A Guide to FrAternity And Sorority LiFe - Virginia Tech

SChOLArShIP ANd ACAdEMICS
PHC
Academics and grades are the mainstays of college life, and the sororities at Virginia Tech recognize the importance of integrating
scholarship and the sorority experience. The Panhellenic Council requires a 2.0 GPA and 12 completed college hours to participate in
formal recruitment. Each of the individual sororities has its own requirement to join and be initiated. The GPA requirement for a first-year
student to join ranges from 2.2 to 2.6, depending on the national organization. Please visit the Panhellenic Council website at www.
vtphc.com, or look through the chapter pages in this guide for individual chapter GPA requirements. It is important to understand that if
your GPA is below a chapter’s requirements, your chances of joining will be significantly decreased.
Virginia Tech sorority women want their members to do well academically, and there are many programs in place to help. A number of
chapters have study hall hours to assist in time management, test files that are approved by professors to help you prepare for exams,
and tutor programs to create an environment in which members can excel. The Panhellenic Council offers academic scholarships each
year, as do many of the individual chapters and their national organizations.
Collegiate fraternal organizations were founded on the principle of successful scholarship. The academic performance of each chapter
is tabulated every semester to determine overall chapter rankings. The all-sorority average has traditionally been higher than the undergraduate
all-women’s average.
For the past several years, the Virginia Tech Panhellenic Association has been recognized by the National Panhellenic Conference for having
superior scholarship programming. They have also been awarded the prestigious Scholarship Award by the NPC, which acknowledges
those schools that consistently raise their all-sorority grade point average.
SOCIAL ACTIvITIES
Social activities can vary largely from chapter to chapter, but they are great opportunities for a sorority to develop sisterhood and friendships.
Chapters work year-round to plan events with other organizations on campus to strengthen the bonds between their members.
The Panhellenic chapters of Virginia Tech are proud of the bond between the more than 2,000 sisters involved. Panhellenic takes
an active interest in building well-rounded women and sponsors many programs on campus to cultivate character, integrity, and
the ability to work well with others. Many times, a chapter will co-sponsor an event brought to campus by a sorority to show its
support for the sisters and its cause.
Sorority chapters often sponsor sister socials with other Panhellenic or NPHC organizations. For instance, sisters from different
chapters often host socials with movies or cookouts at Oak Lane. Often, new-member classes will put on such events to bond with
their class and visit with women from other chapters whom they met during the recruitment process. Chapters also organize events
with the men’s organizations on campus, ranging from socials in the community to movie nights to making dinner together in the
chapter house. One of the most prominent sorority and fraternity collaborative events is Homecoming. Each year, sororities are
paired with different fraternities to plan a week’s worth of events leading up to Homecoming day. The week ends with a parade
through downtown.
Chapters plan many events for members only, as well. Events such as sisterhood retreats at the beach, white-water rafting weekends,
member sleepovers in the house, and date parties are some of the events sorority social life has to offer. Each year, chapters
host special formal and semi-formal events for their members, and most have weekends planned for parents and family to visit and
see how sorority involvement is positively affecting their Hokies’ lives.
Through the planned and spontaneous events that come along with a sorority experience, many women find some of their lifelong
best friends. Sisters are often found spending time in the chapter house and getting ready for events together, and often end up
living together during and after college. Being part of a sisterhood at Virginia Tech means discovering a home away from home and
making a large campus seem a great deal smaller. Opportunities to make memories and friendships that will last a lifetime are
brought to your fingertips when you join a Panhellenic organization.
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