What It’s Like Being a Less Than Stereotypical Sorority Girl

It has been a semester since I rushed a sorority, but I still contemplate whether or not it was the right decision for me. When I came to UW-Madison, I was unsure if I wanted to join a sorority. My mom and grandma both participated in Greek Life while in college, so I felt a certain obligation to also be in a sorority. Most of my high school friends were rushing, so I decided I would, too. Rushing comes with a $40 registration fee, so I figured “Why not? I’ll try the sorority life.”

Roughly 12 percent of the UW-Madison campus participates in Greek Life — which means that 88 percent of campus is perfectly happy without the need to sport “Deltas” or “Omegas.” To be completely honest, I could be part of that 88 percent, and my life would not be that different than it is now.

Of all my closest friends at UW-Madison, only one happens to be in my sorority. My sorority is comprised of roughly 100 girls; of those 100, I know 50 by name. Still, I only talk to ten of them in-person; I talk to just to one or two of them on a regular basis. The irony is that I am closest with a girl I met in my rush group; if I hadn’t joined the same sorority as her, we would’ve still likely remained friends.

It’s not uncommon to drop out during the rush process if you realize that Greek life is not for you, or if you don’t get bids from the sororities you wanted. I sometimes wish I had dropped out, but I had already spent roughly 20 hours of my life making small talk with different girls at varying houses. After spending so much time in the rush process, quitting was not an option for me.

The rush process feels like an informal interview in which you are judged by every aspect of what comprises you: your appearance, interests and personality. Rush takes place in the fall during the week leading up to the first day of school. Intrigued freshmen and sophomores line the streets of Langdon ready to be asked what their major is and what they did over the summer. It’s evident that some of these girls have practiced for this moment; they almost have their answers scripted.

I came with no preparation — and my outfit was a testimony to that. The first few days of rush are casual wear; so naturally, I showed up in a flannel shirt over an ill-fitted dress with cowgirl boots. I should’ve known that wasn’t going to go over well in a mix of dresses, skirts and rompers. Thus, I got 3 bids out of the 8 possible bids I could’ve get from the 12 houses. I am not a stereotypical sorority girl. The stereotype means to me what the media often portrays: an beautiful, avid partier who’s skinny and has blonde hair and blue eyes. This stereotype doesn’t apply to every girl involved in a sorority; but the media has influenced my and many others’ perceptions of what a sorority girl is supposed to be like and how she’s supposed to act.

I often question my decision to join a sorority because I feel like I do not fit in — maybe that’s my fault. Maybe I haven’t made a big enough effort; maybe I should’ve never rushed in the first place — but I did, and I did join a sorority. I hope that I’ll become closer with my sorority sisters as the semester progresses; I hope that my doubts on going Greek will begin to fade. For all those debating whether or not to rush, I would say do it — there’s no harm in trying. Who knows? Maybe you, too, could be a less than stereotypical sorority girl.

• sorority
• stereotypes