How to Choose the Best College Sorority

Important Factors to Consider When Selecting a Sisterhood to Join

Feb 24, 2008

Choosing the best sorority during membership recruitment can be difficult. By evaluating some important factors, you can successfully select 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 Sorority 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 and keep an open mind during membership recruitment. 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 okay to choose something else.

Size of Sorority Chapter Does Matter

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.

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

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.

Being prepared is a big part of choosing the best sorority for you. Consider the important factors when selecting a sisterhood to join and then jump in and enjoy your new sisters!

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

Sep 5, 2008 3:23 PM

Guest :

Most recruitment is very political. Sororities often host girls high school girls during their senior year. These girls who are invited to more than one event will almost surely be given a bid for the upcoming Fall rush.