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Often, I have conversations with clients about whether or not they should use a story from their fraternity or sorority days as part of their business school application. As a former president of my sorority, I understand the leadership experiences available through Greek life, like most extracurricular experiences. As with any story in your application, what\u2019s most important to think through is what a specific story shows about you and why it is important for an admissions committee to know. Often, you can use Greek experiences to demonstrate leadership, highlight what you learned, and explain how it\u2019s helped you grow as a person.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some examples of common strengths that can come out of your college Greek experience:<\/span><\/p>\n Sororities and fraternities offer opportunities for both formal and informal leadership. Being elected as an officer by your peers brings with it responsibility. What did you learn about yourself and others as president or vice president? A client who felt her sorority was not supporting diversity in the way she and other members had hoped decided to start her own sorority on campus\u2014an organization that would provide financial assistance to anyone who needed it. The group found a house and established an inaugural chapter of the new organization. This experience showed her entrepreneurial and innovative spirit as well as her ability to challenge the status quo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another client ran for election as his fraternity\u2019s president soon after the group was kicked off campus. He sought out this responsibility to ensure the future of his chapter and to help maintain for future generations all that he had gained from it. Upon taking office, he built a relationship with the dean of the school and motivated his brothers to develop and execute a plan that led to the chapter being reestablished on campus. This experience showed the applicant\u2019s willingness to take on a tough challenge and to build relationships with higher-ups (a dean) and colleagues (brothers) to ensure commitment from both above and within. This is the kind of leader you want in an organization and in your business school program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another client joined his school\u2019s Interfraternity Council after serving as his fraternity\u2019s president and worked to update the alcohol policies of the school to include non-Greek organizations. He worked with diverse stakeholders\u2014school administration, Greek and non-Greek student leadership, parents, and community members\u2014to help update an alcohol policy that has decreased alcohol-related visits to the local hospital by 30%. His leadership across stakeholders shows his ability to work well with others and inspire groups to drive results.<\/span><\/p>\n Because sororities and fraternities are self-led organizations, it is up to the members to identify opportunities and develop solutions to those opportunities. Think about what changes you enacted while you were a member. As house manager, a past client managed a house of 53 women, including a house mother and a cooking and cleaning staff. She also managed the allocation of the coveted 18 parking spaces near the house. After listening to the concerns of young women who had to walk to the sorority house on their own from other far-away parking lots, she redesigned the sorority\u2019s parking lot to increase capacity by 35%. In addition to learning how to manage the operations of an organization, she identified opportunities to make improvements.<\/span><\/p>\n A key component of Greek life is supporting other philanthropic organizations through fundraising and volunteering. Such experiences can demonstrate how you dedicated your time at college to helping others. A recent client took on a fundraising role in his fraternity and challenged himself to increase the effectiveness of this role. Working with a national organization that supports military veterans, he organized a benefit concert, collecting more funds than had ever before been raised in the fraternity\u2019s history. On top of this, the pro bono performer of the evening made a generous donation that drove the total amount even higher. This concert was a way for the applicant to show innovation in fundraising in addition to having done important work in the community\u2014and challenging the status quo. The experience both highlighted his ability to make improvements within an organization and showcased his desire to make an impact on his community.<\/span><\/p>\n Growing as a manager is all about mentoring others. Within a sorority or fraternity, there are often opportunities to mentor younger peers, either formally or informally. As a graduate, you can provide mentorship by serving on a board or offering career advice. Many of my sorority friends were studying for the LSAT during their senior year, and alumni would come back to campus to help them study and to offer career guidance\u2014much like business school alumni offer support to MBA students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nLeadership<\/b><\/h3>\n
Problem Solving<\/b><\/h3>\n
Community Mindset<\/b><\/h3>\n
Mentoring<\/b><\/h3>\n