The New York Times recently looked at the expense of joining a sorority. They spoke with sorority girls about incurring fines, the price of big/little week, and dues that could double as rent in some cities.
As a former sorority girl, looking at the numbers is shocking, even though I experienced them. Now that I’m a struggling postgrad, would I like that money back to spend on groceries instead of crafts? Absolutely. Would I trade my experience in my sorority for the chance to have some extra money after rent? No. It’s that simple. While I won’t say college was the best four years of my life because I don’t want to have peaked too soon, I will say that my sorority helped make me who I am in every way. Yes, I do think the price tag is absolutely ridiculous now that I’m an adult woman with bills to pay, but that doesn’t mean I discount the benefits that came with the high price of sisterhood.
When girls (Potential New Members) came through our house during recruitment, we always made sure to tell them the exact amount of dues, because we’d rather be transparent about the cost than lose members before initiation (it was a similar amount across campus). Should girls be unable to join sororities because they can’t afford it? Absolutely not.
Of course there’s a certain amount of “exclusivity,” that comes with Greek life, no matter what people say. The entire process of being on your best behavior while you attempt to charm other ladies is laughable and antiquated. At Tulane University, we had second semester rush, which at least allowed us a semester to get to know the girls. Otherwise, a couple of hours of meaningless small talk in a crowded room where you can barely hear yourself speak makes getting to know someone difficult, if not borderline impossible.
Do I disagree with the fines set by standards? Sometimes, but as my sorority’s Vice President, I realized that if there were no consequences, no one would come to chapter… or anything, really. After all, why go to the boring meetings, when you could just show up at parties? There’s no reason to skip out on study hours and Panhel lectures when you could just be drinking on the weekends, but that’s not really sisterhood (unfortunately).
Sororities are about fun, and finding your sisters, but they’re also about commitment, which is why they can be amazing tools for the job hunt and the real world. They teach you leadership, and confidence, because after you learn how to control a room of 200+ ladies, you can really do anything. Without the fines, they would just be about parties and fraternity bros, with a select few girls showing up weekly for ritual and voting. Sure, fines can be incredibly unfair, but that’s why it’s a commitment and not just a party.
While the charges are obscene, they do go to something other than the “parlor fees” that NYT mentioned. Those fees mean catered meals when you’re disgusted by the dining hall fare, a celebratory event when you finally get the GPA you’ve been working for, an amazing party with all of your best friends every weekend,and sisterhood events like pumpkin decorating, Secret Santa, or jewelry making. Those fees helped me make my favorite memories of my college career.
As for Big/Little week? The cost is downright alarming when it’s your turn. In fact, my big’s first little dropped on the day of Initiation, after my big had spent hundreds of dollars decorating her room for an entire week. But when it was my turn to be on the receiving end of all those gifts, I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy. I was having trouble with classes, I was incredibly homesick, and suddenly I came home to find my disgustingly dirty dorm room transformed into a princess palace.
At the end of the day, people can say you’re “paying for your friends,” but the reality is that you’re finding your family. You’re becoming best friends with girls you never would have met otherwise. I’d like to think that you graduate after four years totally changed by people you were given the opportunity to meet, even if, yes, you did have to pay for the organization that led you to those amazing changes.
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Does Greek Life Cost Too Much?
