Sororities have been part of university life for American women for over a century. Then and now, sorority life is designed to assist and supplement one’s college education, not detract from it.

Sorority participation is not extra-curricular, it’s co-curricular. It exists alongside one’s academic career, in order to enrich it. Here are some of the many ways that sorority life will help your daughter have a more successful college experience:

Accountability

A sorority’s cumulative grade-point average is measured every semester by the university. And, the GPA of each year’s new member class is measured as well. These numbers are reported all over campus, and to every sorority’s national office. A sorority with a high average GPA will have better standing in the university community and with its national organization.

Further, a sorority with a repeatedly low chapter GPA will suffer repercussions, from the University and national organization. No one wants that!

So, the sorority itself has a very serious interest in helping your daughter make good grades. As the chapter is accountable to those above it, your daughter is accountable to the chapter’s scholarship committee, the members responsible for the chapter’s academic success.

Extensive Academic Programming

Sororities offer organized study sessions, tutoring, Dean’s List honors, computers, special meals and snack breaks during finals to encourage extended study. Your daughter’s sorority will make meeting space available in the house where she can bring study groups from her classes, even if her classmates aren’t Greek. These activities are all coordinated by upperclass members who are elected specifically to encourage scholarship.

Personal Incentive and Reward

The sorority offers incentives to members for good grades… and disincentives for bad ones. For example, earning an “A” on a test might mean a round of applause at chapter meeting, or winning a small prize. A GPA of 3.0 or better is usually required in order to run for sorority office. A low GPA might mean a member is not allowed to attend any social functions until she brought her grades up.

And, the Greek community recognizes academic excellence among its members too, with honors like Order of Omega.

Strength in Numbers: An Academic Network

Many sororities have test files. Often during a college exam, once the answer sheets have been turned in, a student is allowed to take home a copy of the test in order to review her performance later. Sorority members will often contribute their copies to the house file, so that other sisters who might take the same professor later can see how the exam might be structured, what kinds of questions are asked, what material is emphasized.

Sororities create study and mentor groups for majors and departments. For example, if your daughter is a business major, she will get to work with all the other business majors in her chapter, who can share their experiences and insight.

The Bottom Line:

Sorority members have access to much more academic support than non-Greek students who are going it alone. And it shows — national studies over the last several decades continue to demonstrate the following:

• Greek students have higher GPAs on average than their non-Greek counterparts.
• Greek students are more involved in university activities than non-Greeks
• Greek students are more likely to graduate from college than non-Greeks