Pledge Program

Pledging for Alpha Kappa Psi is an invaluable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. If and when you are extended a bid to pledge, you are being given an opportunity to show your character, leadership, and brotherhood to the student members of the Alpha Zeta chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi.

What is pledging?

Pledging is a 10 week long process during which you will be given the opportunity to show your character, abilities, leadership, and brotherhood to Alpha Kappa Psi, Alpha Zeta chapter. You and your pledge class will be given the task of planning and carrying out several professional, social, philanthropic, and fundraising events. The goal of assigning these events to your pledge class is to develop critical skills that you will come to value in your future career. Each event will be run as though it were a business, from the conceptual start-up phase to marketing the end "product" and everything in between, including the logistics, networking, and financing. The success of your pledge class depends largely on the success of these events in terms of their professionalism, scope, financial solvency, and teamwork.

Pledging is also a time during which you bond with your fellow pledge brothers, and eventually, with the active chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi here at USC. Alpha Kappa Psi is a fraternity – a brotherhood – which separates it from other student organizations. The active chapter is a tightly-knit brotherhood that consists of student members who know that they can depend on the support of their brothers for life. During the pledge process, you and your pledge class are expected to develop that same bond of brotherhood that distinguishes our fraternity.

How much of a time commitment is pledging?

Pledging entails a fairly significant time commitment. The 10 weeks of pledging can be compared taking an extra four unit class. However, many student members who pledged Alpha Kappa Psi managed to balance their schoolwork, internships, and personal lives while successfully pledging. Pledging has historically encouraged pledges to develop valuable time management skills that they find useful in their lives after pledging. Finally, pledging ends two weeks before finals, allowing sufficient time to prepare and study for them.

Who is eligible to pledge?

Undergraduate men and women of all majors are eligible to pledge Alpha Kappa Psi. You must have at least one full year remaining before you graduate (seniors are not eligible to pledge).

However, those who are members or pledges of another professional fraternity may not pledge. Members and pledges of social fraternities are still welcome. What to Expect During the pledge process, you will be given the opportunity to develop many leadership and professional skills that will prepare you for the real world. By planning professional, social, philanthropic, and fundraising events, pledges learn how to overcome the hurdles that can be expected in business. Planning these events will allow you to gain experience which will help you achieve success in your future career. For each event, you will learn how to plan and run it as though it were a real business. In the process, you will constantly face challenges which will test your skills.

Here at USC, the student members of the Alpha Zeta chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi form a closely?knit brotherhood which separates the fraternity from other student organizations. That same brotherhood is expected from pledges during the pledge program. From the beginning you will find yourself working in a team; however, as the program continues, pledges will be find themselves making lifelong relationships that they can always count on for support.

How long is the pledge program?

The pledge program lasts for ten weeks. It is a process that will test your ability to become a successful brother in the fraternity. It will start after rush week and will end two weeks before your finals, giving you enough time to prepare and study.

Can I apply for the Warren Buffett Trip right after pledging or do I have to wait a year?

If you are invited into the fraternity as an Alpha Zeta Brother of Alpha Kappa Psi, you may apply right away for the Warren Buffett Trip. Since our fraternity is the only student organization to host the event, there are reserved slots for Alpha Kappa Psi Brothers only. Because of this great opportunity, we take pride into making sure our pledge program produces prominent business leaders that qualify for these brotherhood and professional events.

Are pledge membership dues expensive?

No! Although membership dues for pledges fluctuate every semester, you can expect to pay approximately $400. This is not expensive at all compared to membership dues of other fraternities on The Row, which can range from $2,000-$4,000. We are able to compete as a top business organization because we can carry out proper fraternal meetings and social events in our fraternity house. This is an aspect of our fraternity that we are proud of.