<p>hey guys, is there a business frat or something similar to one at columbia? ive been checking frat websites, and i saw pike's website mentioning their alumni in investment banking, but thats all</p>
<p>I heard only 10% of students join frats. So does it matter?</p>
<p>no correlation and definitely no causation whatsoever. the frat i was in had tons of folks in business, but that is a lame reason as any to join, pay dues and hang out with folks you may end up not liking. and if you go back far enough (save the younger cu frats) you are bound to find someone doing something interesting, though i don’t think it was because of the frat. </p>
<p>frats tend to pull from three broad categories - kids who really want to be involved on campus (they get recruited hardcore, why, i am lost here, but they do), guys on sports teams, and those that wish they had gone to a party school. the ones who are very involved tend to have an in with consulting/i-banking world from the leadership angle (if you look at the last few prez of student council many had frat ties, even if you wouldn’t believe it from looking at them; not to say they were very active members by any measure). sports guys tend to take up the vast majority of the frat scene and though many are very meatheaded, the athletics alumni hook them up moreso than a frat affiliation. those that want to party are a surprising mix of stoner geniuses and downright sociopaths, so you may find your next college drop out or your next ginsburg in the bunch.</p>
<p>far more of my friends were not in frats, many of them are doing great things and making lots of money a few years out. they got their jobs because of internships they did moreso than any connections. networking is key though - but anyone has it open to them if they figure out how to work alums. if i would say the one group on campus that gets opportunities perhaps undeserved it would be student council folks. alums (especially those on the alumni association) tend to believe that student council are the only kids in the class and so they invite them to functions and sometimes look out for them not recognizing there are folks doing cooler things. a bit myopic there - but a savvy kid who wants to do something can work his way in faster.</p>
<p>where being in a frat helps is running into non-columbians where the frat scene matters. they find out you are a member and they immediately invite you for a beer. it is warm. but even there, i can’t say i know of anyone guaranteed a job in any way. </p>
<p>join because it feels right, and join the one that you think you could stand a year+ into the future.</p>