<p>I think that’s a few years old and for every bad experience there are many great experiences for people that join. Rush is completely non committal, and many who decide to rush don’t end up pledging. If anything, it is a free week before school starts to relax with no work! </p>
<p>I would suggest being open to anything in at least your first year. You will be surprised the opportunities that come -not just in greek life, but all around campus - if you keep an open mind. I am not saying you need to join, but as the saying goes, don’t knock it before you try it. Fraternities/Sororities aren’t for everyone, but there is no harm in going to rush week, or stopping by some parties first semester. You will be surprised at the range of different fraternities and sororities when you have over 40 and 10 respectively… There are dry houses, service houses, jock houses, preppy houses, jewish houses, minority houses, nerd houses (all obviously generalizations). You will find a wide range of fraternities that are way different than “Alpha Gam”. I think a lot of people have no idea what anything is really like before they come to school except from what they hear and read online. You are really only hurting yourself if you decide to be turned off from something before experiencing first hand.</p>
<p>FYI - rush is the recruitment process, pledging is when you decide to join a house. Pledging is not even a full commitment (you can decide to depledge), but rush is honestly a time to walk around with your friends from first semester and see if you fit in anywhere else. If you find a place you like, great, if not, no worries.</p>
<p>To answer a question above about rushing as a guy… you will have to learn songs and memorize history at any house you join. Most people say pledging is like taking a 3 credit class. There are only a small fraction (5 or 6 out of 40ish) known for bad pledging, and it has become pretty tame in recent years. You will not move into a house if you join until sophomore fall.First semester you will adjust to campus, visit different houses for parties, and don’t be scared to talk to brothers. The fall is like an informal rush. If you join a house you will definitely have time for a fraternity. I know many Student assembly reps, SAFC people, and club leaders that are all a part of greek life. You will have plenty of time for other activities.</p>
<p>Thanks guys, good outlook on it for me. Someone mentioned there are ‘dry houses’ though and I’m curious, are any of the dry houses popular in terms of good and fun kids, or is it only the real nerdy areas that are dry?</p>
<p>I say that only because I like parties, but I don’t drink. The biggest issue for me with a fraternity would be being <em>forced</em> to drink in order to join, like that’s a requirement or something, which in my eyes would be ridiculous. </p>
<p>I don’t mind being around drinking or people who love it at all, but I just don’t find much fun in it myself. So if I was going to be looked down upon and made fun of constantly in the process of going into a frat because I don’t drink, that’s where I’d have to say screw this. </p>
<p>Anyway, like I said, the team building, event organizations, community activities, and brotherhood really appeals to me, just not so much the thought of being uber hazed or being forced/asked to drink just to ‘fit in’. </p>
<p>(although in some twisted way, the thought of surviving the hazing, depending on what it includes, is kind of appealing…)</p>
<p>I honestly joined a house who at the time had one of the “bad” pledging processes… I didn’t think it was bad, especially since many of my HS friends went down south and had terrible stories. Drinking was encouraged at some events, but there were always at least 5 guys who never drank at events due to sports (most have no drinking policy in season), tests, or personal preference. It was never questioned.</p>
<p>lol, speaking of southern schools, a guy I know who went to Bama was made to sit over a hot iron skillet while they tested him on frat history, and every question he got wrong, the skillet would be moved closer to his seat. unfortunately, this guy had the mental capacity of a 2x4 and got every question wrong. ended up with 3rd degree burns all over his a**, and frat was shut down. also, i shudder to think what that may have done to his fertility.</p>
<p>Are there any lists or at least word of mouth once I’d get to Cornell to say ‘oh these frats usually are hard on hazing’? Even if, I’m pretty sure I could handle it, but just like with your major/school at Cornell, you have to have the right ‘fit’ with your house, so I’m pretty sure I’d be able to narrow it down to which I like no matter what the enrollment process is like.</p>
<p>Has anyone not joined a frat because they didn’t like the greek symbol arrangement? :P</p>
<p>Yeah, I’d definitely appreciate a list of houses that have hard hazing. And for the hard hazing houses, is it gonna be as bad as that 71 page dissertation posted above, or what?</p>
<p>if you’re seriously considering joining a house (and if they’re serious about giving you a bid) you’ll know if they haze hard. The house will make sure you get the memo bc they want guys who’ll go with it. All my friends who were pledging in hard hazing houses knew it going in, spent tons of time doing it but are all really glad they did it. Of course there were parts that were awful for them at the time, but even throughout those months they enjoyed lots of it and got seriously bonded with their brothers.</p>
<p>Sorry to add to the questions haha, but do any of the pledging processes involve like ‘competing’ for a spot? Any examples? And how hard is it to basically obtain a bid? I mean, are there other ways besides just showing up to their party every night during the first week? (because how will I know if I like other houses if I’m only spending time at one?)</p>
<p>I guess being a spring transfer helps with a lot of that, most of my friends/acquaintances I know that go/are going will already know the greek scene at least mildly from the fall semester.</p>
<p>most guys go into rush with a general idea of where they are rushing. frats start rushing guys in fall semester (now the ifc has a type of event for rush for the fall, but theres plenty of non official rush stuff too). some guys have even been told theyre getting a bid somewhere before break, but even if they havent they still know about the houses and narrow it down.</p>
<p>I heard that living in a frat (room and board) is often the same or cheaper than living on campus with a meal plan, because they have fundraisers and donations from alumni and whatnot, which I’m sure just get thrown into the keystone fund.</p>
<p>Dues - it’s around 1500/semester if you are not living there. It includes dining, national dues and social dues. But if you live at the house, it could often be cheaper than living on campus. Sorority dues are often less because they can’t have large parties at their house, and they don’t eat at the house when they don’t live at the house.</p>
<p>I am looking to pledge a top tier frat. I like sig phi, psi u, DU, SAE, Delta Chi so far.
Anyone able to tell me which have the best relations with top sororities and how much time is required for each of their pledging. I know not a lot of people outside the house know but if anyone has heard about which are easy and which are hard that would be great.</p>