Suite101

Choosing a College Sorority

Important Aspects to Consider When Selecting a Sisterhood to Join

© Sallie Schaaf Borrink

Sorority Sisters are Friends for Life, Benjamin Earwicker
Choosing a sorority during recruitment can be overwhelming. But by carefully evaluating some key areas of each chapter, you can successfully find a sisterhood for life!

While going through recruitment, there are important aspects of sorority life to consider. By thinking through these areas and questions, you will greatly increase your chances of selecting a sorority that will enhance your college experience.

Not All Chapters are the Same

One thing to bear in mind is that sororities vary from campus to campus. While one woman might be completely happy in a particular sorority on her campus, if she had attended a different college she might never have joined that same sorority. For that reason it is important to carefully evaluate each sorority as it is on your campus. While it might have been your lifelong dream to follow in your mom’s footsteps and join the same sorority, you might find that you really don’t like that chapter at your own college. It is ok to choose something else.

Size Matters

Sororities can vary greatly in size on the same campus. It is not uncommon to see sororities that vary in size by as much as 100 members in larger Greek systems. There are definitely pros and cons to bigger and smaller chapters.

Most women will automatically assume that bigger is better. It is true that bigger sororities have much going for them. They usually have a stronger reputation on campus. There are more people to carry the load so each member does not have to do as much to keep the sorority running. However, there are also negatives. The pledge classes are larger making it more challenging to get to know people. For some women, a large sorority will feel impersonal. It is also harder to take advantage of leadership opportunities as there are only so many offices to go around and there are many more women competing for them.

Smaller sororities have their pros and cons as well. Smaller chapters generally offer more leadership opportunities. It is also much easier to get to know all of your sisters on some level since there are simply fewer people to get to know. Pledge classes are smaller which frequently leads to making new friends more quickly. However, smaller chapters are often perceived as weak, even if their sisterhood is very strong. This can lead to a weaker campus reputation whether merited or not. Members also have to carry more of the load both in terms of work to be accomplished and the financial obligations of the chapter.

So it is important to keep in mind that size doesn’t always equal quality. But size will have a definite impact on your sorority experience one way or the other.

Things to Consider

When making a decision regarding which sorority to choose, questions such as these might be helpful:

  • Do you see opportunities for leadership?
  • Do you see opportunities for personal growth?
  • Can you see yourself finding friends for life?
  • Would you be comfortable around these women when you are sick?
  • Would you trust them with your personal property? Your boyfriend?
  • Would you be proud to introduce your sorority sisters to your parents or best friend?
  • Do they have pride in their chapter?
  • Do they have a positive campus reputation?
  • Do you sense you will feel pressured to do things you don’t want to do or will you be free to make your own decisions based on your own personal values?
  • Is this sorority completely free from hazing (which is illegal)?

Final Decision

In the end, you have to go with your gut. Try to keep an open mind and ignore what other people might say. This is a decision you have to make for yourself, regardless of what your friends, family, boyfriend, roommates and other members of your recruitment group might think. Keep an open mind during the entire process and don’t be surprised if you change your mind along the way. Also don’t be surprised if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed with the choices before you. Many women have felt that way before. Just do the best job you can to make the wisest choices with the information you have and trust that in the end it will work out for the best. In reality, most women could probably be very happy in a few different sororities and odds are that you will end up somewhere that you enjoy.

You may also find these articles helpful:

After Recruitment and Bid Day

Joining a Sorority

Sorority Membership Recruitment


The copyright of the article Choosing a College Sorority in Campus Activities is owned by Sallie Schaaf Borrink. Permission to republish Choosing a College Sorority in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.





Post this Article to facebook Add this Article to del.icio.us! Digg this Article furl this Article Add this Article to Reddit Add this Article to Technorati Add this Article to Newsvine Add this Article to Windows Live Add this Article to Yahoo Add this Article to StumbleUpon Add this Article to BlinkLists Add this Article to Spurl Add this Article to Google Add this Article to Ask Add this Article to Squidoo