organizations similar to sororities, minus the dues?

Hi,

I’m an incoming freshman at USC, and I’m torn about rushing sororities. On one hand, I really want the sisterhood, sense of belonging, and familial feeling of being with a smaller group of girls on campus; on the other, I have other extracurriculars/am planning to work on campus, and I know those will take a lot of time and are potentially a better use of the $5K I would otherwise spend on sorority dues. My course load for fall semester is also pretty significant (nothing crazy, but definitely a lot of work). I’m a pretty social person and love going out on weekends, but I know that since I’m a girl, I don’t need to be part of a sorority to party on the Row. One of my friends at USC told me that there are service organizations like the Helenes that are big on sisterhood and have much smaller dues than traditional sororities, but though I’m definitely into service, I’m not sure that I like the projects/events that they work. I’m already interested in a capella and LACI, are there any other organizations that I should know about so I can decide whether to rush Panhellenic sororities or not? Thanks!

I feel the same way. Greek life sounds awesome in a lot of ways, but the dues and hidden costs sound almost prohibitive to me. I wonder though what other organizations on campus (besides the marching band) give the same feeling of family, friendship, etc?