How do sororities choose

It is amazing how it feels to talk it out. You get out all the nervous jitters, and sometimes you know the answer just from talking to someone. A lot of people tell you not to talk to the other potential new members. It is because they do not want you to feel influenced. I get it, but if you have been invited back to a sorority there is a reason.

It is okay to talk to the girls around you. It is okay to make friends with the other girls. They understand what you are going through because they are in the same situation. No one is going to throw you under the bus or give you bad advice. Sorority recruitment is not The Bachelor. Maybe you are not that type of girl. Maybe you do not want to let out your emotions.

This journaling allows you to have a clear head and make the right decision. This idea is huge. An important part of finding your dream sorority is being able to see your future in the sorority.

It does not have to be something super aspirational like being the President, but you need to see how you fit into the sorority. Members who decide to drop out of a sorority their first year usually do so because they feel like they do not fit in.

They feel like there is not a spot for them. Does the sorority have a place for girls with the same majors to connect? Basically, you need to find a sorority that helps you grow into the person you want to become!

You need to ask questions about the qualities you want in your dream sorority. These answers help you find the perfect sorority for you! Look around at the members. Do they look like girls who could be your friends?

Then during Pref, look around at the potential new members who are going through recruitment. These girls could be your sisters. Talk to them before you enter the sorority and after you leave. These potential new members are not your competition. They are your potential sisters. There are a lot of cool things you get to do when joining a sorority, and you are spending a lot of time with these girls.

You have to see if these girls could be your friends. You want to surround yourself with girls that help you grow and girls who are fun! You know how much I stress making connections.

I mean… they are everything. And isnt that completely arbitrary? All anyone will tell you is: It is private. That being said, it is only natural to wonder how things like this work. When, and if, you become an initated member in a sorority, then you'll know.

We have a giant dart board with all of the various PNMs names. Then we have the number of darts equal to the number of invites we are allowed back. Each sister throws a dart until we have our full allotment of invites.

Seriously, we can't tell you how members are picked. There are a ton of threads that may answer some of your questions, so spend some time reading. We tell all of the PNM's at my school that it's a "mutual selection process". Blue Skies. There's no point in worrying about things over which you have no control.

All you can do is focus on the factors that you CAN control: grades, recs, activities, personal appearance and hygene, attitude, conversation, friendliness, etc. Be the best that you can be, and let the rest take care of itself. Last edited by Blue Skies; at PM. Originally Posted by swtlilsoni. The process of selecting members is private, and as such, sorority members don't discuss how we make membership decisions.

This includes any discussions of whether the process is democratic, what methods are used, whether it correlates to how many girls you talk to during parties, etc. It's private info. I know it seems like it would be completely arbitrary, but it really does work. Maybe not perfectly every single time, but it works very well far more often than it doesn't. As others have said, each sorority has its own way of doing things, but those "ways" have worked for years and have been refined as necessary.

Trusting your sisters is large part of sorority membership in many ways and this especially holds true with recruitment. Because of negative associations with words like "pledge," many sororities have chosen to adopt new language. At present, NPC-affiliated sororities usually refer to the pledging process as new member education.

During the new member education process, pledges learn more about the organization. For example, a new member might learn the history of the sorority and its values.

She'll meet the other new members and spend time bonding with current members. There might be mandated study times, weekly meetings and optional social events.

New members must also spend some additional study time getting ready for a sort of entrance exam, which each pledge must pass in order to join the sorority. The test might have information about the organization's history, symbols or founding members as well as general information about the Greek system -- pretty much whatever a pledge has learned during the pledging process is fair game.

Rushees should understand that pledging involves a hefty time commitment. The pledging process is somewhat different for traditionally black sororities. Along with the incredible time investment dedicated to studying, meetings and social events and learning the sorority's history and ideals, many pledges must also learn how to step. The pledge class practices together to perform a stepping routine during a campus step show. Stepping is a dance that involves using the body as percussive instruments -- steppers stomp, clap their hands together and against their bodies to make a rhythm for sorority chants and songs.

Routines are highly choreographed and often rely on a call-and-response technique. Stepping began with black fraternities in much the same way the white fraternities ' tradition of glee club-style singing sprang to life. Black sororities took up the tradition some time later. Some Latina sororities step as well. The first step show of an initiated member is called a probate show.

When you think of pledging, it's likely hazing is the next thing that pops into your mind. Most universities and colleges define hazing in a similar way; Dartmouth describes it like this:.

Hazing can happen in any organized group including sports teams and military groups. On college campuses, it tends to be a bigger problem in fraternities , but it certainly also happens in sororities. Most universities have specific rules forbidding hazing, and every sorority's national organization forbids hazing as well. Despite these restrictions, hazing is still happening on campuses throughout the United States. Hazing in a sorority might include forcing pledges to go without sleep , forcing them to binge drink, scaring them or forcing them to do degrading tasks.

Stories circulate about girls being told to bring markers with them to meetings. Sisters use the markers to circle areas of the pledge's body to indicate where they think the pledge needs to lose weight. Universities and national umbrella organizations take hazing very seriously -- and for good reason as hazing has resulted in injury and even death.

Because it is such a serious concern, each school has a system to handle hazing complaints. If a potential new member meets all of her pledgeship requirements, she may be eligible for initiation, a secret ritual event during which she will become a full member of the sorority. During initiation, she will learn the sorority's secrets, from the secret meaning behind the Greek letters to secret passwords and secret handshakes. Yes, lots and lots of secrets.

Marking the transition with a special ceremony, which has been upheld for decades or even a century, is meant to have a powerful effect on the initiate, tying her to a tradition, the ideals of the founders and an idea of sisterhood. These rituals often have ties to Greek secret society rituals and involve symbols, and perhaps even costumes.

Sisters are forbidden to reveal the sorority ritual or its secrets. An Alpha Gamma Delta chapter at the University of Georgia caused a furor when a sorority member came forward saying that the sorority rejected a potential new member because she was black [Source: TIME].

Melody, a smart, upper-class black woman who was highly involved on campus, did not get a bid to a single sorority. Black sororities have also faced accusations of exclusionary behavior in the form of colorism -- discrimination against members of one's own ethnic group.

So you've made it through pledging, you've been initiated and you're finally a sorority woman. Now what? Sorority families may have their own special traditions -- like wearing a particular design of necklace with Greek letters.

Costs of being a sorority member differ depending on the campus. If the sorority has a sorority house, it may be cheaper to live in the house than in a dorm with a meal plan. A new member's dues will cost more than an older sister's out-of-house dues. It is common for large sororities at campuses with a large Greek population to cost a few thousand dollars a year.

Some will cost much less. A new member may be required to buy a sorority badge and pay extra administrative costs.

Optional costs include buying sorority T-shirts, sorority jewelry, pictures and paying for activities like date nights. Look over the bids you receive at the end of recruitment and compare them to the list you've made. Choose the sorority that feels right for you. Upon selecting and accepting a bid, you will officially be offered a pledge position in the chapter and the beginnings of your sorority life will be underway! Joining a sorority can be a life-changing experience for any young girl.

Greek life can offer a meaningful and exciting college experience and create long-lasting connections that can continue to flourish after school. Now that you no longer have to ask 'how do sororities work? Need more greek life advice, tips, or tricks? Check out our blog for more. Click Here To Shop! Shopping Bag View cart. How do Sororities Work? First Steps To Joining If you're interested in joining a sorority chapter at your school, there are a few first steps to take.

Do Your Research Before registering for recruitment, do your due diligence and look up the different sororities that have chapters at your school. Sign Up For Recruitment The process of signing up for recruitment will vary from school to school. Provide As Much Information As Possible When applying for recruitment, make sure to provide as much information about yourself as you can. The Recruitment Process During the period of formal recruitment, you will be invited to attend a number of events at various sororities.

Make A Good Impression Consider recruitment not so different from a job interview.