Greek life has been a tradition on college campuses nationwide for more than 200 years now. While it’s a known fact that you meet people in sororities and fraternities (this being probably the main reason people are inclined to join), Greek life opens several doors to amazing opportunities that will follow you throughout your life: 

• You make friends with people not only in your organization but throughout other chapters on campus through events and volunteer work.
• It’s a great addition to a resume, giving you a leadership position through philanthropic work and charity.
• You are literally handed amazing alumni connections and networking ability, which are vital in looking for a job nowadays.
• Lastly, it immediately gives you a social life, allowing a big campus like UMass feel a bit more like home. 

Here at UMass, Greek life recruitment typically begins in the fall. It’s within the first two to three weeks of the semester, so you begin to meet other people interested in Greek life immediately and find your potential new family sooner. However, if you would rather take a semester acclimate to life at UMass before joining Greek life, there is the option to join in the spring, in a less formal recruitment process known as spring rush. 

Instead of the “usual” process of formally meeting each sorority, visiting the houses, etc., spring rush is a little more informal. You meet with a few members of a specific sorority over lunch or coffee and talk, getting to know each other. That’s it. The goal is to see if you and the sisters get along well, giving you an opportunity to have any questions you may have answered, and giving them the ability to see if you would make for a good fit in the chapter. You stay in contact with the sisters the entire time, as they aim to make you feel as comfortable as possible.

Here are some pros/cons of spring recruitment:

Pros

1. It’s more casual, which can mean less stress for some people
2. Less of a time-committing process if you don’t want to devote a whole week to fall recruitment.
3. You choose what sorority you want to rush (you can also choose more than one). If there is a specific one that stands out to you where you think you fit best, you are able to rush just that one.
4. You have more time to think about what Greek life means to you and why you want to join it. There’s no pressure!
5. Less “competitive” (for lack of a better word). It’s more personable, as you are not with others.
6. You can join at any point in the semester. This is true for Fall Recruitment too, but if you decide last minute you want to join, you are able to do so

Cons

1. Not every sorority offers spring rush — it's dependent on how many spots are open in the chapter. If there’s a specific one you want, make sure it offers spring rush (or join in the fall). If you don’t know which one you want, fall recruitment gives you a taste of each.
2. You’re not as predisposed to the “vibe” of the sorority, since you only meet with a handful of girls from it a few times. So, if you want to get to know each sorority better, fall recruitment may be better.
3. You don’t join the sorority as quickly.

Regardless when/how/if you decide to rush, every single person I know in a sorority has said joining was the best decision of her collegiate career. While there is an unfortunate stigma regarding “superficiality” of Greek life, this is far from true at UMass. Members of any sorority on campus genuinely just want to make friends and give back to their community. It’s an amazing chance to empower women across the country, and given our current social climate, we could ask for nothing more.