<p>I was in a sorority in college and I am unsure if it would help or hurt me to mention my involvement when applying to science grad schools. I went to a LAC and all the women in my sorority were very smart (we have had the highest GPA of any campus group for many years running) and fantastic people. However, the reputation of my sorority at other large public universities is, let’s just say, less than savory and something I don’t want to be associated with. I didn’t hold any official leadership positions. Would mentioning my involvement lower grad schools perception of me or might it add something positive?</p>
<p>Reread your post and you’ve answered your own question. Vote no.</p>
<p>The only extracurriculars you should mention in your graduate school application are those that are relevant to your prospective field, i.e. TAships. You’ll find that there is no appropriate place on the application for clubs or other such extracurriculars.</p>
<p>It’s not that mentioning your involvement in a sorority per se will hurt, it’s that non-academic information is not useful for graduate school applications. It doesn’t matter if the extracurricular was a sorority or whether it was working at a soup kitchen – it’s irrelevant for science PhD admissions.</p>
<p>I know that I wouldn’t place it on the actual application, but I am thinking about interviews/visits/etc (in conversation).</p>
<p>If it comes up, try to use it in a way that would benefit your application. You could just vaguely say sorority, if you want to avoid the specific negative connitation. </p>
<p>Some schools are looking for students that are normally people that have lives out of their specific field of interest. A sorority is a great way to show that if you dont have much else. I would not spend a bunch of time taking about it. Briefly mention it and if the interviewer is interested you can discuss it more.</p>
<p>There is absolutely no reason to mention any extracurricular activity (including sororities and fraternities) in an application for a PhD program.</p>
<p>In addition, I would honestly discourage mentioning sorority membership in an interview or on a visit, since visits and interviews are about your academic interests, not your social life.</p>
<p>Interviews and visits to graduate programs are all about presenting oneself as a mature, hardworking, and academically focused person. For better or for worse, for many adults, the word “sorority” does not conjure up these qualities. </p>
<p>To be clear: I am not bashing sororities or fraternities. I am simply mentioning that for many professors (since professors are adults), such an association will not necessarily have positive connotations.</p>
<p>To be frank, I think it’s all to say that you need to know your audience.</p>
<p>And FYI, Professor X, in some cases being affiliated can get you places. Yes, this site is cheesy, but read on [Is</a> She? Famous Sorority Women in America](<a href=“http://www.thesororitylife.com/is_she]Is”>http://www.thesororitylife.com/is_she) . And that’s just sororities. </p>
<p>I’ve known people who got jobs because they met an alumnus from their Greek organization. So just be aware of who/when/where the information presents itself, but as a general rule of thumb: do your research.</p>
<p>DGS’s and professors are the last people you’d want to play alumni roulette with, though. A formal job and a position as a grad student imply two completely different archetypal experiences; one would rather see a well-rounded person and the other wants to see a hardworking, mature, and serious person.</p>
<p>Know your audience: If a specific faculty member at a given university happens to be someone who knows your particular chapter, it may be something worth mentioning. Otherwise forget it.</p>
<p>Know the universities: If there is a decent chapter at a given university, there may be the option of living/working in the house.</p>
<p>i don’t think it’s worth mentioning at all, even if someone at your prospective school does have an affiliation with the same sorority. you won’t get into grad school because you and a professor were in the same social club. as someone else mentioned, that’s the sort of thing that can help you in the private sector but it will range anywhere from neutral to negative in an academic setting.</p>