Sorority Life at Saint Louis University

If you are anything like me, then you are currently on RushTok, or, in other words, your whole TikTok For You page is full of sorority life videos. These posts, including dance and outfit of the day videos, make sorority life seem like a movie, but what is it really like, especially at a smaller university? 

A lot of the terminology is the same since sororities are nation-wide organizations. The terms can be confusing for someone who doesn’t know anything about sororities. The Panhellenic community refers to all the National Panhellenic Council sororities on a college’s campus. Each individual sorority is called a chapter, and ‘recruitment,’ or ‘rush,’ is the process of how sororities get new members.  

The number of girls in my whole sorority is similar to the number of new members that one sorority chapter brings in during recruitment at a bigger university like Alabama or Mizzou. Going to Saint Louis University (SLU), a smaller private institution, I have found it extremely easy to get to know almost all of my fellow sorority sisters. I can imagine this would be difficult in a sorority with several hundred members. 

It is also easy and encouraged to get to know girls across the whole Panhellenic community at SLU since there are only seven sororities on campus. Fraternity and sorority life do not make up the majority of students at SLU, so getting trapped in the “Greek life bubble” is not something I have experienced. I have been able to get close to girls in my chapter who are all different ages and majors, but I’ve also made tons of friends and lived with girls who are not in a sorority.

The rise of RushTok has really made me appreciate the sorority experience I have had at my smaller university. I do not think I would feel the same if I went to a bigger school. Of course, we will still make the occasional dance video, but it is never forced, and we may not have hundreds of members, but we have just as much fun. 

A big plus of a smaller sorority is all the leadership and service opportunities available. In my chapter, everyone has the chance to play a role in operations; this could be in a big or small way or no way at all. A lot of members of the Panhellenic community at SLU are also athletes or leaders in other organizations. This is more unheard of at bigger universities where your sorority can take up all your time. 

This does not mean being in a sorority at SLU is boring. We have several events each semester similar to bigger schools. You can bring a friend or a date if you want, they all have different themes and they are all tons of fun! Plus, we have lots of sisterhood events; these are activities the chapter does that are exclusive to members. They are a great chance to get closer to fellow sisters. In the past, some of my sororities’ sisterhoods have included charm necklace making, karaoke and even going to a trampoline park. 

My sorority experience at a smaller university has not felt like a movie, but I mean that in the best way. It feels real. I have made true friends and so many memories that I never would have had I not joined a sorority. 

If you are going to a smaller school but feel intimidated by the recruitment process because of what you have seen on social media, I would encourage you to give it a try. You never know what the process will be like till you go through it, and from my experience, it is not as crazy as what you see on TikTok. You could make lifelong friends and discover amazing opportunities.

• college
• friendship
• sororities