Sororities are more than what you saw in Legally Blonde, I promise — particularly, local sororities. A local sorority is a sorority that only exists within one campus. Local sororities are different from national sororities, which can have different chapters across the United States and Canada. For example, someone in Alpha Delta Pi attending a college in Arizona would be considered sorority sisters with someone in Alpha Delta Pi attending a college in Connecticut.
Despite not being as large as national sororities, there are many positives to joining a local sorority! As a member of a local sorority, Alpha Iota Chi at Montclair State University, I am here to tell you some of the pros of going local.
You get to know a majority of your sisters
This is one of the biggest testimonies made by those who join local sororities. Generally, local sororities have a lower amount of girls in each chapter due to not having to meet a certain quota. Having fewer sisters allows you to naturally get to know majority of them and creates a greater sense of intimacy. Knowing everyone on a first and last name basis makes you feel instantly more connected, and it feels great to be able to name one of your sorority sister’s major, along with other fun facts. Being in a local sorority also cuts back on the awkward feeling of running into a sister on campus who has on the same letters as you and having no idea who they are.
Cheaper dues
As a member of a local sorority, there isn’t a national corporation to pay dues to. You don’t have to pay national Panhellenic dues, and for a struggling college student, paying around $100 a semester in a local sorority is way more doable than paying dues in national sororities that can be up to $1,500 dollars. This is due to the fact that not only do nationals have to pay their chapter dues and new member fees, but national dues as well.
Uniqueness and fewer rules
Joining a local sorority means your chants, songs, dances, and ideals are your own. The bonds you create only exists within a specific group of women and at a specific place. The traditions are all derived from the experiences shared by sorority sisters related to Greek Life and beyond, on one specific college campus. which makes you feel even more closer and connected.
Local sororities get more say in how they run their organizations and are able to amend their constitutions each academic year to reflect the rules they would like to have. Unlike nationals, locals don’t have a strict set of rules they have to stick to. Local sororities can create their own budgets as well and prioritize the money for things that are important to them.
Alumni are closer
With fewer sisters, alumni naturally become closer. Just like you will know the majority of your active sorority sisters, you will have a closer connection to alumni who have graduated compared to national sororities. Alumni are the foundations of the sorority, and it’s great to be able to still feel super connected to your sisters beyond those in your chapter after you graduate. Alumni come back for events like Homecoming and Semi-Formal frequently, and are still heavily involved in the sorority beyond their time as an undergrad. Being able to know the alumni of your organization on a personal level gives you an edge on networking as well.
All of this is not to run a campaign on how local sororities are superior to national sororities or vice versa. It’s to show that local sororities are just as legit and worth the time as any national, and it’s okay to not go the conventional route when choosing a sorority. Local or not, at the end of the day, choose the sorority that fulfills you the most and don’t look back! Your experience within the sorority and the bonds you will create with these women for the rest of your life matter the most!