Fraternities at cornell - pros / cons

alamode
Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:31:27 +0000

unamadre, if it makes you feel any better not joining a sorority is most definitely not the end of the world, though it may feel like it to the girl at the moment. i have a ton of friends who aren’t in a sorority, along with a bunch of friends in different sororities, and of course a lot of friends in my own. rush can be a very difficult process, particularly for girls who aren’t great at small talk, aren’t bubbly and talkative in general, or simply shy and unwilling to open up so quickly (you really only have a few days).

but when you really think about it, is there really a better way to do it? the only thing i can think of is if cornell allowed sororities to hold events in the fall for freshman, allowing them to ease into the process of meeting new girls rather than stuffing everything into a week. idk why cornell doesn’t do this but as the rules are now, there’s really no alternative

additionally, if this comforts you at all, rush may be a superficial process in terms of how all you really have to base an opinion on is a bunch of 5-10 minute conversations with 4-5 girls of the entire sorority. decisions are difficult to make because of this and many girls slip through the cracks. if the conversations they have had aren’t interesting and memorable and different from the usual whats your major/where are you from/how was your break, the girls just blend together. but one point i would like to make is that i’m sure not all sororities do this but i’m also sure some do, and mine in particular does not take appearance into account at all. at the end of the day you REALLY cannot remember what a particular girl looked like or wore, considering you’ve talked to probably 50-60 girls that day, and when trying to make decisions it is COMPLETELY banned to make any comments relating to appearance. at all. no pictures are brought up, no facebook stalking is done, none of those rumors are true, at least for my sorority.

also if she has any friends in frats she will be able to still go to parties, and i bring my non-greek friends to my sorority events. she can join clubs and other organizations, many of which also have social events. theres also the option of academic fraternities which also have social events. this campus is so huge and there are so many opportunities, greek life is only one of those. i’m sure your daughter will find her fit.

oh also a couple of more things. i wish she had stuck with it for at least friday because she may have found out she actually liked her other options. its so easy to be confused by all the reputations and rumors everyone talks about but really its about personal fit. from what i’ve seen most of the time when a sorority cuts a girl it usually ends up that the girl would really just not fit into the sorority’s personality type. i know i got cut from my top choice but looking back i’m so so happy i ended up where i am now, instead of somewhere i felt pressured to be perfect. friday is actually the most fun day because you get to see the skits and see what the personality and humor of the sorority is really like.
finally, if your daughter finds at the end of this semester that she still wants to be in a sorority, many of them also participate in fall rush. its far less formal, less structured, and usually involves casually meeting and hanging out with the sisters in the beginning of sophomore year.