As a rising senior in high school, I’ve been wondering how the party scene is at college as I enter the college application process. Because of the media as well as movies, I’ve always associated college parties with large frat dudes getting super drunk. I’ve also associated fraternities with really dangeorus smoking and drinking habits, sometimes humiliating initiation rituals, and just really harsh, in-you-face vibes.
Can any college student tell me if my perceptions on college parties and frats are true? I’ve heard of academic fraternities as well, so I know that my perception can’t be totally correct.
The answer is going to vary wildly by school. Large school vs. LAC etc… My son goes to an in-state public. He went to his share of frat parties, got a bid to pledge, which he turned down because he just wasn’t that into it. He spend just as many nights hanging in a dorm room with his friends playing PS4 as he did at frat parties. There were also parties thrown by the sports teams. Frat parties weren’t the only option and weren’t any more rowdy than others. Someone from Penn State or U of AL is probably going to tell a different story.
This will vary from one campus to another, and from one chapter to another on the same campus. Unfortunately, some do fit those stereotypes (and others such as racial segregation), but some others do not.
My D is at a LAC with no greek life and there are some pretty hard partiers. I think any time you get that many 18-22 year olds together away from home you will have parties. Its really up to you if you want to participate or not.
Associated with less drinking:
Historically black college
Women’s college
Two year college
Commuter students
Larger college
College in south or west region
Black and Asian students
Associated with more drinking:
Fraternities and sororities
Athletes
Four year college
Residential students (especially those living in fraternities and sororities)
Smaller college
College in northeast or north central region
White and Native American students
There are academic fraternities (you get admitted by GPA) and social fraternities (the ones you see in films). Academic fraternities are the college version of NHS.
Basically, you don’t need frats to have parties on campus.
Residential fraternities tend to be worse in terms of behavior, costs, and segregation.
At some universities, fraternities reflect the overall vibe (ie., Beloit) and don’t match the stereotype.
Some.universities do a better job monitoring fraternities than others.
Some chapters are worse than others.
Some universities have “fraternities report cards”.
If you do not want heavy partying, you can choose a college with no Greek life (such as Grinnell or St Olaf) or a “substance-free/healthy living” housing option.
Parties, alcohol use and drug use are all choices, Greek life or.not. Even if they are happening at the school you end up attending, you don’t have to engage in these activities if you don’t want to.
This will vary based on the college. My school is a big public school. The majority of students aren’t in Greek life but a sizable amount are. 18% of 30k undergrads in social Greek life (stereotypical fraternities and sororities) is a lot of people. Like an above poster said, fraternities with houses will be much worse than unhoused ones in the stuff that you see in movies but they are also more fun. You’ll always find jerks no matter what group you’re in so I wouldn’t worry too much about that. But the partying and alcohol abuse is a real part of being in a fraternity and if you’re not comfortable with that then it prob isn’t your scene. I’d be happy to PM about my experience in it if you’re curious
It will vary a lot from school to school. What you do and the friends you make are your choices. Do remember that the primary purpose of college is to learn. You can still have fun but “moderation” is the key word.
It entirely depends on the school and chapters. Academic fraternities operate differently than social fraternities. The dues they collect are typically very minor and the events they have are infrequent and informal.
The best thing you can do is talk to current students and recent graduates at schools you’re interested in. They will know better than anyone about the social scenes.