While the organizations may be similar they are certainly not one size fits all, hence the large number of organizations. There are social, professional, and religious fraternities and sororities. Within these categories, there are also fraternities and sororities that cater to specific ethnicities. All the organizations have different dates of formation, and have built their own unique histories.

Traditional Greeks:
The traditional sororities are united under the National Panhellenic Council (NPC), and currently consist of 26 different organizations. The following is a comprehensive list of these organizations:

• ΑΧΩ - Alpha Chi Omega, "A Chi O" or "Alpha Chi"

• ΑΔΠ - Alpha Delta Pi, "A D Pi"

• ΑΕΦ - Alpha Epsilon Phi, "A E Phi

• ΑΓΔ - Alpha Gamma Delta, "A G D" or "Alpha Gam"

• αΚΔΦ-alpha Kappa Delta Phi, "KDPhi"

• ΑΟΠ - Alpha Omicron Pi, "AOPi"

• ΑΦ - Alpha Phi, "A-Phi"

• ΑΦΔ - Alpha Phi Gamma, "APhiG"

• ΑΠΩ - Alpha Pi Omega

• ΑΣΑ - Alpha Sigma Alpha, "A S A" or"Alpha Sig"

• ΑΣΤ - Alpha Sigma Tau

• ΑΞΔ - Alpha Xi Delta, "A Z D" or "Fuzzies"

• ΑΩE - Alpha Omega Epsilon, "A O E" (Engineers)

• ΧΩ - Chi Omega, "Chi O"

• ΔΔΔ - Delta Delta Delta, "Tri-Delt"

• ΔΓ - Delta Gamma - "D G"

• ΔΘT - Delta Theta Tau - "Deltas" or "Delta Theta"

• ΔΦΕ - Delta Phi Epsilon, "D Phi E" or "Deephers"ΔΨΕ - Delta Psi Epsilon

• ΔΖ - Delta Zeta, "DZ" or "DeeZee"

• ΓΦΒ - Gamma Phi Beta

• HΓΔ - Eta Gamma Delta, "La Eta"

• ΚΑΘ - Kappa Alpha Theta, "Theta"

• ΚBΓ - Kappa Beta Gamma, "Kappas"

• ΚΔ - Kappa Delta, "KD"

• ΚΚΓ - Kappa Kappa Gamma, "Kappa"

• KΦΓ - Kappa Phi Gamma, "KPhiG"

• ΛΘΑ - Lambda Theta Alpha, "Lambda Ladies"

• ΛΘΝ - Lambda Theta Nu, "Lambdas"

• ΛΠΥ - Lambda Pi Upsilon, "Lambda Divas", "LPiU"

• MAΦ - Mu Alpha Phi, "La Mu"

• ΦΜ - Phi Mu

• ΦΣΡ - Phi Sigma Rho, "Phi Rhos" (Engineers)ΦΣΣ - Phi Sigma Sigma, "Phi Sigs", "Phi Siggy Siggy"

• ΠΒΦ - Pi Beta Phi, "Pi Phi"

• ΦΒΧ - Phi Beta Chi

• ΣΑΕΠ - Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi, "Sigma", "SigmaAEPi"

• ΣΔΤ - Sigma Delta Tau, "S D T"

• ΣΛΓ - Sigma Lambda Gamma, "Gammas"

• ΣΚ - Sigma Kappa "Sig Kaps"

• ΣΦΩ - Sigma Phi Omega, "Sigmas"

• ΣΨZ - Sigma Psi Zeta, "Sigmas"

• ΣΣΡ - Sigma Sigma Rho, "SigSigRho"

• ΣΣΣ - Sigma Sigma Sigma, "TriSigma", "Sigma"

• ΣΩΝ - Sigma Omega Nu, "Sunnies, SON, Sigmas"

• TΘΠ - Tau Theta Pi, "Taus"

• ΘΝΞ - Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc., "Theta Nus", "ONE"

• ΘΦΑ - Theta Phi Alpha

• ZΣΧ - Zeta Sigma Chi, "Z-Chis"

• ΖΤΑ - Zeta Tau Alpha, "Zetas"

The premise of the formation of these organizations is typically sisterhood, academic excellence, and service in the community. While all of the organizations may have similar, if not the same ideals, they certainly have their own unique criteria for membership. Recruits, or young women interested in joining one of the above organizations typically go through a process that has been coined “Rush.” For the recruits, “rushing” typically includes attending a lot of social events held by the sororities of their interest. For the sororities, rushing provides an opportunity for their organization to impress the recruits. Towards the end of Rush, each recruit chooses the sororities they’d like to join, in order of preference, and the sororities do the same for the recruits. Through a matching system between the lists, the recruits are made an offer by the sorority they were matched with and can choose to accept or reject the offer. The recruits who accept their offers will then begin pledging. After successfully completing their pledge term, which involves exercises in discipline and tests of loyalty, the pledge becomes a member of the organization.
Traditional fraternities are governed by the College Interfraternity Council (CIC), and consist of approximately organizations. These organizations gain new members in the same way that the traditional sororities do. The following is a comprehensive list of the fraternities under the CIC:

• Acacia

• ABX - Alpha Beta Chi

• ΑΧΡ - Alpha Chi Rho, "Crow"

• ΑΔΓ - Alpha Delta Gamma, "ADG"

• ΑΔΦ - Alpha Delta Phi, "Alpha Delt" or "A.D.'s" or "A D Phi"

• ΑΕΠ - Alpha Epsilon Pi, "AEPi"

• ΑΕΩ - Alpha Epsilon Omega, "AEO"

• AΓΡ - Alpha Gamma Rho, "AGR

• ΑΓΣ - Alpha Gamma Sigma

• ΑΚΛ - Alpha Kappa Lambda, "AKL"

• AΦΔ - Alpha Phi Delta, "APD"

• ΑΣΦ - Alpha Sigma Phi, "Alpha Sig"

• ΑΤΩ - Alpha Tau Omega, "ATO"

• ΒΧΘ - Beta Chi Theta

• BKΓ - Beta Kappa Gamma, "BKG"

• BΣΨ - Beta Sigma Psi

• ΒΘΠ - Beta Theta Pi, "Beta"

• BYX - Beta Upsilon Chi, "Bucks"

• ΧΦ - Chi Phi

• ΧΨ - Chi Psi, "Lodgers"

• ΔΧ - Delta Chi, "D. Chi"

• ΔΕΨ - Delta Epsilon Psi "DPsi"

• ΔΓI - Delta Gamma Iota - "DGI" or Delts"

• ΔΚΕ - Delta Kappa Epsilon, "DKE" or Deke"

• ΔΛΦ - Delta Lambda Phi, "DLP" or "Del hi"

• ΔΦ - Delta Phi, "D.Phi's"

• ΔΨ - Delta Psi

• ΔΣΦ - Delta Sigma Phi, "Delta Sig"

• ΔΤΔ - Delta Tau Delta, "Delts"

• ΔΥ - Delta Upsilon, "DU" or "Ducks"

• ΓΦΕ - Gamma Phi Epsilon, "G Phi E"

• ΓZA - Gamma Zeta Alpha, "RAZA"IΝΔ - Iota Nu Delta, "IND"

• ΚΑ - Kappa Alpha Order, "KA" or "The Order"

• ΚΑ - Kappa Alpha Society, "KA"
  

• ΚΔΦ - Kappa Delta Phi

• ΚΔΡ - Kappa Delta Rho, "KDR"

• ΚΣ - Kappa Sigma, "Kappa Sig", "K Sig"

• ΚYX - Kappa Upsilon Chi, "Kappa Chi"

• ΛΧΑ - Lambda Chi Alpha, "Lambda Chi", "Lamb Chops", "Choppers"

• ΛΩΑ - Lambda Omega Alpha

• ΛΣΥ - Lambda Sigma Upsilon, "LSU"

• ΛΘΦ - Lambda Theta Phi, "Lambdas"

• NΣB - Nu Sigma Beta

• NΑK - Nu Alpha Kappa, "Naks" or "Nakos"

• ΩΔΦ - Omega Delta Phi

• ΦΒΥ - Phi Beta Upsilon
  

• ΦΔΓ - Phi Delta Gamma
  

• ΦΔΘ - Phi Delta Theta, "Phi Delt" or Phis"

• 
  

• ΦΔΨ - Phi Delta Psi, "P. D. Psi"
  Phi Gamma Delta, "FIJI" or "Phi Gam"

• ΦHM - Phi Eta Mu

• ΦΙΑ - Phi Iota Alpha, "Phiotas"

• ΦΚΨ - Phi Kappa Psi, "Phi Psi"

• ΦΚΣ - Phi Kappa Sigma, "Skulls" and "Phi Kaps"

• ΦΚΤ - Phi Kappa Tau, "Phi Tau"

• ΦΚΘ - Phi Kappa Theta, "Phi Kap"

• ΦΛΧ - Phi Lambda Chi

• ΦΜΑ - Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, "Sinfonians" or "FMA's"ΦΜΔ - Phi Mu

• ΦΣΑ - Phi Sigma Alpha, "Sigmas"

• ΦΣΚ - Phi Sigma Kappa, "Phi Sig"ΦΣΝ - Phi Sigma Nu, "Nu Tribe," "Nu warriors"

• ΦΣΦ - Phi Sigma Phi

• ΠΚΑ - Pi Kappa Alpha, "Pike" or "Pi-K-A"

• ΠΚΦ - Pi Kappa Phi, "Pi Kapp"

• ΠΛΦ - Pi Lambda Phi, "Pi Lam"

• ΨΥ - Psi Upsilon, "Psi U"
  Saint Anthony Hall, formerly Delta Psi

• ΣΑΕ - Sigma Alpha Epsilon, "SAE"

• ΣΑΜ - Sigma Alpha Mu, "Sammy"

• ΣBP - Sigma Beta Rho, "SigRho"

• ΣΧ - Sigma Chi, "Sigs"

• ΣΛΒ - Sigma Lambda Beta "Betas" or "Lambda Betas"

• ΣΝ - Sigma Nu, "SigNu", "SNu", "Snakes"

• ΣΦΔ - Sigma Phi Delta, "SigPhi"

• ΣΦΕ - Sigma Phi Epsilon, "SigEp" or EOE"

• ΣΦ - Sigma Phi Society

• ΣΠ - Sigma Pi, "Sigma Pi"

• ΣP - Sigma Rho, "SigRho"

• ΣΤΓ - Sigma Tau Gamma, "SigTau"

• ΣΤΩ - Sigma Tau Omega, "Rangers"

• ΤAΩ - Tau Alpha Omega, "TAO or "Freeman"

• TΔΦ - Tau Delta Phi

• ΤΕΦ - Tau Epsilon Phi, "Tep"

• ΤΚΕ - Tau Kappa Epsilon, "TKE" or "Teke"

• ΘΧ - Theta Chi

• ΘΔΧ - Theta Delta Chi, "Theta Delt", "TDX" or "TDC"

• ΘΞ - Theta Xi, "The Taxi", "T X"

• ΖΒΤ - Zeta Beta Tau, "ZBT" or "Zebe"

• ΖΦΡ - Zeta Phi Rho

• ΖΨ - Zeta Psi, "Zetes" (pronounced Zates)
   

•  AKA - Alpha Kappa Alpha, AKAs

• ΔΣΘ - Delta Sigma Theta - Deltas, DST

• ΣΓΡ - Sigma Gamma Rho, SGRHOS

• ZΦB - Zeta Phi Beta, "The ZETAS"

• AΦA - Alpha Phi Alpha"Alphas"

• ΩΨΦ - Omega Psi Phi, "Ques"

• ΦBΣ - Phi Beta Sigma"The SIGMAS"

• KAΨ - Kappa Alpha Psi, "Kappas or Nupes"

• IΦΘ - Iota Phi Theta, "Iotas"

While the recruit is attempting to receive an invitation to pledge, it is their responsibility to attend as many of the organization’s events as they possibly can. Their level of participation at this point is indicative to the fraternity or sorority of the recruit’s commitment to the organization. In addition, recruits are expected to be informed about the history of the organization they’re attempting to join: Their level of knowledge about the organization is viewed as a testament to the individual’s intelligence as well as the strength of their commitment.