CAS first-year Lila Jassen entered NYU with high hopes of joining a sorority and experiencing Greek life’s promises of lifelong sisterhood. After several days of rushing and a harrowing Bid Day, Jassen successfully joined the ranks of Pi Beta Phi, ready to attend date parties and formals and partake in activities as a little — until she paid an $800 new membership fee, and began to question whether being in a sorority would be affordable for the rest of her college career.
There are currently seven sorority chapters affiliated with NYU’s Panhellenic Council, not including its pre-professional and identity-based Greek life organizations, nor groups that have been suspended. Each is unique in its mission and activities, ranging from Alpha Epsilon Phi, which raises money for families with children affected by cancer, to Zeta Tau Alpha, known for breast cancer fundraisers and awareness. Semesterly fees — which cover merchandise, events and access to an alumni network — are at least several hundred dollars higher for first-time members, but remain within $300 to $600 throughout members’ time at NYU.
While membership fees are disclosed during the initiation process, the hefty price tag doesn’t include out-of-pocket payments that come with the social nature of being in a sorority — for example, big and little pairings are expected to spoil each other with gifts every week. At its most extreme, bigs decorate their littles’ bedrooms following their initiation — but coupled with smaller gestures and looming semesterly fees, the costs can accumulate quickly.
Jassen, who depends on her own income to pay her fees, ultimately decided to leave the chapter, knowing that she would one day have to spend more money as a big.
“People just need to take into account the financial aspect more,” Jassen said. “I think it was partially my fault that I didn’t plan that out.”
Another sorority member — who requested to be anonymous due to her sorority’s rule that members’ names cannot be published publicly — estimated that she spent around $400 a week when she took on several littles, giving them gifts, buying them dinner and decorating their rooms.
“I knew what I was signing up for, so I had prepared for it over the summer, so I was very much okay with it,” the sorority member told WSN. “If that’s not something that you want to do or can do, then that’s totally fine. But that’s just part of what Greek life is.”
NYU’s fees still pale in comparison to those of universities where Greek life is more prevalent on campus. Sororities at the University of Alabama can charge more than $5,000 a semester, while new sorority members at the University of California, Los Angeles pay up to $1,700 upon initiation to cover additional housing costs. Members can also subsidize their fees through national scholarships offered by their sororities — Pi Beta Phi’s foundation offers over $200,000 in funds to sisters with financial need and outstanding academic achievement and service. Aside from receiving financial aid, sorority members can also bond through more affordable activities.
“I love a handwritten note, and you can always study together,” another sorority member, who requested to remain anonymous due to a similar sorority policy, told WSN. “I went to the park a lot for a couple of my dates, like Washington Square Park, because it’s really just about getting to know someone.”
Jassen still, however, believes her experiences were worth it — she found some of her closest friends during her short time in Pi Beta Phi. However, many members had to juggle having transparent and honest conversations with family members about finances before rushing. Another consideration lies in students’ schedules, which may collide with the numerous events and activities that allow one to fully experience sorority life. As a Global Public Health and Biology major, Jassen’s schedule was packed full of lectures, labs and tests that hindered her full participation in sorority events.
“If that’s something that you’re prioritizing and want to prioritize, then I think it’s completely worth your investment,” Jassen said. “But I think that if it’s something where you are the one paying it, then you have to take that into account and how much you are going to be involved.”
There is a diversity of sororities, however, beyond the Panhellenic Council. For instance, the gender-inclusive Professional National Cinema Society known as Delta Kappa Alpha offers $200 membership fees, along with scholarships that support students in paying their fees. In such sororities, big and little dynamics are often much less stringent, alleviating pressures around spending a certain amount on social events.
Tisch sophomore Sahiba Jassel, who took advantage of DKA’s scholarship opportunity, found it to be very accommodating of her financial situation.
“It’s very chill in my opinion,” Jassel said. “You get what you put into DKA, and I think that it is affordable for what I’m getting out of it. I haven’t felt any pressure to spend more money than I have.”
Contact Mariana Arboleda at [email protected].