The Daily Pennsylvanian is a student-run nonprofit.

Please support us by disabling your ad blocker on our site.

46519_greeklifesororityrushf
Credit: Yolanda Chen

Registration for the Panhellenic Council's Spring Primary Recruitment has opened, marking a months-long process for hundreds of Penn students looking to join sororities. 

Various upperclassmen have reflected that going through the formal recruitment process can feel overwhelming, particularly for freshmen. For those not sure about what to expect, here are six articles that provide some context around this area of University life. 

Credit: Joy Lee

Many students involved in Greek life say they appreciate the friendship it provides, but recognize that there are limitations to the community. From financial burdens to a culture influenced by "heteronormative masculinity," here is a run down of some of the pros and cons of Greek life at Penn.

For the first time this year, Panhellenic recruitment was shifted earlier, causing many students to have to return to campus days before the formal start of the semester. The condensed and accelerated timeline also means that sorority recruitment no longer aligns with fraternity recruitment. Read more about why these changes were made and how students feel about it. 

Not all students are aware that in order to be eligible for on-campus recruitment, students are required to be taking at least four credits. Executive Director for Education and Academic Planning Rob Nelson explains why this is a University policy here.

Those looking to navigate the 50 different fraternities or sororities may find online forums tempting sources of information. Sites like Greek Rank rate sororities on "looks, popularity, classiness, involvement, social life, and sisterhood/brotherhood," but at Penn, various Greek leaders say the site is a "joke." 

For the first time this semester, two Panhellenic sororities held a formal social event together. The leaders of Chi Omega and Sigma Kappa explain why they wanted to encourage interaction between their members and why they think its important to organize "cross-Panhellenic" events that strengthen relationships between sororities. 

It's a well-known fact that alcohol policies are stricter for sororities than they are for fraternities. Here's why the National Panhellenic Council is more stringent with regulations, and whether or not students find it a problem.