newbie

[AlphaFrog]

YAY!!

We're just glad to help!!!!

[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.

[MsCongeniality3]

My story is almost similar. I came from Nebraska and moved to Florida so my mom (a woman without any college) could get a better job. She worked night shifts so she could have money for us. She had doubts about me going into a sorority, mainly the money and even though I worked part time, it still wouldn't have been enough. My second year, she wanted me to join one. Now, at my college, I wouldn't be chosen for rush because I only have so many semesters left. I am greek but in a co-ed fraternity and you wouldn't believe the things my mom thought about what happens in a co-ed fraternity. However, I met a bunch of wonderful people who can definitely make me laugh and keep me sane during finals week. They are the same people who are there for me during anything. I couldn't see my life without them.
Goodluck to you on your mom.

[suwhitestl]

Whatever you decide to do be honest with your parents about your decision. Some members have had the same disagreements with their parents and have chosen to hide their affiliation from their family.

That just points out they don't get it. Greek life is a positive experience and your parents will understand and learn to appreciate the benefits of sorority membership, but they can't do that if they don't know or aren't exposed to it.

Best of luck with your mom and hopefully during recruitment!

[CarolinaCutie]

Originally posted by LionTamer
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.

What a sweet story!

[Shima-Mizu]

My parents (and grandparents for that matter) all went to college... but none of them had ever gone Greek. So I was boldly going where no one in my family had dared to go before.

My mom choice the indifference stand to the whole idea. Same with my dad. It shocked them that I was going to try and join a sorority, but they weren't going to stop me. They weren't going to help me either though, and I pay for my own dues. It works out fairly well though in the end since when they visited they met a bunch of my sisters and saw what nice girls they were and I think that really made them start to feel better about the whole situation which they knew so little about.

My mom wasn't worried about drinking with the sorority, because she knew if I wanted to drink, I would drink sorority or no sorority. It's college. This is not to say that I'm a heavy drinker or that my mom thinks I'm a terrible child. She just knows that college is all about freedom and daring to do what you want to do, so a GLO membership wouldn't change much when it came to doing things on my own.

[AOII*Azra-elle]

I won't repeat what other women have stated, b/c those are what I did with my mother. She wasn't against greek life, but she didn't understand it since she didn't go to college. We both had the same preconceived notions. With a friend of mine who attended UNC before me, my mom and I looked at the UNC Panhellenic website. Here there are 5 houses, and it lists their gpas, and new member gpa's as well. One thing you could do is check out the website for the school you are going to attend, or if they don't have one, find out what organizations they have. Then, with your mom before the tea on sunday look at the websites and see what each organizations are about. Then she can ask general questions for the women who are disaffiliated. It might help her to understand as well.

I know most websites have founding information, philanthropies, and some (I know AOII does), has a section for parents.