Why Should I Join a Sorority at USC?

Scholarship

Students involved in Fraternity and Sorority Life at USC have consistently achieved higher GPAs than non-Greeks and graduate at a significantly higher rate. Joining a sorority is the first step in helping yourself achieve a higher GPA in college. Sororities offer study group options, professor lists, test files, and many other opportunities to succeed academically. 

Sorority Council and Greek Programming Board plan semesterly receptions for women achieving a 4.0, recognize chapters for academic accomplishments, and distribute awards to individual students who have shown a special effort. 

Sorority Council also offers extra resources for students or chapters who are struggling with grades. Women who received below a 2.5 are asked to go to ACE (Academic Center for Excellence) sessions lead by Sorority Council's VP Scholarship.

Leadership

2012 Sorority Council at the Southeastern Panhellenic Conference

Getting involved in a sorority is the first step in getting involved other ways on campus. Most chapters require their members to be apart of one or more organizations on campus at USC. Involvement in a Greek organization provides a valuable opportunity to develop leadership skills within the Greek community as well as other places on campus. Over 75% of fraternity and sorority members are involved in other organizations outside of Greek Life.

Leadership Opportunities inside the Greek community include Fraternity and Sorority Council, NPHC Board, Greek Programming Board, Greek Judicial Board, and Recruitment Staff.

Every fall the Sorority Council hosts Greek Camp, an all day off-campus retreat, where 2 new members are selected to attend to learn what it is like to be in a fraternity or sorority at USC, meet students from other organizations, and learn their role as a new member in their chapter and in the Greek community. Greek Camp is a great way for new members to get involved.

USC also is home to the Alpha Tau chapter of Order of Omega. Order of Omega is a National Greek Leadership Society that recognizes the top 3% of Greek leaders on campus.

Friendship 

Friends on Bid Day

Friendship is a major component of sorority life and one of the many reasons why students decide to join a sorority at USC. Students involved in Greek organizations make long-lasting sisterly bonds that are nearly impossible to find elsewhere on campus. If you are looking to immediately find people who are just like you, joining a sorority is the best thing to do!

One thing that Sorority Council recently started is a program called Sister Sorority of the Month. Each month 3 chapters are paired together and encouraged to plan and partake in an event that involves all 3 chapters and allowed members to get to know each other!

Service

Philanthropy is huge part of joining a sorority. Giving back to the community is a major trait of sorority members as undergraduates and often times is a deciding factor when choosing a chapter that fits you best. Each year chapters participate in service projects and philanthropic projects to improve our community. In the fall of 2011 sororities and fraternities donated over $297,000 and over 58,000 hours of service. 

Sorority Council donates supplies to local school

Greek wide service events that take place are Trick-or-Treat with the Greeks and the Carolina/ Clemson Blood Drive.

Circle of Sisterhood

The University of South Carolina’s involvement with Circle of Sisterhood has been one of the most active in the country. We began one year ago with naming Circle of Sisterhood as the philanthropy for Sorority Council. The first step in making this known to each of our chapters was presenting it to the Sorority presidents at one of our weekly council meetings. We asked that each president to report back to their chapter with information on what CofS in order to spread awareness. The council held multiple percent nights at local restaurants, but the first main fundraising effort that we had was creating a Greek wide t-shirt that was sold to all members of the Fraternity and Sorority Life community. The shirts were so popular around our community that we had to have two rounds of selling them, and there were also people from other schools around the country that were interested in buying them too. The first round we sold 1,111 shirts and donated $3.25 per shirt adding up to $3,610.75. The second round we sold over 780 shirts and donated $6 per shirt adding up to $4,680.00. 

The council plans to sell the 2013 t-shirt this year in hopes of raising even more money for the Circle of Sisterhood!

2013 All Greek T-shirt

2012 All Greek T-shirt

Circle of Sisterhood Motto: The Circle of Sisterhood Foundation will leverage the collective wisdom and influence of sorority women to support entities around the world that remove educational barriers for girls and women, uplifting them from poverty and oppression.

Below is a video of "Why the Circle of Sisterhood?" 

After all of our success we invited Ginny Carroll, founder of Circle of Sisterhood, to speak at our school. At the event almost 100 Panhellenic women came to hear her speak and at the end we presented her with a check for $11,800, making USC the highest fundraising school for CofS.

Sorority Council with Ginny Carroll

Since then, Sorority Council initiated a new program for all members of USC Greek Life to get involved with Circle of Sisterhood. The Circle of Sisterhood Committee is filled with 15 members all from different chapters. The committee held their first awareness fundraiser this past week with a table on the main street of our campus on Valentines Day. They passed out facts about why Circle of Sisterhood exists and sold doughnuts raising over $50 in mostly change. The committee also went to each chapter with a presentation of what the Circle of Sisterhood Committee plans to do on our campus and why everyone should be involved. While they were at each chapter they passed around a bucket and left it at the houses for a week. The group expects to raise over $200 from this “Change for Change” event. They have many other ideas on ways to involve the community but are just getting started at this beginning of this semester.

Circle of Sisterhood Commitee

What is Sorority Council?

Sorority Council is the governing body of all of the sororities on campus! The council consists of eight different positions that are in charge of different projects and events happening on campus with Greeks.

Meet the Council

Riley Shipman

Sorority Council President

Boca Raton, FL

Junior, Business

The Sorority Council President is responsible for the operation of Sorority Council. She works closely with the Sorority Council advisor, Fraternity Council President, and all members of the Sorority Council. The President leads weekly Council and Executive Board meetings along with monthly President Roundtable meeting to discuss ways to improve the Sorority Community.

Alex Rodbell

VP Recruitment

Atlanta, GA

Junior, Public Relations

The VP Recruitment maintains procedures of recruitment according to the National Panhellenic Conference rules and regulations, updates formal recruitment standing rules, trains and oversees all recruitment counselors and staff, and oversees the registration process for the potential new members. 

Kelly Laynor
Assistant Recruitment

Ellicott City, MD

Sophomore, Marketing and Management 

Shadows the Vice President of Recruitment to learn how the Recruitment process works, helps the Head Pi Chi with Pi Chi and Recruitment Staff training, and attends all meetings with Vice President Recruitment. Assistant Recruitment will roll up to the Vice President Recruitment the following year. 

Allie Papajohn

VP Public Relations

Greenville, SC

Junior, Public Relations

Positively promotes the Sorority Community and Sorority events throughout the university and maintains the Greek Wide calendar.

Becca Brizzolara
VP Programming
Cincinnati, OH
Junior, Marketing and Management

Works with the Fraternity Council Vice President of Greek Programming to co-chair the Greek Programming Board. Responsible for elections to Greek Programming Board, planning Greek-wide events such as Greek Week, and planning and promoting programming events that show our community’s dedication to scholarship, leadership, service, and friendship.

Megan Early
VP Finance
Charlotte, NC
Junior, Accounting

Works with the Fraternity Vice President of Greek Conduct to co-chair the Greek Conduct Board. Responsible for elections to Greek Conduct Board, training members of the board, conducting hearings for cases brought before the board, and plan and promote risk management programs for the entire Greek community such as National Hazing Prevention Week. Work with standards/risk management chairman of each member sorority to aid in the development of risk reduction and education.

Meghan Brooks
VP Scholarship
Pepperell, MA
Junior, Political Science/ English

Maintain a close relationship with the Scholarship chairs of each chapter, oversee Gamma Sigma Alpha and Order of Omega, and implement faculty appreciation programs while building strong faculty relationships. Also serves as the recording secretary during Sorority Council meetings each week.

Whitney Rhymer

VP Conduct

Charlotte, NC

Junior, International Business

Works with the Fraternity Vice President of Greek Conduct to co-chair the Greek Conduct Board. Responsible for elections to Greek Conduct Board, training members of the board, conducting hearings for cases brought before the board, and plan and promote risk management programs for the entire Greek community such as National Hazing Prevention Week. 

Briana Quarles

VP NPHC

Seneca, SC

Sophomore, Business 

Works with the Fraternity Vice President of NPHC to co-chair the NPHC Board. Responsible for planning and programming events for the NPHC Board.

Letters of Recommendation

What is a letter of recommendation?

A letter of recommendation is a letter written to a specific sorority at USC from an alumni of that sorority. The letter formats are different for every national chapter. It usually consists of a form that is provided on that chapters national website as well as an actual letter written about you.

Does USC require letters of recommendation?

No, the University of South Carolina does not require PNMs to have a recommendation for every sorority. However, if you do choose to have an alumnus write a letter of recommendation for you it can be sent to the address below.

Forms can be downloaded from individual chapter’s national websites. You can access these by visiting our local chapters’ websites under the “Chapters at USC” tab on our website www.sa.sc.edu/fsl or www.uofscsoco.com.

Forms then can be sent to:

Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
Attention: (chapter the recommendation is for)
RHUU Suite 115
1400 Greene Street
Columbia, SC 29208

What are the benefits of having letters of recommendation written?

A letter of recommendation will give the chapter a little bit more knowledge about who you are as a person. These letters will be read by the chapter's recruitment chairs and sometimes they will pair you with someone of similar interests! 

When do I need to have the letters sent in by?

Letters of recommendation can be sent in any time during the summer. The chapters usually prefer that the letters arrive at least 2 weeks prior to the first day of recruitment which is August 15th.

What to Wear During Sorority Recruitment?

 Scholarship Day

Thursday, August 15^th and Friday, August 16^th

Over the two days of round one, you will visit all eleven sororities with your Pi Chi group. 20 minutes will be spent with each chapter learning about their scholarship initiatives and academic success. These first two days are very casual so please wear your recruitment t-shirt, shorts or a skirt, and comfortable shoes.

Riley, Sorority Council President, and Kelly, Sorority Council Assistant VP Recruitment, show perfect outfits that show our famous “Carolina Girl” shirt that will be provided for you paired with comfortable bottoms and sandals.

Leadership Day

Monday, August 19 and Tuesday, August 20^th

On these days, you can visit a maximum of eight sororities. You will spend 35 minutes with each chapter while they show a video that highlights their activities, sisterhood, tradition, and friendship. Please wear your recruitment t-shirt, shorts or a skirt, and comfortable shoes.

Whitney, Sorority Council VP Conduct, and Becca, Sorority Council VP Programming, show the second t-shirt that will be provided for you during Recruitment paired with comfortable bottoms and sandals. Each year this t-shirt’s design is a surprise!

Philanthropy Day

Wednesday, August 21^st

During round three, you will visit a maximum of five sororities and spend 45 minutes with each. Chapters will have a chance to showcase their philanthropic causes and activities. Attire for this day is dressier, so please wear a sundress or skirt and top with dressy sandals or heels.

Alex, Sorority Council’s VP Recruitment, and Allie, Sorority Council’s VP Public Realtions model appropriate sundresses and dressy shoes that are perfect for learning about the philanthropic efforts of Carolina sororities.

Sisterhood Day or Preference Round

Saturday, August 24^th

Preference Round is a special ceremony intended for each chapter to showcase the special bond they share as sisters. You will visit a maximum of two sororities and spend one hour with each chapter. Due to the more formal nature of this day, please wear a cocktail or semiformal dress with heels.

Megan, Sorority Council VP Scholarship, and Meghan, Sorority Council VP Finance model examples of cocktail dresses and heels that should be worn for Sisterhood Day.

Bid Day

Sunday, August 25^th 

This is the moment we have all been waiting for and is the grand finale of recruitment. Everyone will gather on the historic Horseshoe in anticipation of the final bids. Membership bids are given out to the women who finish the recruitment process. Recruitment counselors reveal their chapter affiliation and reunite with their sisters. Please wear comfortable attire, as this is an active and exciting day. Each sorority will give their new members a new t-shirt to wear when they receive their bids.