http://college.usatoday.com/2012/05/08/examining-the-benefits-of-greek-life/
"Since 1825, all but three U.S. presidents have been members of a fraternity.
85% of Fortune 500 executives were part of Greek life. The first female astronaut was Greek. So was the first female senator. And college graduation rates are 20% higher among Greeks than non-Greeks.
Which begs an obvious question: Does being in a fraternity or sorority increase your chance for success?"
My son joined a fraternity at Lehigh. His fraternity brothers helped him find research positions. They helped him write his resume. While living in the fraternity house he was on the Dean’s list both semesters. He was able to have leadership experience in the fraternity. A fellow brother told him about a internship program, they showed up together, the only two students for the internship interviews, in suits and ties! They both had offers from multiple teams within this Fortune 500 company. Both were offered jobs by September of their senior year by the firm. My son and the other fraternity brother are still working for the company.
I can not thank my son’s fraternity enough for friendship, support and guidance they gave and continue to give to my son.
Here are some excerpts from an article in Inside Higher Ed that I think many of you will find interesting.
Beer Me, Esteemed Colleague by Nate Kreuter
How being in grad school is like being in a frat. Nov 20, 2013
I wasnt a frat guy in college. I was pretty much the opposite of a frat guy. But as Ive slowly come to understand more about my own discipline, and the workings of academic life in general, Ive come to believe that most of our professional communities operate pretty much the same way that frats do.
The social forces that influence, at least in part, how disciplinary communities operate dictate that sometimes those with talent and merit and those who actually succeed are not necessarily the same groups. In order to succeed within your discipline, you must not only be a competent expert, but youre going to have to play the gamethe networking, socializing, back-scratching game.
What is less obvious is that the person who only works, and works diligently and intelligently, but to the exclusion of the social realities of disciplinary life, is also more likely to fail than otherwise. Or, perhaps, likely to meet with less success than otherwise deserved.
People at the top of the academic professions are frequently not only brilliant, hard-working researchers and teachers, but theyre also extremely well networked, entirely plugged into the social and intellectual fabric of their research communities. They are especially good navigators of the social sides of their disciplines, and at some level recognize that hard work alone is not enough to ensure professional success within our line of work.
Well written and timeless observations!