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real talk - how much do sororities cost?

by: trojan

I'm rushing this fall and really want to go Greek, but I'm concerned about the cost of being in a sorority. The USC PHC website says it costs $1000-$2000 a year, but my friend last year said it cost about $5000 a year for sororities (and I know USC kind of underestimates fees in other areas as well, so that wouldn't surprise me). How much do sororities cost? How much do the costs vary from sorority to sorority? Which is the cheapest, and which is the most expensive? Also, I heard living in the house can kind of even out paying for it - can someone explain their thoughts on that to me? thanks:)

Posted By: trojan
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#1  by: @trojan   
#1    

Your friend is more right. It can cost up to that much for a sorority at USC. However, before I start, I want to say that the cheapest / most expensive sorority won’t matter and it shouldn’t either. It shouldn’t matter because there isn’t that big of a difference in dues anyway between the houses. If you’re actually that concerned about the cost of being in a sorority, think about it this way: is it worth paying that little to be in a house full of girls you don’t get along with? Or is it better to cough up a little extra to be in a house full of girls you really like, get along with really well, and have a lot in common with?

Additionally, if you’re concerned about the cost, there’re payment plans and scholarships. So that gives you some cushion, but I’ll be real: there’s only a handful of scholarships and how much they give you depends on the sorority’s national organization and its local chapter. The better the organization does nationally, the better funded the chapter, and the bigger the scholarship awards are. The better the chapter does, the better funding it gets, and the bigger the scholarship.

But anyway, to answer your questions, your pledging period / first year as a new member will be the most expensive. As a new member not living in, the cheapest house is $1500 per semester, and the rest are $2000 give or take a couple hundred per semester. Your dues generally include the basics: your basic pledge gear and your philanthropy shirt, exchanges, and invit

By: @trojan
#2  by: @trojan   
#2    

es. But they don’t include “hidden fees.” Things like game day gear, philanthropy donations, stuff for your little, and events off the books will cost you extra. Want to go Bacaro happy hour with the frat boys next door? That will cost you. Want to go to your sorority’s exclusive Brandy Melville shopping event? That will DEFINITELY cost you. Probably more than you anticipated even with the discount. A good example is invite. Your dues include the actual invite: the venue, transportation. Your hidden fees, however, are things like your outfit, sometimes your date’s outfit if it’s an outrageous theme, stuff to pregame with, stuff for your date to pregame with, dinner for two, maybe a roundtrip taxi ride if your group decides to pregame or have dinner somewhere off-campus.

About living-in, you won't be able to live-in your first semester but you can starting your second semester if there's room and if you have enough house points. Living in as a new member will obviously be more expensive. That being said, after your first year, dues will definitely me cheaper, and in most cases, if not all, living in the house will be the cheapest out of all the USC housing options and off-campus options. However, with these financial benefits come with some sacrifices. Can you live with that many girls in one house? There's definitely sisterly love, but don't forget you've got a hundred girls living under one roof. Drama. Will. Happen. Also, living-in also has certain rules and

By: @trojan
by: @trojanJun 3, 2013 6:13:07 AM

Oh and your pin is another expense. That one is a biggie.

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by: @trojanJun 3, 2013 3:33:19 PM

Oh and I should mention that living-in is generally a grand or so more and it includes your dues, so that's how it "pays for itself" in a sense.

By: @trojan
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by: @trojanJun 3, 2013 3:54:47 PM

Because the thinking about living-in is like you're basically just paying for housing and getting the sorority part for free. Which is why living-in is so appealing. It's cost-efficient.

Like, say for example dues are $2000/semester and living in is $3000/semester. Let's say you live through USC housing for about $4000 a semester. You gotta pay that and your dues, but living-in cuts your total in half. At the end of the day, living-in, you've hit two birds with one stone. That's how it evens out / pays for itself. But again, don't forget hidden fees for living-in, like having to eat out every weekend because house meals aren't provided.

By: @trojan
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#3  by: @trojan   
#3    

and get a campus job when you start school. Ask your parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents to help if they’re willing. Set up a payment plan. Try for the scholarship. Go through the pledging process and at least get initiated if you really want to be Greek.

By: @trojan
#4  by: @trojan   
#4    

and get a campus job when you start school. Ask your parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents to help if they’re willing. Set up a payment plan. Try for the scholarship. Go through the pledging process and at least get initiated if you really want to be Greek.

By: @trojan
by: @trojanJun 3, 2013 6:05:54 AM

(And if at the end of it all, you still feel like you can’t afford it, then just deactivate. You'll still technically be Greek lol. And you can try to reactive once you've saved up the money, but I’ve heard that’s a hard process and one that I don’t know much about or if that’s even possible anymore. Plus, also be aware it’s highly HIGHLY looked down upon to deactivate so you might not be welcome back once you deactivate.)

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by: trojanJun 4, 2013 12:52:21 AM

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response!! This helped a LOT. You're right - I'm going to try to get another job on campus and pay for it to make it work! Thank you:)

By: trojan
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#5  by: @trojan   
#5    

You're most welcome :)
I would start applying now for campus jobs, that way you beat the applicant rush of students getting back to school and realizing they're broke from their summer lol. You also want to apply for as many jobs as possible asap because it takes time to process you too. Like, getting interviewed, paperwork once you're hired, training if it's required, getting into the payroll system, etc.

I should also mention that dues, like scholarships, are also based on funding provided by the national organization. So dues are subject to change based on the funding your chapter gets. So I'm not sure if the cheapest house is still $1500 (maybe it increased/decreased) but that's what it was when I rushed.

By: @trojan
by: trojanJun 4, 2013 5:02:49 PM

I actually looked all yesterday and today! Do you know if there is a central location or database I can check out for on-campus jobs? My other one I came across because I happened to know that particular place was hiring, but I'm having trouble finding open jobs now. Also, do you have any tips on what jobs to seek out if you don't qualify for work-study?

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