What to Do If You Don’t Get into Your First-Choice Sorority
Greek life is an incredible way to get involved, meet people, and build lifelong friendships at your university. At both big and small universities, joining a sorority can make campus just a bit smaller and a little more filled with familiar faces. But rushing can be admittedly stressful, especially when you have your heart set on one particular sorority. The matter of fact is that not getting into your first-choice sorority is not the end of the world.
Here’s why:
You Might Be Happier Elsewhere
A lot of your ideas about the sororities at your school were probably based on Instagram and what other people have told you about that house. Building your idea of a sorority off of others’ opinions might actually prevent you from truly getting to know a house and the girls in it. So, stay open minded! What you originally thought might be your top choice could actually not be the right fit for you! There are endless stories of girls who got into their second or third choice sororities and to this day, couldn’t imagine being in any other house.
It’s Not You, It’s Them (Seriously!)
This might sound trite and overused, but it couldn’t be truer – if your first choice doesn’t choose you, that house isn’t the one! You’ll truly end up in the house that you belong in. If you have to change yourself to fit the culture of a certain house, that house is going to be doing the opposite of what sororities are meant to do for you (which is help you learn more about yourself, be confident in yourself, and provide a community that you truly vibe with!).
Sororities Don’t Define You
At the end of the day, your sorority can be a support system, a second family, and a home away from home. But your sorority doesn’t define you. You are a unique individual with a unique combination of values, quirks, and idiosyncrasies. Embrace who you are! Your engagement in any organization simply signals a choice you’ve made about how to allocate your time. Independent of a house or not, you’re still you!
You Can Busy Yourself Doing Other Things
Odds are, your university has tons of other groups, clubs, sports and programs that you can get involved in. So many people on campus will be in the same boat as you, looking for new friends and experiences, so remember that you’re not alone! College gives you such a unique and fresh opportunity to build up your own community from joining a sorority to a club sport or a class study group. So stay open-minded, form your own opinions and trust yourself to build and find communities that reflect your personal vibe. You’ve got this. -- KL