Is there an age limit?

[tunatartare]

Originally Posted by Adelphean

Although being in a sorority is a great thing, I'd ***REALLY*** think about it before deciding to join. I'm 22 and an alumna. I can't even imagine being active now. Like anything else, it is what you make of it, but at 24 do you really want to be hanging around with 18 and 19 year olds? Have a 18 year old bring you up on standards because she saw you out having dinner with your boyfriend while you were supposed to be doing XYZ? Do you want to be the oldest person at the formal? The oldest person at the Kappa Sig philanthropy week/party? Are you ready to deal with the 'just right out of high school' BS that goes on, on a semi-regular basis? I know I wouldn't.

I agree with this. Are you really going to want to hang out with 17, 18, and 19 years olds and play flip cup and beer pong with them?

[adpiucf]

If I were over 21, I would not pledge a collegiate chapter of a sorority. Yes, you deal with this type of immature drama in the workplace and in school over your entire life... but joining a sorority is a voluntary committment to involve yourself in the drama of 18-21 year olds, their hookups, cat fights and general immaturity (with a few shining exceptions).

However, that is your choice to make. As long as you are an undergraduate student, you fit the profile and may go through recruitment. From there, your GPA and attributes will be on display for the sororities to evaluate and for you to see if it is a good fit. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[notyouraverage]

Originally Posted by KLPDaisy

I agree with this. Are you really going to want to hang out with 17, 18, and 19 years olds and play flip cup and beer pong with them?

I joined Delta Gamma at an SEC school when I was 22. I do not for a minute regret that decision. Yes, some of my sisters play beer pong. But that doesn't mean I can't relate to them. They certainly don't play beer pong every night and we definately go out without playing beer pong. I am amazed that some women on here seem to think all anyone under 20 or 21 wants to do is drink and engage in drama! Yes, we have a good time downtown, but we have a good time doing just about anything. Yes there is some drama, but, as someone who's been through it before, I view it as an opportunity to shape the chapter's attitudes on honesty and gossip. Actually, I plan on running for office under that premise.

Sara, don't let anyone here talk you out of participating in recruitment (though if I were you, I would not go through formal!). You're the only one who has the opportunity to meet the girls and to determine whether or not you'd want to be friends with them. Some women on here are stereotyping sorority women as poorly as GDIs do. Give sorority life a chance, but do give it plenty of thought.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Dionysus]

You guys are kidding? Only teens play drinking games where you all are from? I was at a party just a couple of months ago, they were playing all sorts of drinking games. The youngest person at the party was 23.

[adpiucf]

Originally Posted by Dionysus

You guys are kidding? Only teens play drinking games where you all are from? I was at a party just a couple of months ago, they were playing all sorts of drinking games. The youngest person at the party was 23.

No, not necessarily. But we make the conscious choice not to "party" with those kinds of people past a certain point. I have plenty of friends in their late 20s through 30s still acting like every night is Spring Break. Those are people to hang out by the pool with or occasionally shop with-- not people I'd care to be around 24/7 because that isn't my lifestyle anymore.

Again, it's not a game of who is mature or immature-- just the kind of atmosphere you find fun or right for you. There's generally a leap in the way you think once you hit 22/23 that separates you from the younger students.

Some older PNM's may also find themselves the victims of similar age bias on the part of the sorority members... some may find that they are as old or maybe older than some of the alumna advisers.

And there is the age factor... If I were 24, I would not want to be taking my marching orders from a 19 year old who was preaching sorority etiquette at me in new member education, and then that same person hypothetically asking me to go on a beer run with her for my super over-the-hill ID. It's a bit different to be older in the workplace and taking similar direction from a superior who is a bit younger-- the age lines blur as you get older, but the young adult years are still a little too close for comfort.

[Adelphean]

It's not all about drinking. I'm 22, I drink, I occasionally play drinking games,and I have since I was 17. I'm not warning her about the drinking. I'm just asking her to really think about it before she does it. The maturity difference between an 18 year old and a 24 year old is/should (be) a large one. I wouldn't, at age 22 pledge a sorority if I wasn't already a member. I don't have very many things in common with an 18 year. I doubt a 24 year old does either. You can make friends, be invloved, volunteer, ect... without being greek.

[dgdramadawg]

Originally Posted by notyouraverage

I joined Delta Gamma at an SEC school when I was 22. I do not for a minute regret that decision. Yes, some of my sisters play beer pong. But that doesn't mean I can't relate to them. They certainly don't play beer pong every night and we definately go out without playing beer pong. I am amazed that some women on here seem to think all anyone under 20 or 21 wants to do is drink and engage in drama! Yes, we have a good time downtown, but we have a good time doing just about anything. Yes there is some drama, but, as someone who's been through it before, I view it as an opportunity to shape the chapter's attitudes on honesty and gossip. Actually, I plan on running for office under that premise.

I think that definitely speaks to the fact that a woman pledging a sorority when she is above the usual 18-19 pledge age needs to look carefully at the groups she is considering joining. I'm sure we can all think of groups at our alma maters that were known for their nightly partying, as well as groups (like notyouraverage's) where the girls have a good balance between sorority, parties, academics, and outside friendships. If I were to be rushing now (at age 22), I would definitely be evaluating the maturity of the women rushing me in a different way than I did at 18.

During rush my senior year, I remember meeting an awesome 21-year-old girl during rush who was concerned about the issues (drinking, drama) that people are bringing up here... she was transferring from another school and wanted to try Greek Life, but didn't want to spend the next 2-3 years dealing with teenagers' drama when that was all she'd had to deal with for the past 2 years at her old school. I thought she did an excellent job asking all of the right questions, making sure to see whether she would be comfortable in our chapter. I'm sure that she did the same thing at the other houses, and that made her decision easier (and she was sooo excited when I picked her up on Bid Day!).

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by Adelphean

It's not all about drinking. I'm 22, I drink, I occasionally play drinking games,and I have since I was 17. I'm not warning her about the drinking. I'm just asking her to really think about it before she does it. The maturity difference between an 18 year old and a 24 year old is/should (be) a large one. I wouldn't, at age 22 pledge a sorority if I wasn't already a member. I don't have very many things in common with an 18 year. I doubt a 24 year old does either. You can make friends, be invloved, volunteer, ect... without being greek.

I agree. There's no way I would be able to tolerate being a social greek at my age. I barely did at 19. But, I was really just making a comment about the drinking games.

[Dionysus]

I've always found the age limit discussion on GC pretty interesting. I have a couple of questions.

Are your schools located in the city or in rural areas? Commuter or residential?

Many people keep mentioning 18 and 19 year olds. What happens to the 20-24 year olds? Do they drop out once they hit their 20s? I think the average age of social Greeks where I attend are 20-22. Seeing 23 to 25 year olds are more rare, but not unheard of. Hell, seeing undergrads from 23 to 25 isn't unheard of period, regardless if you're a greek or not. There's also less segregation between freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and grad students.

I wonder if there's any correlation between locations/types of schools and age limits.

[tunatartare]

I agree with Adelphean and adpiucf. The comment I made about beer pong and flip cup was meant to show the age and taste differences among people. Hell, I was 22 when I graduated, and at times I could barely relate to the girls in the sorority that were freshmen and sophomores.

[Akkus]

Next year when I'm rushing for a fraternity (at SDSU) I'll be 22 years old junior student (i might have to go for more than 2 years though). I wonder if I'll be able to get any bids. I'm not very picky and I'll apply to all 16 fraternities my school has. It'll be disappointing if i can't get one single bid.

[AOIIalum]

Originally Posted by Dionysus

I wonder if there's any correlation between locations/types of schools and age limits.

It would be an interesting study. I think all of those things would play into it, and then some. It would be hard to control for campus culture/tradition for one thing. In general, I'd expect that you'd find out that those schools with a heavy majority of undergraduates between 17-23 would see very few women over freshman classification pledging a sorority. If your average undergraduate age range is more in the 19-25 age on campus that skewed more urban or commuter, then "age range" may not have as much of a bearing for recruitment.

[Akkus]

Originally Posted by AOIIalum

It would be an interesting study. I think all of those things would play into it, and then some. It would be hard to control for campus culture/tradition for one thing. In general, I'd expect that you'd find out that those schools with a heavy majority of undergraduates between 17-23 would see very few women over freshman classification pledging a sorority. If your average undergraduate age range is more in the 19-25 age on campus that skewed more urban or commuter, then "age range" may not have as much of a bearing for recruitment.

Would you consider SDSU a commuter or urban school?

[littlesister72]

Originally Posted by SARADEC881

Hi,
Ive decided I wanted to go greek this semester, but I was recently discouraged when an acquaintance said I was too old to join a sorority. I am 24 years old and in my second semester of my sophmore year. Im not married, but I have a boyfriend.. I dont have children.. I just took a while deciding where I want to be and do ... I traveled and saw the world.. Am I really too old? Will that hurt my chances of getting into a sorority? Thanks for any input!!
Sara

Well let me be the bearer of good news! I am in a sorority called Beta Sigma Phi - where there is no age limit to join! I am 33 and just joined two years ago! We are an international sorority that is not affiliated with any university. If you are interested in more information you can check out the website www.betasigmaphi.org if you want to learn more.

[Akkus]

I don't know why people make a big deal of hanging out with people who are several years younger than them. I wouldn't mind hanging out with 16-17 year olds and I am 21. I find younger people to be more fun.