<p>Well, joining sororities (or fraternities) is completely voluntary. When I went to college in the United States I consciously made a decision NOT to join a fraternity.</p>
<p>Many people believe that the sororities and fraternities represent a negative part of college. Many seem to be devoted to binge drinking. Many are snobbish or even racist. This is why many people stay away from them. However, they often form “voting blocs” that can dominate college politics.</p>
<p>There are many other housing options besides joining a fraternity/sorority. Usually your first year you will be in a “dormitory” or “residence hall”. Some people later move out into apartments, but others spend all four years in the dormitories.</p>
<p>I think you have gotten what a “sorority” is muddled up with what a “dormitory/residence hall” is.</p>
<p>There was the bizarre movie called “Revenge of the Nerds” where one of the fraternities burn down their own fraternity house, so they are all moved into the freshmen (first year) dormitory, and so the first years are moved out of their dormitory and told that the college is suspending the rules, and letting them join fraternities right away, but one group of first year students are not fashionable enough to be admitted into any fraternity (the “nerds” of the title), so they start their own fraternity. But that’s all just a movie fantasy, such things don’t happen in real life.</p>
<p>The sororities and fraternities themselves decide who to admit into membership from their applicants, who have all applied voluntarily. So really, you need friends to even get into one (and you wouldn’t apply to a sorority where you hated the other girls!). Many Americans consider their fraternity or sorority to have been an important way of meeting people and making friends. And even after graduation, it provides networking opportunities that help land jobs (and yes, I feel I missed out on all that by not joining a fraternity).</p>
<p>But on the bottom line, nobody is required to join a sorority. There are always many other housing options.</p>
<p>KEVP</p>