<p>Being an international student, the whole concept of fraternities is quite alien to me. While I was browsing through the UChicago website the other day, I came across the fraternities and sororities page which directed me to the websites of all the fraternities at UChicago. The whole idea of a fraternity seems pretty interesting to me and I would like some more info regarding fraternities in general, fraternities at UChicago and also the specific fraternities at UChicago (other than their own websites).</p>
<p>I would really appreciate it if you could post your opinions/information regarding the said topics or if you could even direct me to a good resource for such information.</p>
<p>i just got back from visiting chicago. there aren't as many frats at chicago than there are at other schools, sororities dont even have houses. because of this only 10 percent of the student body is active in greek life. but word is they throw fantastic parties. PM me if you want details.</p>
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but word is they throw fantastic parties.
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Not true at all.</p>
<p>If you're very good friends with/dating a brother, you can get invited to cocktail parties which sometimes are nice and a lot of fun. Normal frat parties are, well, normal frat parties. Lots of people. Lots of lost coats. Lots of cheap beer and/or cheap punch.</p>
<p>The "fantastic party" will more likely be a dorm party. And they aren't "fantastic," necessarily, as much as lots and lots of fun. Bar Night might be a novelty to some... I love how my Dartmouth friends think they are party animals for drinking on a Wednesday night.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, the frat system here is low-key. They're nice guys, and considerably more mainstream, on average, than one might think. The sorority girls, by and large, are not my type. I think that a sorority girl is a sorority girl is a sorority girl, whether at FSU or Chicago.</p>
<p>Part of the reason I think Chicago's frat system is small is because the undergrad population itself is small (bigger schools tend to have more fraternities as a way of creating more distinguishable social units among a larger mass) and also because of Chicago's house system, which itself is like living in a co-ed fraternity.</p>
<p>The frat parties are alright. I don't have, and never had, any interest in the greek system, but as far as cheap, accessible fun on a Friday or Saturday night, on campus, $5 for a frat party isn't bad. And yes, there are a lot of drunk people acting stupid - (welcome to college!) - it's not like bars, clubs etc. are any different... </p>
<p>As long as you're not expecting a monster state-party scene, which I wouldn't enjoy anyway, then the frats are decent entertainment. Apartment parties are fun, but they run out of drinks very quickly and usually don't have dance floors (the frats get packed). The city is great, but it's expensive. Going to a party every once in a while with friends is a good way to blow off steam during the year.</p>
<p>I am pretty certain that the fraternities at Chicago are not the same as fraternities elsewhere. I know this because my daughter occasionally goes to fraternity parties at Chicago, and she wouldn't be caught dead at one elsewhwere.</p>
<p>One of my cousins -- now in her late 20s -- joined a sorority when she was at Chicago. She certainly wasn't what I think of as a typical sorority girl: the daughter of academics from a small Minnesota town, very involved in electoral politics as a liberal Democrat, flirted for a while with trying to make it as a country singer. She felt isolated in her second year, and thought the sorority gave her a groups of close friends and a sense of community. My daughter hasn't felt any lack of friends or community without a sorority, though.</p>
<p>I kind of hated the concept of frats/sororities when I got to uc, which is why its a good thing that their presence is minimal. But mostly I just dislike the idea of greek life because it asks, at most schools, that members stick to their frats/sororities for social life, and at uchicago in general all the people are so great that it seems sad that some people get tied off to only be with a few others. But thankfully it isnt really like that here, and once I became friends with a few brothers, I found it a great extended social circle. The private parties are fun, and the bigger parties are cheap amusement on weekends. And its definately a whole lot saner on this campus than anywhere else.</p>
<p>One thing I didn't realize until I got to college was that parties get woefully boring. If you have friends at party schools, go visit them some time and get your party on. Then think if you did that four times a week. It's just like the food in Cobb Coffee Shop; amazing the first 8 times, and then after that it's dreadful.</p>