As one of the three cofounders of college advice phenom Her Campus and coauthor of the first Her Campus book, Stephanie Kaplan Lewis knows a thing or two about student life (to put it mildly).
We picked her brain on a few of our favorite campus topics. But we came away with so much stuff we had to split it up! So without further ado, here’s the first blog in our Q&A series with Stephanie Kaplan Lewis. We’re kicking things off with a discussion about Greek life and joining a sorority in particular. (She’s the founder of Her Campus, after all!)
Q: Why join a sorority?
Stephanie Kaplan Lewis: There are many pros to joining a sorority. You’ll make more friends, connect with older students, meet more guys, and get even more involved on campus. For collegiettes at big schools, you’ll get the benefits of a smaller community of like-minded women. You’ll also have an active social calendar and a larger network of resources for internships and post-grad jobs.
Q: How can students make the most of the rushing process?
SKL: It’s important to research Greek life at your school before rush starts, in order to get a feel for how important it is to student life. Review the rush process so you know what to expect, and think over what to talk about and what to wear.
Q: What are some common misconceptions about Greek life?
SKL: Despite the party reputation, Greek affiliation looks good on a résumé! It may give you an immediate connection to your interviewer if she was in the same sorority. It’s even better if you have a leadership position within your sorority and can refer to the skills you learned from it.
Q: Just how social are “social sororities” anyway?
SKL: Most of what you’ve heard about Greek life is probably about the parties, but there’s more to it than ragers! There are a variety of social events available for members of Greek life, including mixers, formals, crush parties, and fraternity parties.
Q: What does it mean to be Greek after graduation?
SKL: The perks of Greek life extend beyond graduation. From listing your sorority and any leadership roles on your résumé to attending alumnae and networking events, Greek life can actually have a strong impact on your career long after college ends!
Stay tuned: Next week, Stephanie will discuss college relationships.
