The original sororities started in the southern states, which contributes greatly to why the Greek culture for female students is generally more prominent in southern universities than it is northern universities. Most all southern colleges, such as those in Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia, have some sort of sorority system.
It is common for northern states to have sororities as well, but the participation is usually between 10 and 30 percent of the female student population, compared to the 50 to 70 percent participation in the southern states. A majority of the social scene at most southern colleges is instilled within sororities, compared to the northern states where females are involved in a variety of organizations, many of which do no have Greek affiliation.
Most sorority organizations have a time called "Rush" in the spring or fall. This is the time when female students can get an overview of the sorority houses and pledge to become a part of one of them. This process is often more formal and prominent in the southern schools than in the northern schools since there is a more established tradition of sororities in the south. In the most formal southern rush events, female students are usually expected to wear stylish and often expensive clothes.
The history that is embedded in the southern sororities generally makes everything more formal. Females usually dress in high-fashion, stylish clothes. Heritage is also an important aspect of sorority life, and girls often join the sorority that their mothers and grandmothers were a part of. Since the southern sororities have been established longer than those in the northern states, generation participation can be traced back farther and thus plays a larger role in which sororities females try to join.