when you are thinking about joining a sorority....

I was asked by Collegegirl101 about what you should do when you are thinking about joining a sorority. here goes:

First and foremost when you are thinking about joining a sorority is DO YOUR HOMEWORK! seriously. just look them up online and see what they offer (values, philanthropies, social events, what they say about academics) that way you already have a good idea about who will be a good fit for you.

Then, check and see what are the standards YOU have to meet before you can be eligible to join. do you have to have a specific GPA? Hours of documented community service? letters of recommendation? its no good to get your heart set on a specific sorority and then discover that you can't even go though recruitment.

Third, if you have to fill out paperwork, then make sure it is legible and completed ON TIME! or even before! if they ask you to tell them about your hobbies, please don't leave it blank! don't leave anything blank! this is your sorority's first look at you, and you want to look good!

In a sense, joining a sorority is a competition. you want to look good, but be yourself at the same time. make yourself memorable. ask questions, even if you feel like you are repeating yourself! it shows interest and makes us feel like you care about what we have to offer you!

most of the time we are just as nervous as you when recruitment starts. we have to choose the girls who most represent what we stand for, and you have to choose the sorority that represents what you stand for!

also, and i cannot stress this enough, do NOT choose a sorority just because your best friend forever wants to go there! some girls don't understand that they can and will still be friends even if they aren't pledge sisters!

check on the school hazing policy. i'm serious. there should be one that states that no hazing is allowed. ask the girls what their chapter's take on hazing it. their immediate answer, no hesitations, should be that they do not do it. (and if they even do, and you are hurt/bothered/uncomfortable from it go to the school, even the police. we know better than to haze, but some continue to do so).

time for the mushy stuff. my sorority means everything to me. i love it. they allow me to put my academics first in a group of girls that will support me through hard times, and be understanding that "no, i can't go to the frat house and drink, i have a test". they are people that i can count on to jump start my car at 3 in the morning, to watch movies with, to have coffee together in our kitchen. they are people who will understand if i missed class and will let me copy their notes. they are wonderful and i knew from the first day of recruitment that there was no where else i wanted to be. and i got what i wanted!