Frats

<p>Hi! I recently got accepted to Duke, and I just have a question for there who happens to see this board:
How encompassing are frats at Duke? Did you personally feel forced into joining/rushing a frat?
Are the frats as party-heavy as they are at other schools of similar caliber to Duke (if you know)?
Thanks for your help</p>

<p>I’m in the same position as you, so I’d like to add another question to the person who answers this. Do frats control the party scene? I.e. Would my ability to party on weekends be limited if I didn’t join a frat?</p>

<p>great questions guys. Actually, only 23% of males on campus end up joining fraternities on campus. It’s a respectable percentage of students, but NOT the majority. Many freshmen end up not rushing fraternities. Duke also operates on a deferred rush basis meaning that you won’t have to rush at the start of the school year. You can get a feel for things and then rush after winter break if you feel like you want to do so. Fraternities definitely throw parties on campus and most of them are open for the whole student body to attend. Duke’s social scene is definitely diverse. We also have organizations called Selective Living Groups (SLG’s).These organizations are made up of people that all share common interests. You’d rush an SLG in the same way that you’d rush a frat/sorority, so you don’t have to feel pressured in that way either. Most of them are co-educational and can sometimes be similar to fraternities in the sense of brotherhood/sisterhood that they foster. SLG’s throw just as many parties on campus, and don’t forget about the parties that are just thrown on individual occasions by the broader student body.</p>

<p>basically… whether you’re greek or not, we all like to study hard and party hard(er).</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply! Your response put my mind at ease a bit–I’m almost sure I’m going to commit to Duke now</p>

<p>@westcoaststress,</p>

<p>that’s legit! Welcome to Duke.</p>