We are officially well into spring semester, and if you are a sorority girl that only means one thing: recruitment. For some it’s the first round of rush for the school year. For others, this is not your first recruitment rodeo. If you fall into the latter category, bless your little hearts! That’s dedication, people.

And while you’re all in the throes of cheers, small-talk and late nights in the chapter house figuring out who would make the perfect sister, let’s talk about a hot topic. No, not the latest recruitment chants for your chapter, or cutest matching outfits… something much more controversial:

Frill vs. no frill recruitment.

What the heck does frill recruitment mean? My own personal definition: frill recruitment amps up sorority rush all that….er…frill. The decorations, the matching outfits, the song and dance (literally). There’s so much frill that a PNM’s (potential new member) decision about a chapter could be swayed based on how over-the-top their house is decorated. Read More »

Hazing. It’s a touchy subject, and by “touchy” I mean one that we never want to touch on… or ever be a part of. I happen to come from a very anti-hazing chapter and university, both of which take ample precautions to eliminate hazing. Yet at colleges across the country, hazing still exists (and goes too far). And it exists in student groups and organizations that don’t have Greek letters in their names.

Why, then, are sorority and fraternity incidents the ones that are always making national news?

Most recently, two fraternities and one sorority at George Washington University were stripped of their houses on campus for hazing and underage drinking incidents. And of course, the story made it into the Washington Post. And this wasn’t the first time that’s happened.

In fact, it seems to me that the only time hazing stories get any media attention, they involve the Greek community. (It also seems that the only time the Greek community gets any media attention it’s for hazing, but that’s a whole different issue.) Should those who break the rules (and the law!) be punished for their actions? Absolutely. Should those who stand by and let it happen be punished too? Yes. But we all know that it’s not just the frat boys and sorority girls who partake in hazing rituals. Read More »

I made a lot of mistakes my first year of college (and based on some of the Morning After stories I’ve been reading on here, I know I’m not alone). But of all the dumb things I did – hooking up with my next door neighbor during Welcome Week, setting my alarm wrong for my first midterm, gorging myself on Indian Night in the caf (ugh) – my biggest regret involves sorority rush.

Actually, my 2 biggest regrets:

1. Thinking my hair would stay straight as I walked from one house to the next in a monsoon. Hellooooo, frizzy mullet!
2. Trying to be who I thought the girls in the houses wanted me to be and totally losing myself in the process.

Granted, I ended up in a great house with girls who are now my best friends, but I look back at myself during rush and I just want to smack that girl. Hard. (And buy her a flat iron – my god!) I wouldn’t want that fake girl in my house and I totally get why lots of other girls didn’t want me in theirs. I’m just grateful that there was a chapter out there that was full of girls just like me so I could actually be myself and fit in perfectly.

I’ve learned a lot about myself and sorority life since that fateful month my Freshman year and I think now, when so many young ladies are in the throes of rush, is the perfect time for me and my panel of Panhellenic women to share what we now know with this new crop of sorority sistahs. So to all you PNMs shuffling from house to house right now, take our advice and not only will you make the most of your experience, but you won’t be looking back 2 years from now wishing you’d done something differently. Read More »

Back in the day when I was a wee freshman just starting the rush process, I was scared. Scared of talking to all those older girls, scared of rowdy fraternity boys throwing water balloons at me as I walked from house to house (wet, frizzy hair? OH THE HORROR), scared of not even getting into a house….

Most of all though, I was scared of what being in a sorority would do to the rest of my life. I had watched many older friends go through the whole sorority process and I knew about all the activities, meetings, date parties, social events, etc. that come with it. Would I be able to handle it all? Would my GPA?

I think a lot of people (like my parents) have the same concern: is it possible to juggle everything successfully? The answer: YES. It may not be easy, but it doesn’t take long to figure out a way to balance out friends and exams, roommates and papers, tailgates and gym dates, and this week our panel of sorority sisters is going to share their secrets for making it all happen. (Here’s a hint: it starts with “plan” and ends with “ner.”) Read More »

This week’s Greek Speak is powered by our pals at GreekGear.com. Whether you wanna stock up on new sweats for yourself or get an adorable iPhone case for your big sis, they’ve got all the latest and greatest Greek goodies. They even have fraternity poker chips for the BF. And right now you can get it all for 10% off by entering “Candy10″ at checkout!

If you have been keeping up on your Greek Speak reading, then you know that last week I let it slip that sometimes there might possibly be teensy, weensy, little bitty cat fights between pledge classes. No big deal and nothing we can’t keep under control. BUT, I might have left out a somewhat important detail; a reason why these catfights happen….

Let’s face it. Sometimes you get a bid to a house and it’s just not a good fit. Hanging out at the house feels uncomfortable, you and your new pledge class just aren’t clicking, you realize Greek life isn’t for you. Bottom line: you hate it and you want out. NOW.

To put you in the stickiest situation, I am going to assume you are a pledge who is not been initiated but has paid your dues (because those often come during the pledge process, when you are part of the house but not officially IN it yet). You’re in an uncomfortable situation… SO uncomfortable you feel like you have drop out. Get over the fact that you’ve been brutally robbed of all the new member fees; those won’t be coming back to you so just forget it and move on. At this point, what you need to be thinking about is how to bow out gracefully, sans a drama-filled and unnecessary scene. Read More »

This week’s Greek Speak is powered by our pals at GreekGear.com. Whether you wanna stock up on new sweats for yourself or get an adorable iPhone case for your big sis, they’ve got all the latest and greatest Greek goodies. And right now you can get it all for 10% off by entering “Candy10″ at checkout!

Not all stereotypes about sororities are true. We don’t have naked pillow fights in the living room. We don’t all want to date the captain of the football team. We don’t have insane rivalries with other sororities. But here’s a stereotype about sororities I can’t even try to hide: pledge class rivalries. EVERY house has them, and if you are reading this now and thinking to yourself that your sorority doesn’t, you’re lying. Let’s be real, K? K.

So what do you new members and potential sorority sisters have to look forward to? I’m gonna give you a little heads up. Now when the older sisters give you the stink eye as you dance on a table at your annual end-of-finals mixer, you’ll know what to expect. And not to take it too personally. Read More »

As the country voted in our nation’s midterm elections, debating over red states and blue, the heated discussions carried over from politics to pop culture here at CollegeCandy.  In a week that was filled with scintillating stories and outspoken debate, we loved hearing where you landed on some of the hot-button topics we brought up.

Need a little refresher of all the dramz that went down while you were dodging from voting booths to lecture halls?

-Demi Lovato checked into rehab and we took a look at the Disney Curse to which young stars seem to fall victim.  From blind items about drugs running in national publications to mental health rumors circulating on the internet, Demi is a sensitive topic no matter how you approach her.

-Currently up for discussion: Does almost cheating count?  Debate amongst yourselves and see what our dude has to say.

-You want a lot, he wants a little.  He wants it in the shower, you want it in the bed.  Sexual incompatibility can destroy a relationship, so find out how to talk about the important issues now.

-No one likes getting rejected, especially if it’s your dream sorority telling you “no thanks.”  Find out what to do in the aftermath of getting the boot from your Numero Uno house pick.  Hint: Pack tissues. Read More »

[We scoured the country to find the ultimate sorority girl to share her sisterly expertise with you. After reading through tons of applications followed by hours Facebook-stalking all the candidates (which proved difficult thanks to FB's privacy settings....), we found her. She gave you the lowdown on rush and the rules of the sorority date party. And now that you're sitting pretty in your new house, she's got a few things to say about sisterly love.... or a lack thereof.]

Sorority recruitment can be many things: fun, intense, scary, adventurous, and exciting – but it can also be brutal. Warning: Expect tears. While many girls will end up in their dream house, there are plenty of potential new members that will not get their first choice house and some girls who won’t get in a house at all!

Sorority recruitment is an opportunity of a lifetime that every girl should experience BUT here’s what to do when things don’t quite go your way, every step of the way.

Right from the start: Of course every sorority recruitment is different, but I will use my university as an example! The PNMs at Purdue visit 15 chapters in just 2 days and narrow it down to their favorite 11. If those 11 chapters also like those women who picked them (mutual selection process) then the women will return to those 11 chapters. BUT if someone happens to love a chapter and they aren’t feeling the vibe, women are released, hence the tears (see above). Read More »

[Everyone’s got a morning after story (some of which are way more mortifying than others) and we wanna hear yours! Send it over to us and we’ll post it – anonymously, of course – right here!]

After a lot of internal debate and a few pro-con lists (and one venn diagram), I made the decision not to rush. So the night before rush began, I went out with a friend, tried on my first pair of beer goggles, and went home with David. He lived in a dorm all the way across campus so I made the safe/lazy decision to just spend the night in his ultra-luxurious extra-long dorm bed. In my head I assumed we would wake up and talk about everything under the sun including pop culture happenings, crazy campus construction news, the location of my bra, and breakfast ideas.

But it didn’t go as planned. He woke me up bright and early, said he had “stuff” to do, and kicked me out before I could even get dressed. So I left the dorm and began the long walk back to my dorm. Except I forgot about rush.

Read More »

Joining a sorority is a huge time, financial and social commitment. It’s more than choosing a place to live for the next school year; the chapter you join determines who your friends will be, what your social life will look like and even your life post-grad. (Seriously, I know so many girls who have gotten a foot in the door at their jobs based on connections they have through their sorority!)

So should you do it? Why or why not? Is Greek Life right for you or should you spend your money elsewhere?

We asked a panel of sorority women (all from different schools with different backgrounds and experiences) to weigh in on that very question. Below, their reasons for joining a sorority…and a few reasons why you shouldn’t. Read More »