Are you considering rushing a sorority or fraternity? With all the mixed reviews (just look at your school’s YikYak, I guarantee you’ll see what I mean) and stereotypes floating around, it can be hard to fairly weigh your options. I’ve been there, believe me. Here’s everything you need to know to decide if Greek life is a good fit for you.
You’ve probably heard, seen, and read about the classic skinny, rich, sorority party girl or beer-guzzling, finance, frat guy. Maybe you’ve even fallen down the rabbit hole of Bama Rush and sorority house tour TikToks one too many times.
But, let’s face it: rushing sororities and fraternities can be pretty intimidating. I’m here to offer you my advice as a sorority girl who reluctantly signed up for recruitment on an extended deadline and never looked back.
So, what exactly is Greek Life?
(Image: The Summer I Turned Pretty/Amazon Prime Video)
“Greek life” is a blanket term that refers to sororities and fraternities. These organizations exist at both national/international and local (known as “chapters”) levels.
Generally, social sororities and fraternities are thought of as being single-sex, but co-ed ones do exist. Co-ed organizations have a specific academic, professional, or volunteer focus. You can be a member of one of these organizations and a member of a traditional sorority/fraternity at the same time.
In this article, I’ll be focusing on the primary recruitment process used by the 26 National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities and 60 National Interfraternity Conference (NIC) fraternities.
And where is this advice coming from again?
I go to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where about 30% of students are involved in Greek life. My school has over 50 Greek organizations and is nicknamed the “Mother of Fraternities.” Long story short: Greek life is a big deal.
I went into college without any intentions of joining a sorority — I chose Miami because of its Honors program and scholarships. I’m not a legacy of any kind, nor did I know anyone who had ever been in a sorority.
I signed up for primary recruitment out of genuine curiosity (and FOMO) to see what Panhellenic was all about. At the end of the day, I was lucky enough to find a sorority that felt right to me.
I’m now a rising junior who has gotten involved, made friends, and survived working the other side of recruitment. Sorority life has served me well, but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.
Pros of joining Greek Life
#1: Making friends
The biggest pro worth mentioning is meeting new people and forming lasting connections. You’ll get assigned an older member to be your Big, bond with your pledge class during new member education, and likely have the option to live in a chapter house.
Chapters usually host many philanthropy, social (parties), and membership events throughout a semester. Many Greek organizations also collaborate, so you’ll constantly be meeting new people and trying new things.
Even if you go through the recruitment process without joining a sorority or fraternity, you’ll gain a few familiar faces on campus. I know plenty of people who signed up for recruitment that didn’t wind up pledging.
#2: Better housing
Most sororities and fraternities have off-campus housing where their members live. In fact, living in the chapter house is usually a membership requirement.
These houses can be absolutely gorgeous and a great way to become closer to other members. They might even have their own private chef, house mom, or dog.
Miami doesn’t have sorority houses. From what I’ve heard from friends at other schools, living in the house is nice. Only problem is, it can get expensive.
#3: Professional development
The connections you’ll make within your chapter could pay off in the future. Maybe you’ll bond with a job interviewer over membership in the same fraternity. You might even find your post-grad roommates through your sorority.
You just never know how your Greek life relationships could help you down the line.
There are also plenty of chapter leadership opportunities that would make great additions to your résumé. Officer roles vary widely in their level of commitment, which makes it possible for anyone to get involved.
#4: Academic motivation
Greek organizations have a minimum GPA requirement for membership. Each chapter has unique GPA guidelines, making some more flexible than others.
The officer in charge of academics should be willing to work with any members who are struggling academically. Chapters also usually offer some form of academic resources or study tables to encourage members to hit the books.
At Miami, members of Greek life have statistically higher GPAs than non-Greeks. Every chapter is different, but I feel that mine has done a great job keeping us focused on our studies.
#5: Philanthropy
Each sorority or fraternity has a designated philanthropy. All the organizations also have service hour requirements.
I love volunteering and was super excited to get to build a long-term relationship with a specific organization. Greek chapters at my school fundraise a lot for their causes. However, sometimes it can feel like there aren’t a lot of hands-on interactions with the philanthropies.
Don’t forget that you can be in a service organization in addition to a traditional sorority/fraternity! That sort of dual membership would be a great way to fulfill your service hour requirements.
Cons of joining Greek Life
#1: Cost
Semester dues could be anywhere between a couple hundred to thousands of dollars. Not to mention additional new member and “hidden fees.”
You’ll be required to buy specific outfits and merch to match event themes, get gifts for your Little, and potentially pay rent.
Make sure you’re planning ahead and not budgeting too tightly. I can almost guarantee that extra costs will spring up.
#2: Risk of hazing and frequent substance use
Unfortunately, Greek organizations have reputations for hazing. Hazing is when older members in an organization force recruits to do embarrassing or demeaning tasks to “earn” their membership.
Hazing is extremely dangerous and should not be taken lightly. According to HazingInfo.org, an average of 5 people have died due to hazing every year since 2000.
Another unfavorable Greek life stereotype is heavy substance use. Fraternities and sororities are often associated with wild parties and binge drinking.
However, don’t write off going Greek solely based on assumed substance use. It’s completely okay to not be into that kind of partying. There are plenty of activities that don’t have any overlap with alcohol (or otherwise).
#3: Time-consuming
In addition to the fun events, there are quite a few mandatory ones that will sink into your free time. Being a part of Greek life means long hours spent talking to strangers and initiating them.
You also have to watch out for fines. If you miss a required event without a valid excuse, you’ll be penalized.
Some people can struggle to keep up with other activities or academics. It can be tough to use good time management when you have so much going on.
#4: Exclusivity and competitiveness
Sororities and fraternities are often judged against one another. They all compete to be the “top house” and to get the coolest new members.
If you’ve heard of GreekRank before, you know what I mean. People create tiers for the chapters and rank them from highest to lowest.
Despite all the noise, some people make negative comments just to stir the pot and cause drama. At the end of the day, you should join a chapter that feels like home to you, regardless of its “ranking.”
#5: Limited diversity in some cases
NPC sororities and IFC fraternities are majority white. A good chunk of those people also happen to be well-off. With such homogenous demographics, there’s a high risk of inclusivity oversights.
How diverse different chapters are tends to depend on how diverse the school is itself. Greek life will reflect student demographics.
Most chapters have DEI officers in charge of increasing diversity and inclusion. That’s not anything groundbreaking, though. There’s always room to make Greek life more open-minded.
Final considerations
(Image: Shutterstock/Avia Huisman)
Think about your values and what you hope to get out of joining Greek life. Do you want new friends? Are you hoping to get some leadership experience on your résumé? Or maybe you want people to go out with?
Whatever it is, make sure to weigh the costs against the benefits. Greek life is great, but there are other activities that might fulfill your wants and needs, too.
Remember that every school is different. I can only offer general advice, so some of my points may not apply to your college.
Have fun and good luck with recruitment if you so choose!
