, to earn the money. But if you hate competing expenses or it just doesn’t sound worth it, then the sorority life may not be for you.
4. Your priorities might change over time
Existential crises at 3 AM…
College lasts for four years, and what you want to do with your life on campus may change over time, especially if you’re nearing your Senior year. Casey, a graduated Campus Manager who now works for us full-time, found herself in this exact spot in her last year.
Her membership in her chapter no longer aligned with what her plans were, and she felt secure in the friendships she formed during her time in her sorority. The time and financial demands no longer felt justified for her because she wanted to pursue other things that she enjoyed more.
Of course, Casey’s chapter didn’t hold it against her when she left, and she’s still besties with the girls she bonded with during her time in her sorority. But it goes to show that not everyone would be up for lasting all 4 years in a sorority.
While you might not be ready right now to choose, we hope the pros and cons above helped you understand what you’re potentially signing up for should you choose to rush next year. Good luck!!