honest money question

It could be very tight. I guess just follow the rules so you don't get fined, skip some shirts and activities. Don't fall in love with the most expensive or rich girl houses. But if that number includes your general clothes and social stuff then heck no! Most girls spend well over $2000 on new clothes and going out every semester. Do you really want to be the "poor girl" in your house?

Like... barely enough. Spring Break trips might cost you a few hundred and that will set you back a lot. 8k will cover your dues for most sororoities, but you will have to accept that you may pref a sorority based on cost rather than fit on pref. Outfits can be DIY for date parties with special themes and good dresses can be bought at Buffalo Exchange or whatever for pretty cheap. T-shirts are another thing that you don't have to buy a ton of. Just a few to start with and add to your collection over the years. Fines... my sorority doesn't have a lot and I've never been fined so that cost can be minimal. Trips will be the biggest cost outside of dues. Some of them can be super budget and only be a couple hundred, but some ski trips can go into the thousands.

There are more girls than you think who are budget-conscious over here!

If food isn't included you will be fine. If not it will be hard

You will be more than fine!!! That is a sweet deal with your parents. I don't think some of the replies understood you meant only sorority cost because you are right they would still have to pay for housing and meals anyway.I do have to warn you that if you are as good at making costumes and crafts as you say you are be prepared to have tons of girls asking for your help!

Wow that is alot of information! We didn't really think about dues going up but if that was the case I am sure it wouldn't be a big problem. Thank you for pointing that out.
They came up with 8k based on the numbers on the website. So say out-of-houses dues were 5000 a semester that would be fine if it includes a meal plan because they are already budgeting 1800 for the meal plan so they would consider my dues to be $3200 which would leave me with around 800 for all my greek extras for that semester.

It isn't that they can't afford it at all. Both my parents have really good jobs in the finance world which is why they are obsessed with setting a budget and following it. My college allowance is going to be $150 a week which is more than enough for gas, going out and a little shopping. If I actually need new clothes or stuff for my dorm or apartment I'll just go back to Atlanta for a weekend and go shopping with my mom or she can visit me.

More importantly, you should be considering if you even have time for a sorority. You mentioned you have a hard major and you're planning a playing a sport, so just those two factors will seriously eat up your time. I know a lot of people have probably already told you something like that, but they do so because you need to be careful. No matter how involved you may have been in high school, college is always a reality shock to everyone. As someone mentioned above, why do you want to be in a sorority? Is it for the legit sisterhood or is it for the social perks and just being able to say you're in a house? If it's more about the social perks then you really don't need to be a part of Greek life to have a successful social life.
Sororities also eat up a lot of your time. When you join a sorority, they expect you to really commit yourself to them. And I know the few girls who play sports that are in my house are rarely around.

Sororities field intramural teams and participating on one is not extra-your dues would cover it.

What sorority girl's spend $2,000 a semester on clothes???

The sport clubs are different. They have longer seasons and play other schools in Alabama and surrounding states. I tried out for womens soccer but didn't make it. If you go here how have you not heard of that?

You should be more than fine. I'm in a sorority that has a brand new house and dues are ~$3500 total per semester, with ~$1500 being food. Literally unless you join phi mu or alpha chi you're not going to have $5000 per semester dues.