<p>I know this may sound weird but coming from Canada we do not have all the hype that the US colleges have about Sororities and Fraternities. I have been looking into the Greek Life thing and I am having a hard time with paying between $500 and $2500 per semester for D. I know that you can read and hear about a lot of the good that comes out of these but I can find a lot of bad as well. We are trying to be realistic as it is a struggle for us already to cover the costs of College. I would really appreciate some feedback on this. She is not overly enthused about joining one anyway but we are trying to keep an open mind. Thanks</p>
<p>I totally can identify with this. I’m not yet at a university but I was really shocked when somebody told me that they payed $1200 per semester in dues for their sorority. I don’t mean to judge anyone else’s decision, but, y’know, there are people starving in the world…I know that all the money I spend on little useless things here and there might add up to that amount, but spending that much money all at once just feels wrong to me.</p>
<p>I cant speak for sororities, but many fraternities (mine included) have scholarships for people that need it. One of my brothers works a number of hours a week to pay for college himself, and he was able to join on a full dues-paid scholarship. It has even ended up saving him money, as rooms in the house are cheaper than the dorms and board is cheaper than the university meal plan. </p>
<p>If she isn’t a sorority girl, then there really is no reason to even pay whatever registration/pledge fees there are to find out she wants to leave. Otherwise, Greek life can be a very rewarding experience for many people, but not for all people.</p>
<p>Also take note that Greek life varies dramatically at different schools. Sorority life is very different at Arizona state and UAB than it is at johns hopkins or northwestern</p>
<p>Fraternities are not a part of our college budget. Our kids were told if that was an interest for them, they would have to find a way to finance it themselves.
Neither of my kids were really interested. Greek life does not dominate social life at their schools so it’s not a case of being left out if you’re not a Greek.</p>
<p>You know there is so much variability from campus to campus that it’s hard to make generalizations. My s is in a fraternity. We have also maintained that we would not pay a single extra dollar to fund it…the extra costs are on him. Well, last year and this upcoming year, he has a single, and the room and board costs, including his fees are much less than what the university charges - for a double room. And he has free parking right outside the house. The house is well supervised by adults (old alums who still live in the area) and is kept in nice shape. We go to parents weekends every year and have enjoyed meeting other families. Most of the guys seem very nice, quite a few are accomplished in their different areas of study, and they maintain a very solid average GPA.<br>
So, bottom line, we had our doubts…but so far, so good. Our son seems happy, has taken on some terrific leadership positions, and we’re paying less than we would have.
So my advice would be to keep an open mind and investigate a bit further. But I can see why you don’t want to fork over extra cash.</p>
<p>This is obviously a personal choice decision as to whether the cost is worth it. As noted above, costs will vary widely from school to school. At D’s school, for example, Greeks do not have their own houses; rather a section of a dorm. Her dues are much lower than the $$$s indicated by OP & theviolinist. They are also totally her responsibility.</p>
<p>Check what those expensive-sounding dues cover. Do they just cover registration and such? Or do they cover, say, housing and a meal plan as well?</p>
<p>Fraternities and sororities vary so much, not just from campus to campus, but within a campus. It would be hard to make a generalization.</p>
<p>My “dues” covered housing, meals and um…beer. </p>
<p>It was a very positive experience for me. And it gives some students things to put on their resumes - for instance, running the kitchen for a sorority or a fraternity with 100 members is a big responsibility.</p>
<p>It depends on the child and on the greek system at your child’s school. For my D, living in a sorority house and going on their meal plan system will actually be about half of the cost of what I paid for her freshman year. In addition, D is very social, but also studies a lot. The sorority gave her the opportunity to “have something to do” when she wants something to do - rather than having to take advantage of social activities whenever they come up, even if it did not meet her schedule. I was not a member of the greek system, and did not really understand it - but D is loving it and can’t imagine being in college without it. Greek life gives its members permission to call each other family - and sometimes they need that!</p>
<p>Greek life is not required for a full and happy social life at college. That said, when looking at greek costs look at all the greek costs. At my D’s school, living in the sorority is cheaper than living in the dorms or off campus. So the savings of two years living in the sorority makes up for fours years of dues. And from an non-financial point of view, she really appreciates the friends, support, and social opportunities she gets from her sorority.</p>
<p>So far, its been worth it for my son…on his cross-country road trip driving home from school this spring, he didn’t have to pay for any overnight accommodations as they bunked in frat houses all along the way. Last year he spent one weekend in St. Louis at a national leadership conference (all expense paid) and this summer he is attending his fraternity’s national convention in Chicago, again all-expense paid. I think he’s having some terrific experiences and making contacts that will last well beyond college.</p>
<p>My husband and I were actually hoping our son would join a fraternity, as we both had great experiences. But, unfortunately (or fortunately, from a cost-standpoint), he didn’t want to join one. He said they’re just not popular at his university. But I admit to feeling a little sad when I see all his high school buddies wearing Greek t-shirts this summer.</p>
<p>We consider the cost of a sorority/fraternity to be discretionary spending. Since we don’t pay for discretionary spending for our kids…they have to earn that…the decision was up to them. THEY decided it wasn’t worth the cost.</p>