Can't decide if I should pledge- advise please?
 

I will be attending LSU in the fall, and the decision of whether not to pledge has become more complicated than choosing a college. I am in the honors college, so pledging could help boost my campus involvement, provide me with an outlet, or just cause me way too much stress. I welcome any honest advice. Thanks. :)

Here are the reasons I am thinking about pledging: campus and community involvement, networking, friendship, having a house to go to, and meeting lots of new people since I don't know anyone going to LSU

Reasons against: the partying image (I like social events but I'm not into hard partying, getting drunk, and hooking up) and the cost

If someone from LSU could tell me a little about the sororities there that would be great too! I have looked at the websites, but personal accounts are much better.

Yes, sorority life at LSU can be expensive, but the reasons you are thinking of joining are valid. I can tell you personally that my campus involvement directly linked to membership in AOII made a major difference during my interviews for medical school. Not only that, I learned a lot about time management, leadership and organization. These are lessons I use daily. If you think that all sorority members are hard drinking sluts who stab each other in the back, you couldn't be farther from the truth. I encourage you to go through rush with an open mind and see for yourself. LSU has a wonderful Greek system, and it would be a priviledge to join any of the groups on that campus.

Join some on campus groups that are not Greek, first. You are attending college for an education first and a social life second. Greek life will come, if that is what you want. Get acclimated to the campus first. You have four years to join an Sorority, there is no need to rush.

If you are talking about joining an NPC group at LSU, I need to correct what nikki said because your chances of getting into a sorority are significantly (and I mean SIGNIFICANTLY) more slim if you do not go through recruitment your freshman year. There are recruitment information sessions going on where you can get a lot more information if you're local to any of the cities listed. Here is a link: http://appl003.lsu.edu/slas/greekaffairs2.nsf/$Content/+PHC+Sorority+Recruitment?OpenDocument

The main reason that I joined a sorority was because I was involved in a million different extracurricular activities in high school and when I got to college, I felt really lost and bored. I was used to having meetings and places to go and things to do. My sorority experience not only filled that need but also gave me friendships and experiences that have lasted a life time.

another consideration is that just by going thru recruitment doesn't mean that you'll either get a bid or have to accept a bid. My recommendation is to sign up and start the process. If you don't like it, don't like the groups, don't like the women .. you can always drop out.

Thanks for the advise everyone. One of the reasons that I am putting so much thought into this now instead of during the summer is so that I can get all my recommendations. I do think I am going to rush. I think it would be foolish of me not to. I will just have to see if I find a fit and if my parents are willing to help me financially with the extra costs. I will just keep an open mind and not get my heart set either way. I think that way I will get the most out of recruitment. And even if I don't end up pledging, I will at least have made friends and contacts during the process.

Great attitude, wimbledon09. Get working on those recs, I almost went to LSU and was told I needed two recs per group. Even having lived in Baton Rouge my whole life, finding two recs for each sorority was quite a job. It was much easier when I decided to go to ULM and only needed recs for 4 sororities!

Wrong.

She has a year, maybe two.

nikki1920 was speaking from an NPHC perspective, but others have already pointed out that this is not the case for NPCs.

^^Yes, I was. My bad for not reading the question as closely as I should have.

If one of your biggest reasons against is the "partying image", then "all" you have to do is not get drunk and hook up all over the place. As for the money, maybe get a job now and through the summer, ask your parents what they plan to cover in terms of spending money and extras, etc. You should be able to get an idea of the potential costs (do a search on your school and "Dues", or "costs", etc.) and get a better idea of whether or not you can swing it.

If you are in the honors program, you likely have good time management skills, and on the flip side, could have a lot to offer a sorority. (When you think about it, a lot of people wonder what can a sorority do for THEM, versus the opposite). I think that when women go into recruitment with that mindset, the playing field shifts a bit, and the process becomes more mutual.

Don't worry about the rumored partying issue, be yourself, and try to figure out the financial issue. It doesn't have to be complicated. I say go for it!

Cosign. Getting a job or getting into grad school after graduation involves a lot more than just getting good grades. Employers and graduate schools look for well-rounded individuals. You will need people skills, organizational skills, leadership skills, etc. All of these can be developed by involvement with a GLO.

You will also have tons of fun, and develop lasting friendships and lasting memories. You will have a home away from home. Go through recruitment and I'm sure you'll find lots of women just like you. Get those recs in order, enjoy your recruitment experience, and your time at LSU. You are at the beginning of a wonderful adventure! (And by all means, rush as a freshman. It's a no-brainer for this particular school.)

If money is an issue, apply for financial aid (and specifically) for a work-study job. These jobs tend to be a little more interesting than the norm, usually pay a little bit better, and often provide excellent references (i.e. from professors) for future endeavors.

I hate to be nitpicky, but recruitment (rush) =/= pledge. In order to pledge, one must participate in recruitment, successfully receive a bid, THEN pledge. Assuming you're talking about NPC rush, of course.

I understand that OTW. My initial question was whether or not i should pledge assuming that I did go through rush and get a bid. I cannot go into recruitment not even considering the possibility that I will have to make that choice, so I am weighing in the factors. If I had decided that sorority life is not for, then I would not want to put the time into everything that goes into rush. As it stands, I do believe that if the opportunity to pledge is given to me I might accept it. I did not mean in any way to sound precocious.

Wimbledon09 - I see you are in Mississippi, be sure to contact your area panhellenic association for guidance and to let them know you will be going through recruitment at LSU. They can be great help with recs, etc.

Also, be sure to read all of the stickied threads and do research on GC for more pertinent info. You are getting started at the perfect time, but don't delay.

We will be anxious to hear how things go this fall!

It's a good idea to really think about whether this is something you can afford also. Be sure you know exactly how you plan to afford to be in a sorority, BEFORE you go through recruitment. As a member, it is not fun when a new member gets a bid, pledges, and has to depledge because "it's too much money."

That is a good point, KSUViolet06. The money is definitely one of the things I am considering now. I have worked throughout high school, so technically I could fund the first year or two myself, but I have to think about is this where I want my money to go. I am still waiting on a few more scholarships to come through. If this happens, then my parents will help.

Thanks for the advise gee_ess. Contacting the panhellenic is definitely something I need to do.

off topic: wimbledon09 what part of Mississippi are you from?

I was going to let this go, but after seeing it spelled wrong several times now, I feel the need to correct it: the word you're looking for is "advice," not "advise." Advise is something we do, advice is what we give. You're not the first to use the wrong word here on GC.

Someone should've QFP the OP's original post...

It's still there if you want to QFP it. It hasn't changed.

It did say something different that she went back and took out that was an offensive stereotyping of sorority women.

Oh...I just saw what she deleted. She said that she didn't want to join a group of fake women.

I was in no means trying to be offensive which is why I took it out. I was simply stating the stereotype that some (my parents included) see as the norm of SOME sororities. I was seeking reassurance that statement is false, but after posting I realized it could be taken as offensive. Please do not jump on me about a mistake I realized I made and most importantly tried to fix. I am just trying to get a little advice to add to my decision making process.

Don't worry about it. It is a stereotype that has been applied to sororities. Personally, I think there can be "fake" people of either sex in any given group. It's a personality trait that isn't limited to sorority women.