Sorority involvement at Oglethorpe University has plummeted since the start of COVID-19, leaving the three Panhellenic chapters on campus, Chi Omega, Tri Sigma, and Alpha Sigma Tau, with some of the lowest membership numbers in recent history.
"We used to be a chapter of 50 girls pre-COVID," said Chi Omega's Recruitment Chair, Reyn Wills. According to Oglethorpe University records, in 2017, 2018, and 2019, the three campus organizations had chapter sizes of around 48 girls each year, and now they have an average of 30 girls. The Oglethorpe University Fact Book showed in 2019, 17% of the female freshman population joined a sorority; in 2024, approximately 3% joined. Fraternal organizations saw the same decreasing trends, creating a small Greek Life community. However, the small size of Greek Life is unique to that of smaller universities such as Oglethorpe. According to the University of Georgia’s Student Affairs website, 29% of the student population on campus participate in Greek Life. While at Oglethorpe, according to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, 9% of the student population on campus participate in Greek Life.
Sarah Rosen, a member of Sigma Delta Tau at UGA, said, "Everyone I knew going into UGA wanted to take part in a rush and had ideas on which sorority they wanted to join." In recent years, sorority recruitment at large state universities has taken over the internet at the beginning of the fall semester. Many sorority organizations use social media to share videos of their chapter in hopes of gaining the interest of future members. Oglethorpe does not participate in these same social media trends. The traction and desire to participate in these larger schools' recruitment processes is incomparable to Oglethorpe's.
One reason for the gap may be the perception of Greek Life. Erin Jarrett, an Oglethorpe Tri Sigma sorority member, said, "Most of the student body sees Greek life as it's portrayed in the media—with hazing and expensive outfits." However, she added, "Those who go through Oglethorpe recruitment quickly realize those stereotypes are far from the truth." The glitz and glam the University of Georgia relies on to bring people in steers people away at Oglethorpe.
The smaller student population at Oglethorpe also leads to a smaller pool of girls interested in joining a sorority. For the fall of 2024, Oglethorpe's student population was nearly 1,500, while the University of Georgia's admission statistics showed 31,514 undergraduate students enrolled. Oglethorpe's sorority recruitment will never match that of UGA.
Director of Residence Life, Blake Petty, attributed part of the problem to students' busy schedules. "Our campus community values many things, and they are very busy students," Petty said. Students highlighted this fact: "I didn't have enough time to commit to recruitment," said Isabella Fonseca, an Oglethorpe student who chose not to participate in recruitment. The large time commitment was a significant factor in why students were not interested in getting involved with a sorority on campus. Many other elements also affected the small size of Greek Life.
Wills said, "We are not super supported or promoted by the university, so the benefits of joining are lower here than at a school where Greek life thrives." A lack of support from the university hindered sorority organizations from growing and thriving on the Oglethorpe campus. For Fonseca, "I didn't even know that recruitment happened this past week," she said.
Despite the continual challenges, current members of sorority organizations spoke positively about their experience. Jarret said, "My sorority loves to celebrate all of the differences of each member and what they add to our chapter." Madi Shirly, a member of the Chi Omega sorority, added, "I have found some of my closest friends here on campus." Many members of sororities on campus spoke about how they feel like being part of a sorority on campus is a home away from home.
The life of a sorority girl has many preconceived stereotypes, but this didn’t stop larger schools from gaining many participants each year. Oglethorpe students seem busy with prior commitments and don't appear well-educated on what sorority life at Oglethorpe truly means. Though Oglethorpe's sorority numbers remain low, Petty stayed optimistic. "I believe that students who choose to participate in Greek Life at Oglethorpe have a great experience and value their time in their respective chapters," he said.
The future of sorority life at Oglethorpe is unknown, and many factors contribute to why the organization remains so small. Still, members were adamant about their positive experience, giving hope for a brighter future for sorority life at Oglethorpe University.