As spring rush season rolls around to kick off 2025, PNMs across the country are going through the rush process and deciding which sororities they want to join. There are many different factors that come into play when someone is choosing which sorority is the right decision, including how much fun they have talking to the members, how much the dues will cost them, and ultimately what feels the most right and comfortable. Another factor that can be a big consideration is whether a PNM can see themself living in a specific sorority house — because for some, this can be a dealbreaker.
But wait, do you have to live in your sorority’s house? Well, it depends. Of course, if your school doesn’t have sorority houses — or if the chapter you’re interested in doesn’t have a house — then this is not a question you even need to consider. But if a chapter has a house, it will at least be strongly encouraged for sisters to live in the house.
Every school and every chapter will have different live-in policies, but some sorority chapters actually do require their members to live in the house — typically during their first full academic year as sisters (which, for many, means their sophomore year of college). This is called a live-in requirement.
Sorority live-in requirements aren’t just for sisterhood bonding (although living with your sisters can definitely bring you closer); chapters needs members to live in the house in order to help pay for the house (which, yes, means their sorority dues are higher than those who don’t live in the house), and to make sure that the sorority has a big enough operating budget to do all of the fun events that sororities typically participate in.
Living in your sorority house is a one-of-a-kind experience, but it is also understandable if it doesn’t sound appealing to you. At the end of the day, it is a ton of college students living in a house together, crammed into (often) small rooms, which means having people around you for the majority of your day. That may not be the ideal situation for some, and the live-in requirement can seem daunting enough to potentially not want to choose a specific sorority.
However, there are some exceptions to the live-in requirement that are worth noting. For one, each sorority house likely has fewer spots to live in than there are new members, so if a house fills up with members who are eager to live there, those who are less inclined to do so won’t have to. Another situation that could help evade the live-in requirement is if you rush as an older member, either in your sophomore or junior year, or as a transfer student. Typically, the requirement is not enforced for these students, as they would not be living in the typical year to live in, and therefore the chapter will likely be less strict about the requirement.
Also, if the idea of living in a sorority house really doesn’t align with you — due to financial reasons, mental health reasons, or otherwise, you can talk to your chapter leaders and see if they can help you find a situation that is best for you.