Correction appended
Weinberg freshman Alex Milling parties with her Alpha Chi Omega sorority sisters and studies with her Delta Sigma Pi fraternity brothers.
Milling is a member of one of three Northwestern co-ed pre-professional fraternities, in addition to Alpha Kappa Psi, another business fraternity and Phi Alpha Delta, NU’s pre-law fraternity. The groups offer students networking opportunities to learn about and practice their professional interests.
Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity, organizes business, social and community service events for about 20 members, Milling said.
“I’m interested in going into business and Northwestern doesn’t have a business program,” Milling said. “I wanted to get as much experience and information about the business world while on campus.”
The fraternity is holding recruitment this week and growing in size, having recently made a comeback to NU after dying out because of lack of interest in the 1960s, she said.
But Delta Sigma Pi is not alone. Alpha Kappa Psi, America’s first professional co-ed business fraternity, also promotes networking within the business community and helps interested students prepare for future careers, president and Weinberg sophomore Kolin Pound said.
About 40 members meet for chapter every other week. While pre-professional fraternities don’t have houses, members meet for chapter in rooms in Technological Institute and Annenberg Hall. When there isn’t chapter, the groups bring in speakers.
The ability to connect socially with co-workers builds acceptance and trust in the workplace, Pound said.
“Business isn’t all about impressing someone with qualifications,” he said. “It’s about learning to connect with someone so that they want to work with you. It separates you from the typical zombie student who’s all resume and no personality.”
Mikhail Zarkh, a Weinberg freshman, said he joined Alpha Kappa Psi Fall Quarter because he wanted to connect with people at NU and increase his chances for internships.
“I wanted to find out more about the business world and meet people like me at Northwestern who are interested in business and finance,” Zarkh said.
Recruitment for Alpha Kappa Psi involves a formal interview, which makes the process more selective than for social fraternities, Zarkh said.
Last week, the fraternity rushed potential new members by bringing in a professional speaker, having an information session, taking a break to play WhirlyBall and interviewing interested students.
Hearing Steve Schanwald, the executive vice president of the Chicago Bulls, made an impact on Zarkh, he said.
“You get a different perspective than you would get as a consumer of the Bulls games,” he said.
The fraternity plans to bring another professional speaker, Randy Rowe, the chairman of Green Courte Partners and the former CEO of Equity Office Properties, Inc., to speak Monday, April 28.
Phi Alpha Delta, NU’s pre-law fraternity, also focuses on preparing students for the real world. The nationally-affiliated fraternity acts as a resource for students interested in law, which answers demand for pre-law advising on campus, former president and Weinberg senior Samantha Goldstein said.
With about 50 members, the fraternity focuses on preparing for the Law School Admission Test. It also has a mentor program and a pre-law panel to discuss law in the workplace. Interested students rush during Winter Quarter and accrue points by attending pre-law conferences and other events in order to pledge.
The goal of the group is to give students the information and skills they need to succeed in future careers in law, Goldstein said.
A previous version of this article listed the membership of Phi Alpha Delta as 150. There are 50 members in the group and 150 on its e-mail list.
