<p>What are the main differances between schools with a fraternity system and ones without?</p>
<p>Advantages, disadvantages?</p>
<p>-Thanks</p>
<p>I'm not sure you could generalize. For instance, Wesleyan's, Chicago's, Columbia's, and Brown's fraternity system is different than the Big Ten's greek organizations.</p>
<p>At large universities, having a group of people to socialize with early on makes for a more intimate school experience. The negative is that sometimes greeks, who belong to the system, do not meet many new people--besides during rush and mixers. It's like a small town, you run into the same people most of the time.</p>
<p>It is not very different than other social organizations, although at most schools you can live in a fraternity house. The same option can be had, if you have a group of friends choose the same dorm--if it is not too big. The show Greek that ran during the summer is somewhat accurate, though some schools have less alcohol flowing and more philanthropy. You have all kinds in a fraternity system, contrary to popular stereotypes.</p>
<p>If you want leadership or philanthropic experience, the fraternity system is very good for that. Each house has a different structure, so there are many possibilities. Often, it is easier to become involved in the Greek system than in the university at large. It is similar to a small dorms council or small college senate, for example.</p>
<p>Greek residential options are often more affordable, even with dues, than other housing.</p>
<p>Those are just a few ideas, hope you can use it.</p>
<p>you want a school where greek life exists but doesn't dominate</p>
<p>it adds flavor</p>
<p>Isleboy is pretty spot on.</p>
<p>Greek life is not for everyone, and a lot depends on the campus. I loved my fraternity experience, and am a HUGE proponent of Greek Life, but I realize had I gone to different schools I would have avoided the Greek system. </p>
<p>It is true that many of the benefits of greek life can be had in other organizations, however a Fraternity or Sorority is the only single entity where ALL those benefits can be found in the same place. Leadership organizations don't provide housing, dorms don't provide consistently close contact to 40-100 some people for 2 to 3 years in a row, service organizations don't provide the social life, going to the bars all the time doesn't give the mentorship and life advice that older members provide. </p>
<p>Certainly agree that the greek system makes college more intimate. I went to a school with roughly 20k undergrads, but only 3000 were Greek. That was a big enough system that there were always new people to meet, but also small enough that you got to see people regularly. Throw in that a couple bars were well known "Greek" establishments and you could count on seeing so and so on Thursday night and what'shisname on Friday and thatgirlwhoalwayswearsashirt on Saturday. At smaller schools, joining the Greek system may limit your social options, but I found at mine, it greatly expanded them...</p>
<p>i don't know if this is still true, or true at every college, but where I went to school, the fraternities and sororities were very exclusive. There were hurt feelings, distinctions of who was in and out (i.e. who got into the "best" fraternities and sororities) and not conducive to community-building, IMHO.</p>