Dear>>, In a few months you will be making one of the biggest adjustments of your life so far. Moving away from home, living on your own, and going to college are all very different and new experiences that you have never encountered. Everyone says college is the time of your life, and you need to make the most of it. I can remember being a Junior in high school thinking about how time was flying by, and I am now about to be a Junior in college. You will be faced with many decisions, some harder than others, and you will have to make many choices. My first big decision was to join Phi Mu. I was not sure I wanted to join a sorority initially, but after I went through the recruitment process I realized how it really was going to be a great opportunity for me. I am so happy with my decision, and I think you need to join a sorority too because I know you will love it as much as I do. I know you are a bit hesitant about joining a sorority because you still want to be friends with your high school friends. I also understand that you prioritize academic clubs over social fraternities. Furthermore, the idea of your grades dropping is also holding you back from participating in a sorority. Allison, I understand you are happy with all the friends you have now, and you do not think you need to meet anymore people. Based on my experience, those girls that have been friends with you since the first day you met in eighth grade will continue to be your friends whether you participate in Greek life or not. Joining a sorority will not break up past friendships but only begin others. For example, I am still best friends with my four best friends from high school. Those are the girls that have been with me through some of the hardest times in my life. I know I can always rely on them whenever I need any kind of support. I am also, however, meeting many new girls in my sorority still to this day, and I am forming new relationships with them. If you choose to join a sorority, you will continue to be friends with your high school friends, but you will make new friends too. Eventually, your two groups of friends will merge, and you will all be able to hang out together. College is a time to grow up and experience new things. It is a time for change, and you will realize that you will begin to mature and find out who you really are. It is probably for the best that you meet new people and do not make the next four years of your life a continuation of your high school tenure. I understand LSU is a huge school, and you feel the need to join numerous academic clubs to place on your resume to impress an interviewer for future job openings. Little do you know, being in a sorority opens many doors and allows you to have an abundance of opportunities in which to participate. As we already discussed, being in a sorority will allow you to meet so many more people, and networking is one of the most crucial ways to obtaining a job in the business world. Many jobs, especially internships, have a lot to do with who you know. For example, Natalie Marek, a senior in Phi Mu, recently introduced me to her boss who then expressed an extreme interest in me. Also, being in a sorority opens up plenty of doors and opportunities to gain leadership positions in your chapter. You could be head of a committee, you could be an appointed officer, or you could even run for the executive board. All of these are great opportunities to put on your resume and will give you ample real life experience. Therefore, joining only academic clubs is not necessarily essential in filling up your resume. I understand you are a business major and are concerned about your GPA. Nowadays, finding a job right after college is extremely competitive, and you feel you need to focus all of your time on your studies; however it is a known fact that Greeks have the highest GPA on LSU’s campus. Furthermore, most sororities have a minimum GPA set for chapter members to achieve or else these girls will be placed on probation. If you join a sorority, this minimum requirement will give you another incentive to keep your grades up. Many sororities will also require you to do study hours to participate in social functions and will reward you with little gifts if your GPA is spectacular. By joining a sorority, you will meet so many people in your major, and you will begin to form study groups. You may think that Greek life is only about the social functions, but this is far from true. Greeks take great pride in their GPA, but if you manage your time properly you will be able to participate in the social aspects of your sorority as well. Ever since we were on dance team together, I knew we just clicked. We are both so outgoing and friendly. We are both smart and well-rounded. We both want to be successful business women, and we both love to goof around. You and I could both have the time of our lives in a room by ourselves, and we are definitely both over achievers. We are both every determined and will reach any goal we set for ourselves. I understand all of your concerns, and I realize just because I love being in a sorority does not necessarily mean you will too, even if you are my “mini me.” Now, I am not saying you have to join a sorority, but I am asking you to at least go through the recruitment process and see what being in a sorority is all about. You will realize how many people you will meet and how girls are still best friends with their high school friends. I am sure while you are being recruited you will realize how each sorority has impressive GPAs throughout their chapters. You will also realize all of the amazing opportunities being in a sorority will open up for you. All I am asking is that you go through the week long recruitment process, learn more about sororities, and then make your own decision.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Baer

“The writing in this essay is my own work. If I have used outside sources, I have acknowledged them through correct documentation.”
-Jennifer Baer