<p>Anybody planning to join?</p>
<p>Definitely would like to rush...but the expense is an issue. Anyone know how much it costs to be in a sorority each year?</p>
<p>This might help. I <em>believe</em> sororities are much less expensive than fraternities at UNC: <a href="http://greeks.unc.edu/content/view/44/77/%5B/url%5D">http://greeks.unc.edu/content/view/44/77/</a></p>
<p>holy cow!!! 3k a semester for a frat?! YIKES! I HOPE a sorority is much cheaper.</p>
<p>what if someone really wans to join but cant afford it? yes, i have a full ride. but i dont have 3k extra a semester laying around! must be nice...</p>
<p>GOB: I think that $3K per semester was for housing, too--living at the fraternity--though I agree-- expensive. (Somebody has to pay for the maintenance of those big old houses!). Wasn't it $1500 if you chose not to live there? I know a sorority less expensive, but I'm not sure what the cost is. Should have been on that site somewhere, though.</p>
<p>I am definately no expert but back in the 80's when I was in a sorority we had pledge fees, parlor fees, initiation fees, monthly fees. The pin alone was a couple of hundred $$. And of course you got guilted into buying the t-shirts that frats were selling for their annual fundraiser (the sorority that buys the most gets extra points), don't forget evening dresses for the balls and tuxes for the guys...it is NOT inexpensive, so enjoy the rush experience if you must but beware you might be spending all your graduation money for a bunch of fluff.</p>
<p>yea i didnt see the sorority numbers on the site...</p>
<p>Recently when I was at UNC with son, I picked up a brochure on Greek Life. In this brochure, it was stated that fees depend on the particular frat or sorority--some being more expensive than others, but as a general rule $1500-$2000/semester not living in the house and about $3000 if living in house.</p>
<p>I was in a sorority at Carolina. Obviously, I can't really talk about fraternities, but I can tell you about my own experience.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, sororities are very expensive (fraternities less so, but they are still very pricey). "Financial aid" to pay for sorority dues is basically nonexistent, and I'd imagine this is the same for fraternities. Even the scholarships that my sorority offered were specifically prohibited from being used to pay dues, and there aren't very many of these scholarships, so don't pledge a sorority thinking that you'll be able to get one. The dues during my four years ranged from $1,400-$1,700 a semester - it all depends on the budget, which itself depends on how large your membership is, how much your national dues are, how much insurance is, whether or not your facility is paid off/needs repairs/etc., and so on. Keep in mind that these dues are paying for a mandatory meal plan, which means you can cancel or scale back your meal plan w/Carolina Dining Services (they waive your contract if you have a letter from a fraternity or sorority saying that you received a bid). Living in the sorority or fraternity house actually drastically cuts down on your room and board expenses, but don't plan on being able to live there all four years if you are in a sorority, because none of the sororities own houses with enough beds to accommodate all of their members.</p>
<p>I really enjoyed my time in my sorority, and I'd recommend rushing to anyone with the means to do so. I do not come from a wealthy family, but I was very fortunate in that my parents were in a position to pay my dues and were glad to do so. However, all of the extraneous expenses (t-shirts, pictures, expensive rush clothes that were required every year, drinks at functions, etc.) were my responsibility, and I spent hundreds of dollars on them every year. Some sororities also fine you for being absent from required chapter events, including the weekly chapter meeting. Like I said, I was lucky that my parents helped me out, but if I had been expected to pay my own dues, I probably would not have pledged (which I know sounds really snotty, but I'm just trying to be honest). I had a few sisters who worked to pay their own dues, and some of them ended up working so much that they didn't even get to enjoy the privileges that their dues were paying for. There are plenty of rewarding clubs and activities to be involved in at Carolina, including cultural and religious special-interest fraternities and sororities that don't own houses and therefore don't charge nearly as much in dues (though they do have a very different "flavor" from the Panhellenic and IFC groups). So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, definitely rush if it won't be a financial strain on your and your family to be in a sorority or fraternity, but don't feel like it's the end all be all, because at this school, it truly isn't. :)</p>
<p>Also, not that anyone has done this, but I just wanted to warn you all about talking about specific sororities and fraternities on websites like this. It's not uncommon at least for sorority members to look in on sites like these to see what incoming freshman are talking about in regards to rush - not this one as much as greekchat.com, but I'd still be discrete. Most people aren't nearly as anonymous on these message boards as they think they are, and there have been more instances than you would think of girls rushing posting negative opinions about sororities on a message board and finding themselves without invitations to the next round.</p>
<p>Great tips CarolinaBlueSkies!! Since you were in a sorority, did you have many friends outside of your sisters? What are your experiences with greek and non-greek interaction?</p>
<p>Honestly, I did not have as many friends outside of my sorority as I would have liked. I had a few friends from high school, but those friendships generally phase out when everyone's interests start diverging, and mine were no exception to that trend. I did a little bit of theatre while at Carolina and made some friends through that, but the vast majority of the time I spent socializing was spent with my sorority sisters. However, I think that this was really more the fault of my personality than the fact that I was in a sorority - I'm not really the type to put myself out there in social settings, and when I had built-in social opportunities through the sorority, I didn't really go seeking any alternatives. It also didn't help that I spent all four years of college in a serious relationship with a guy who went to one of the other schools in the area, so the fact that I spent a lot of time there with him was a little socially limiting. However, there were a lot of girls in my house that had a lot of friends in other sororities and outside of the greek system (I'd actually venture to say the majority of them), so don't think that my experience is common. I can only speak for the girls in my house, though - some of the other sororities may keep within the greek system more than mine, but I really can't say for sure. </p>
<p>As far as greek/non-greek interaction - I was pretty open about being in a sorority (but definitely not in-your-face about it, unless wearing t-shirts to class regularly is in-your-face), and I never had a single negative reaction from any fellow student or professor. UNC is not a school where greek life is dominant (though it certainly makes its presence known), so you tend not to get the resentment that can sometimes spring up at schools where social life is dependent on what the fraternities and sororities are doing. Being in a fraternity or sorority can consume your life if you let it, but if you approach it with the attitude that you want it to be part of your college life without being the defining factor, you will have plenty of opportunities for interaction and friendships with non-greeks.</p>
<p>Frats- Guys who like to drink in excess, study with their test libraries, and take advantage of girls. </p>
<p>Sororities- One word: Sorostitutes. </p>
<p>Do it if you don't want to work to find good friends, but don't complain when you're stuck looking like a stuck up greek.,</p>
<p>chillmandan: Ouch. That hurt (somebody, I'm sure). I'm so glad my daughter didn't join a sorority. ;)</p>
<p>very harsh. haha </p>
<p>thank you carolinablueskies. you've been very helpful!!</p>
<p>If you join a sorority, join one that actually matters... like one for service, not one that's filled with caddy drama (aka Tri Delt, everyone else has... or Tri-Sig, Try Pig... or Chi-O, Chi Ho's). They all have this name for a reason... men look atcha like a piece of meat! I almost rushed Adpi... but after seeing them all in action...haha, I'm so glad I didn't. Like cocaine?</p>
<p>Yeah, get ready to do some lines.</p>
<p>I really don't know much about Panhel, but all of the ethnic, service, religious, multicultural sororities and so forth, I really respect them a lot, especially Theta Nu Xi (which was founded at UNC) and Lambda Pi Chi. :D They really work hard and they are seriously classy ladies. I'm in alpha Kappa Delta Phi, an Asian-American interest sorority, and I'm not sure if the others are like this, but our dues are only around $200 a semester. No, it's not missing a 0 ;)</p>
<p>wow, arent we stereotyping? im sure not every sorority does cocaine. jeez. lol</p>
<p>whats the name of that co-ed service frat? ive heard thats fun</p>
<p>Buffalo, I think you're talking about Alpha Phi Omega :) I know of a couple of people who have joined that really love it and have a great time with it!</p>
<p>yea! thats the one!! :-D is that one expensive too?</p>