Sororities can be great opportunities for you to make friends and feel part of a community of sisters during the early, uncertain years of college. In order to become a member of a particular sorority, you need to show that you have the specific qualities that that sorority is looking for. In this article we shall see Can You Get into a Sorority with a Low GPA?
Most sororities will have a GPA requirement – if you do not meet this then you will likely not be considered for membership by the sorority even if you fit their other criteria. Generally, the GPA requirement will be around 3.0. The GPA requirement can actually be a good thing: it makes sure you stay on top of your academics. However, even if you meet the GPA requirement, sororities have long initiation processes and many of them even require you to give entrance exams in order to be admitted. Before you join a sorority, weigh all the advantages and disadvantages and figure out what you exactly expect from that group.
Why GPA Matters for Sororities?
Sororities need to ensure that their members present a desirable, positive image of the whole group. If a sorority has members who are failing classes or getting put on academic probation, that makes the whole sorority look bad. In fact, if members of a sorority start consistently failing classes then the entire society can be placed on academic probation by the college that they’re affiliated with.
Steps to Joining a Sorority
Joining a sorority is a very long process and it will usually take several months before you become an official member of the group.
Initial Recruitment/Rushing
So, you’ve found a sorority that you’d like to join? Before anything else, you’ll have to go through the ‘rushing’ process. This process involves mingling with existing members of the sorority and it serves to help both you and the larger group to decide if you’re the right fit for each other. Your grades, courses, and other credentials will also be assessed by the sorority during this time. At the end of this initial recruitment process, if you’ve impressed the sorority then you’ll be promoted to a ‘pledge’.
Pledging
If you’ve been offered a position in the sorority, then congratulations, you are now a pledge. In this stage, you’re required to familiarise yourself with everything there is to know about the sorority: its history, its culture, its values. At the end of this stage, you may even be asked to sit for an exam so the group can be sure that you’ve understood what it’s all about.
Hazing
This part is probably what you’re most familiar with from popular culture. While hazing has been banned at many colleges, it is still a popular practice among many fraternities and sororities. Hazing involves humiliating new pledges and making them perform embarrassing acts. These acts can involve anything from public nudity to forcing you to drink too much.
Once these three phases are complete, you’ll be an official member of the sorority and be entitled to the same privileges as everyone else.
Pros of Sorority Life
Connections
Sororities are not only opportunities to make new friends, but they also offer you the chance to form contacts that’ll be helpful for the rest of your life. Sororities involve a lot of different activities and will often force you to put yourself out there
Sororities are known for their fundraisers and activism. Joining a sorority gives you a chance to do a lot of really valuable social work and to give back to the community.
Leadership Skills
Sororities expect their members to take initiative and to lead and come up with new group activities. Leadership skills are valuable not just for employment, but are also very useful for life in general.
Cons of Sorority Life
Expensive
Joining a sorority usually involves a membership fee being charged every single semester. Other than the membership fee you’ll likely be required to pay to attend certain events and you’ll have to buy any elements of ‘uniform’ that your sorority has with your own money. College is already very expensive, joining a sorority can make that financial burden even heavier.
Takes Up a Lot of Time
Sororities have a lot of different activities and you’ll be expected to attend most of them. Moreover, you’ll have to come up with events of your own and that’ll take up a lot of mental and physical energy. You’ll also have to attend group meetings and sessions
Hazing
Even though many colleges have banned this, it is still an official and unofficial practice at many fraternities and sororities. Hazing can be deeply humiliating and even traumatising if taken too far. It can be physically exhausting and mentally draining as you’ll likely be expected to do ridiculous and sometimes dangerous activities in order to prove your mettle to the group.
Conclusion
Most sororities have GPA requirements along with other criteria as part of their initiation processes. These requirements are important as they ensure sororities are not punished by the colleges that they’re affiliated with.
Joining a sorority can be a life-changing experience – it’ll give you valuable connections and important life skills but it will also demand a lot of your time and energy. Before you join a sorority, think carefully about your expectations from it and research the culture of the particular sorority you want to be a part of.
FAQs
Does it cost money to join a sorority?
Yes, most sororities will charge a membership fee every single semester. Along with this fee, you’ll also have to pay to attend certain events.
Do fraternities care about your GPA?
Yes, fraternities will generally have a minimum standard for GPA before they’ll admit you. If you are below this standard then you will not be admitted even if you may fit their other criteria.
Do sororities give scholarships?
Yes, sororities can give scholarships. If you’re an academically brilliant member, then your sorority can offer to fund your education so as to reduce your financial burden.
