[aephi alum]

Financial responsibility letters... Every GLO is a little different. AEPhi has them, but only requires a parent's co-signature if you're not of majority age when you pledge. I submitted mine without a co-signature and it was fine. If you have friends who are in the sororities represented on your campus, ask them. If your parents have to co-sign regardless of your age (or if you're not of majority age) there may be an appeals process by which you prove that you and you alone can meet your financial obligations. Don't let this little point factor into your decisions during rush - you'll cross this bridge when you get to it.

Parents dead set against you joining a GLO... I feel your pain. My father was, and still is, vehemently anti-greek. I told him I was going through rush and his attitude was "It's your funeral." My parents never cut off my tuition or anything, but sorority dues were strictly my responsibility (which is fair).

My advice: Go through rush, and if you do join a sorority, prove to your parents by your own example that your grades haven't slipped, you're not shacking up with random guys, you haven't started drinking, etc. Share with them the relevant parts of your new member education program (we had an entire session on alcohol abuse, for example). If you need them to sign that financial responsibility letter, maybe you can cut a deal with them - say, if your grades don't slip, they sign.

Some GLO web sites and some Panhel web sites have a "for parents" section - encourage your parents to check these out.

BTW, Lauren, AEPhi has an alum ceremony too (but no pin).