Why Join a Fraternity or Sorority

FITTING IN: Coming to a college requires a great deal of adjustment for most students. Every aspect of their life is changed once they get to campus from their smaller living quarters in the College Houses, to eating in dining halls, to classes and social life. Students struggle with “fitting in” and finding new friends that will match up to their high school friends. At a university as large as Penn, this process can be rather daunting and overwhelming. There are endless student organizations in which to get involved, so why is over 28% of the student population choosing membership in a fraternity or sorority as one of their main activities?

COMMUNITY: Membership in a fraternity or sorority provides your son/daughter with an immediate family on campus. The community that is built through a chapter is one of support, friendship, shared values and understanding. S/he will probably find their best friend in the chapter, the members of their wedding party, and your grandchildren’s godparents. The bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood that a chapter creates are immensely strong and are a type of friendship that most members find hard to even explain.

LEADERSHIP & SERVICE: Besides creating this home away from home environment, fraternity and sorority chapters also offer their members expansive opportunities through holding officer positions in the chapter. As an officer, members are able to gain valuable professional and life skills like delegation, time management, conflict resolution, and event planning. Members also work in a team environment, thus enhancing their ability to work together with others; a skill that is extremely valuable in the work place. In addition to the skills building that a chapter can offer, your student will also be exposed to many other activities and interests that they might not seek out on their own. Chapters often sponsor discussion series with professors, host national speakers, and participate in a variety of campus and community events.

NETWORKING: Networking is another large component of fraternity and sorority membership. Each of the chapters at Penn are national organizations, which means they exist across the country and abroad with thousands and thousands of members. Alumni support for our chapters is very strong and will provide your student with the opportunity to build intergenerational friendships. Once your student graduates from Penn, they will once again to be able to call upon the support of their brothers and sisters from other chapters as they enter the alumni/ae stage of membership and as they begin and expand their career path.

For additional information, please check out the following websites that give additional insight and information you might find valuable:

FraternityInfo.com, an informational site provided by the North American Interfraternity Conference, the confederation of 73 national fraternities

NPCWomen.org, the official site of the National Panhellenic Conference, the confederation of 26 national sorotities

NPHChq.org, the official site of the National Pan Hellenic Council, the confederation of the Divine Nine historically African American Fraternities and Sororities

NALFO.org, the official site of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations

NAPAonline.org, the official site of the National Asian Pacific Islander American Panhellenic Association

You can also visit U Penn's individual chapter websites by seeing the Chapters/Info page.