My daughter is Rushing this week? Anyone else? She decided to Rush as the UW is starting to get very preprofesssional and serious. Our family is of the opinion that you can be academically successful and still have fun. There is an increasing tendency for students to seem very introverted and who don’t make much effort to socialize. Have you been going to the football games?
I know that 770 girls are Rushing and there are 18 Sororities at the UW. Room and meals are cheaper at a Sorority than at the UW and the Chapter houses are perfectly placed 1-3 blocks from the main entrance to campus. Chapters also offer cash scholarships for members with high GPAs. The leadership and networking opportunities are also great. The current Sorority President of the entire female Greek system at the UW is of East Asian/Indian descent so all girls of all backgrounds are welcome.
There is also a Sorority for female engineers, for Asian students and for Jewish students. Any girl can Rush for any Sorority, some just have a different emphasis so that every girl can find a place for her. My daughter is hoping for a Sorority that is known for being diverse, chill and with girls who are very focused on service, leadership and academics.
Well it was Bid day this morning and my daughter found out she got into her first choice Sorority on Greek Row, so she’s very happy. Her dad is helping her move into the house and then she is going to the football game with her Sisters. Tomorrow there is a breakfast for the parents at 9am. She chose a diverse sorority that is strong academically and with philanthropy. I’m sure she will be having fun too. Rush was an intense experience, but so far so good. Her best friend also got into her favorite Sorority two houses away so that worked out great. Surprised noone talks about Greek life on here, especially if you want to make friends at a big school such as UW.
You can make friends at a big school without pledging a sorority. I did fine at UT-Austin. 
That’s absolutely true, I didn’t go Greek myself but I also think you can have lots of fun in Sororities and Fraternities. My daughter already has a group of friends going to the UW but she wanted to try being part of Greek life, why not? She’s outgoing and likes to meet lots of new people.
I just have mixed feelings about them. My freshman roommate pledged a sorority. My goodness, she had to do so much busy work! I didn’t see the point. It was easy to meet people in my classes and clubs and I didn’t have the time obligation to worry about.
Well our family had no experience of the Greek system and had no idea what to expect, but now into late October it has been a great experience so far. She has made a lot of friends in her own house and up and down Greek Row with Sororities and Fraternities, girls and guys. Everyone parties on Tuesdays and Thursday nights. The boys are very protective of the girls and always make sure a girl(s) has an escort home or even if she is walking to another Fraternity, safety is really emphasized. They have had events which they share with other Sororities so the girls can get to know each other (such as craft nights). There also are events where you can bring a date of the opposite sex or a friend of the same sex. This week the girls are carving pumpkins at a Fraternity and last Friday they hired a bus for a big group to go to a super scary haunted house (which she said was terrifying but also a lot of fun). They do many service projects as well but so far she is keeping up her grades despite being very busy. This is the week they find out who their “Big” is (Big Sister) and they have been getting secret gifts all week. Once with your sister after the Reveal on Friday you meet your Fam - your family is made up of boys and girls across the Greek system who look out for each other and socialize as a “family” on Family Nights. A whole week is planned for “Halloweek” with costumes every day.
There is now the Fall process where girls can still join by going on coffee dates with girls in the house they like, to see if they would be a good fit. They have 10 spots available and filled 5 already. If you are a girl or guy who is lonely in the dorms and would like to make friends easily I would encourage you to give it a look. Contact the Greek Life Office at the UDub for more info.
Sororities do a lot more for people than just provide a party house.
- Sororities usually have higher gpa's than the campus as a whole. From my sorority, there were 5 Fulbright scholars this past year. In past years we've had Rhodes scholars but also a Miss America! We have profiles in our magazine about alums running political campaigns (and the politicians themselves). My BFF and godmother to my kids has a Pulitzer prize. Smart and talented women.
- The 26 NPC sororities (those you think of as the typical sorority) all have philanthropies, raising millions for them every year. Millions.
- they provide a fun place to live while on campus, but also provide a lifelong group of friends. Yesterday I went to an event where there were members from the 5 houses in the area plus the alums. Two people 'found' each other and it had been 45 years. One was local but the other has live in several states and overseas.
- My organization awards ~$350k in scholarships to undergrad and grad students every year. One scholarship covers full COA for grad school for a member from one chapter (about $55k per year). There are also grants to members who have a one time emergency (like medical bills or disaster relief), as well as millions given every year to women's heart health charities.
It’s not all about the parties.
Exactly, thank you for the info. If you are not familiar with the Greek System you can go off shallow stereotypes. It’s also very affordable to be a member, working out cheaper than the dorms, at least at the UDub.