Many students struggle in their early college years to meet new people and find a social circle, but sororities and fraternities help foster these tight-knit connections right off the bat. As a member of a fraternity or sorority, you'll have the benefit of developing your social and leadership skills early on in college. Through chapter events and volunteer activities, as well as by simply spending time with members of your chapter, you can learn from those around you and participate in various social events.
You've probably heard that joining a fraternity or sorority increases your chance for success after graduation. And generally speaking, that's true. Once you become a member of a fraternity or sorority, you benefit from a strong alumni network. Nationally, fraternities and sororities boast about , undergraduate members and more than 9 million alumni.
This information highlights how valuable these alumni connections can be when it comes time to secure job interviews and references after college. A significant part of Greek life is the philanthropic contributions and activities that members support. Many chapters focus heavily on community service projects and fundraisers, often raising thousands of dollars each year for charities and groups in the surrounding community.
At an individual level, these events give you a chance to gain some volunteer experience and take part in leadership opportunities. Many chapters have leadership positions for members who are heavily involved in planning and organizing service events. Partying is a staple of Greek life, but you should also be prepared to devote time and energy to volunteering and service work. It's no secret that Greek life can be expensive.
Between Greek apparel, suits and dresses for social events, and membership pins, you can expect expenses to pile up throughout the year, in addition to chapter dues.
The costs of joining a fraternity or sorority vary significantly by school and chapter. Some Greek organizations offer housing and meal plans, with costs that are often comparable to university room and board costs — and sometimes even cheaper.
When compared to UofSC's room and board costs , many Greek life members actually save money on their housing and meal plans. Additionally, not all Greek organizations offer housing and meal plans — some only charge semesterly dues. However, over the course of four years, these membership costs can start to add up. Currently, all but six states have anti-hazing laws, and virtually every college and university prohibits harmful hazing activities. Unfortunately, it's still fairly common. Although there have been many reports of hazing-related incidents in sororities in recent years, the practice is far more prevalent in fraternities.
More than 40 male college students died from hazing-related events between and alone. Additionally, in , there were four hazing-related deaths all within a one-month span. Keep in mind, these are just the documented incidents. Many more instances of hazing may go unreported. So, what does this all mean? Joining an organization can also open many doors to other opportunities, such as positional leadership, connection to values, mentorship, and more! Our fraternities and sororities are multifaceted in membership, and structurally each one looks for members that are committed to the values and ideals of the organization.
Some organizations offer specific experiential connections—areas of study, religious beliefs, and cultural affinity to name a few—and it is important to consider each organization and the way they recruit new members as you explore our community.
We encourage all students interested in membership to fully explore the breadth of fraternity and sorority chapters to better understand organizational values, structures, and opportunities to identify an organization that is a good fit. Fraternities and sororities can also provide access to a large alumni network that proves beneficial during and after college. Fraternities and sororities provide a learning laboratory for members to practice skills needed for whatever path a student chooses after college.
Opportunities inlcude holding leadership positions, developing networking skills, and participating in enriching personal experiences that provide opportunities for personal reflection and meaning making. Each governing council has a different way of recruiting or bringing new members into organizations.
Chapters that may have open space in the fall and spring semester may engage in an informal recruitment process. Interest-specific organizations can host recruitment at any time of the year. We encourage you to fill out our Interested in Joining form so that we can pass your information along to council leaders and get you better connected to our chapters! A student who accepts an invitation to one social organization cannot be initiated into another social fraternity or sorority.
There are, however, other Greek-letter organizations that might identify as professional, honorary, or community service-based that allow for dual membership and are not identified as primarily social organizations. Each organization has a period of new member orientation as part of its expectations for new members, ranging in length based on individual and inter national timelines.
The cost of joining each organization varies significantly. Additionally, the first year of membership may cost more in comparison to following years due to one-time fees related to initiation, education materials, and paraphernalia.
Most organizations do offer payment plans for members and we encourage student to ask questions about membership costs before joining an organization in order to fully understand the financial expectations of membership. We have developed a finance and facility information page with more specific financial information provided by organization type we encourage to explore. All fraternities and sororities forbid hazing, and are committed to a membership experience that instills a sense of responsibility and personal excellence.
All student organizations are expected to follow these policies, and training and resources are provided to groups to help them create a positive member experience. We actively encourage all members to report behaviors perceived as hazing on our End Hazing website. Information shared in this report will be treated with discretion and a reasonable expectation of confidentiality, but may be shared with individuals who need the information to protect the health and safety of those involved in any incident of hazing or unhealthy group behavior.
The best way to figure out if you will be accepted into the chapter you are looking to join is to be your authentic self. Joining a fraternity or a sorority is a lifelong commitment, and you want to be able to be yourself throughout your membership experience. To better understand the academic success and performance of the fraternity and sorority community and individual chapters, please view community grade reports. The choice to use alcohol is an individual one, and there are members of fraternities and sororities who choose not to consume alcohol at all.
There are also fraternities and sororities who do not host events at which alcohol is present. Most groups record this time to the second. Term also refers to "Crossing the Burning Sands. The membership educator, short for Dean Of Pledges, is an old term that the groups still use. The central organization of a particular fraternity or sorority. A term used to refer to another member of their fraternity.
Sometimes they will refer to someone as simply Frat. The name that applies to all Greek organizations characterized by a ritual, badge and strong ties to friendship and moral principles. Informally, women's fraternities are called sororities. Usually the local grad chapter oversees the operations of the undergraduate chapter. Used to identify members of the same organization.
Most have a deep meaning to that organization or ritualistic symbol. Any member who has completed the new member process and has gone through the initiation ceremony. The formal ceremony that marks the beginning of active membership. Each chapter has a different set of requirements in order to be initiated. Title of a potential new member who the group knows is interested. Sometimes these students will band together and form an interest group.
The brother or sister, son or daughter, or grandson or granddaughter of a fraternity or sorority member. Each inter national organization has its own policy regarding legacies. The name given to a pledge class. The mutual selection process that prospective members and chapter members go through during the recruitment period to get to know one another. A formal presentation of a new line to campus. Usually done in a public forum after members have been initiated.
A period of learning about fraternity and sorority life prior to initiation. This period varies for all groups. The umbrella organization for 26 women's fraternities. NPC supports its chapters by promoting values, education, leadership, friendship, cooperation, and citizenship.
A national organization composed of four sororities and five fraternities whose membership is historically African-American. The number you are assigned based on the chronological order you are in on your initiation line often members of other culturally based organizations identify or relate to one another by distinguishing that they are the "same" number. A college student who is interested in joining a Greek Organization and is taking part in the recruitment process.
During the last part of Panhellenic sorority recruitment, a potential new member determines which particular sorority she is willing to join. The potential new member lists three sororities in her order of preference.
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