Sorority

• Make new friends during the rush process, the secret ceremonies each sorority has to bond the girls in secrecy, a bond that grows through the time spent together as sisters.
• Network during and after college. Your own sisters may be able to help you find a job while you're all together in college. Afterwards, you should list your organization on your resume. If the hiring manager was a member at another school, you instantly have your foot in the door. Speaking of resumes, you will also achieve lots of community service hours, as discussed next.
• Sororities raise money for charities and good causes. They donate material items and time to help others like the Ronald McDonald House, Make a Wish Foundation and more. It's a great thing to be a part of, and as a bonus, helping others will make you feel good.
• Pictures, jerseys, flip-flops with Greek lettering, and more will help you remember some of the best years of your life. Reuniting with your old girlfriends twenty years later will undoubtedly be incredibly fun.
• Make the transition to college easier with an instant "clique."
• The parties are some of the most fun on or off campus. You always have a group of girls to go with and meet there. It's great for mingling. You'll probably host a few with fraternities, so they're great for meeting guys.

The Cons to the Greek Life

Despite the many advantages of Greek life, there are a few drawbacks:

• Cost is a big factor in why NOT to partake in the glorious Greek life. You could be spending up to $500 per semester. Even if your dues aren't that hefty, extra charges in the form of t-shirts, jerseys, covers for parties, and fees when you can't make it to "mandatory" meetings can bump that number up. If you have to ask for time off work to go to something considered mandatory by the president, you're losing money there, as well.
• Time is something a lot of us may not have as we get into our later years as college students. Generally, you'll have one meeting per week, a few retreats, weekend parties, socials and more. If you work and take a heavy class load, you may find the time committed to the sorority a burden rather than fun.
• Partying a bit too hard is common because you have access to some of the best parties with the hottest guys and plenty of alcohol. Late nights will put you through the wringer, fast, especially if you do it on weeknights. Your grades could suffer. If you're responsible, you should be fine, though.
• While you may meet the closest friends you've ever had in your life, you could miss out on people who will broaden your horizons a bit more. College is all about meeting people different from you. If you only spend time with your sorority sisters, you could miss out on other cool people. Again, if you remember to stay open-minded, this won't be a problem, and you won't be missing out on friendships with sorority sisters, either.

Hazing

Greek organizations get a bad reputation sometimes because of hazing stories seen on the news. Hazing is a method of helping the new pledges bond with each other and their older sisters. Some hazing rituals are positive experiences, not like the stereotypical image at all. Unfortunately, other hazing rituals are dangerous. In an example of the darker side of hazing, a girl went into a candle-lit room and was branded by her sorority sisters without warning in an initiation ceremony. Some may argue it's a power trip for the older girls, making the new ones submit to terrible things just to be one of them. Because of the controversy, some sororities or chapters don’t even do hazing and promote a zero-tolerance attitude toward it.

If you're concerned about hazing, try to find out as much ahead of time as you can about the sororities you're interested in joining. It may not be easy, but you have to protect yourself. Girls have been killed in hazing processes. You can also visit StopHazing.org for the latest news, research, and opinions on the issue.

More Information

For a look at your choices, check out the list of nearly every nationally-recognized sorority, from those recognized by the National Panhellenic Conference, to the traditionally African-American groups of the National Pan-hellenic Council, Inc., to Latin organizations.

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