[LionTamer]

You also might want to search your school's website. Penn State's Panhel shows each of the sorority's GPAs vs. “All Sorority” and “All Women” - most of the sororities are well above the “All Women” average. That has to be impressive. Also, the girls in my sorority made me aware of a lot of opportunities that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise – clubs and activities in my major, job interviews, study-abroad programs, etc.

My mom didn't go to college, either, and she was ambivalent about me joining (my brother had flunked out after joining a fraternity and smoking way too much dope). I put myself in her shoes, and she had a point – she went to work as a secretary right out of high school, and my parents were not exactly rolling in dough, so the concept of a sorority could seem a little extravagant - a little frivolous. Especially since she was working at a local department store to help with tuition.

I came home from work one night right before going back to school, and there was a gorgeous sundress on my bed. "I thought that might be pretty for rush." She had bought it with her dept. store discount. It made me cry. She is a lot older, and we had wildly different tastes, but the dress was lovely. I actually wore it to all my Preference parties and felt like a princess.