Joining a sorority was never on my list of things to do. The intensity of formal recruitment intimidated me and the number of chapters on campus was terrifying. Three years later, I can’t imagine life without my sorority. Hopefully I can encourage you to check out some of the smaller, lesser known Greek organizations on campus – one of which I’m actually a sister of.

Omega Phi Alpha – A national service sorority that is fairly new to the Penn State Greek scene (they became an active chapter in 2006). OPhiA is one of the three Panhellenic associate chapters and they participate in three of the biggest events on campus: Homecoming, THON, and Greek Week. They are an organization committed to community service, promoting sisterhood, and leadership. This chapter does NOT participate in formal recruitment and is unique because they have a cap of 50 girls. Omega Phi Alpha may be a time-consuming commitment but it is definitely worth checking out if you haven’t found your niche within the other Panhellenic sororities just yet.

Sigma Alpha – The only national professional agricultural sorority, the SigA chapter at Penn State has actually one of the largest memberships in the entire country with approximately 50 girls. Sisters are not required to be enrolled in a major in the College of Ag but majority of girls are studying Animal Science, Food Science, and Veterinary and Biomedical Science. They are an associate chapter of the Panhellenic Council which means they are involved in Homecoming, THON, and Greek Week. Members have to maintain a GPA of 2.25, participate in service projects, and attend professional events. Definitely a great pick for girls with a heavier course load or an agriculture background who still want to be a part of a close-knit sisterhood!

Gamma Sigma Sigma – A national service sorority with a pretty large membership that requires sisters to complete approximately 20 hours of community service every year and attend weekly meetings. Some past service projects include Shaver’s Creek, collecting cans for food banks, and hosting blood drives. Gamma Sig is NOT an associate member of the Panhellenic Council but they still participate in Homecoming, THON, and have social events with fraternities. This is a great sorority to check out if you have a passion for community service but still want the opportunity to constantly meet new people at Penn State.

Phi Sigma Rho – A national sorority for women in the fields of engineering and science, giving girls the chance to meet one another in a predominantly male field. You have to be enrolled in a major in the College of Engineering or have an engineering major in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences with a minimum 2.0 GPA to join. In Phi Sig Rho, you would be surrounded by a large group of girls who knew exactly what it is like to take calculus and physics classes. Like OPhiA and Sigma Alpha, Phi Sigma Rho is an associate member of the Panhellenic Council so you would be able to socialize with other fraternities during Greek Week and Homecoming as a way to break up all of your engineering studying!

I encourage everyone to check out not only these sororities’ recruitment dates from their websites. You may think Greek life isn’t for you, but maybe you just haven’t found the right organization yet.