Hi everyone, I will be a freshman in the fall and am looking to join a sorority in the spring, since they just changed to spring recruitment.
I know Greek life isn’t huge at GW, but my main concern is in regards to recruitment - specifically, is it very competitive? I will be attending some of the “get to know the Greeks” sessions, but Greek life is quite competitive where I live, and often superficial, and I would like to join an organization where the girls are less so, if that makes sense.
Thanks!
Well, I’m a guy but I’ll attempt to answer this since I’m a student at George Washington and know many other students in the fraternity and sorority system. Now, there are certainly some haters on campus who completely turned off by the greek lifestyle claiming that it’s a shallow, oversexed and hedonistic lifestyle. Honestly, though, the students I’ve met in the greek life system at George Washington are some of the most down to earth and normal students I’ve ever met. There’s a stigma that all students do in Greek Life is drink… but here’s the thing college students would do that even if they didn’t have a fraternity system and by establishing a Greek life system we’re actually making a safe space for students to mingle and have fun. At George Washington, you’ll find a fair share of fraternity brothers and sorority sisters who are just as ambitious as any other student. I know plenty of students in fraternities and sororities who kept up their grades, were selected for top internships and jobs and went on to top 10 graduate schools. Usually, after sophomore year, everyone gets tired of going to Greek parties since everyone’s old enough to go to bars and also because people just move on and start doing their own thing as they closer to graduation. But yeah I would definitely say the sorority system at George Washington is a great opportunity to establish communion with other female students at George Washington make lasting connections that enrich your life and perhaps become opportunistic later on in your career. You don’t necessarily have to drink a lot either; I have friends who are in sororities at UVA, for example, and actually study a lot and don’t drink that much. Overall, I wouldn’t say sorority life at George Washington is competitive in a cutthroat in a pretentious, snobby or cutthroat way. I will say George Washington is an expensive university and students definitely like to indulge in the affluent DC lifestyle.
That’s so refreshing to hear, definitely took some nerves off! Thank you! I was hoping recruitment and Greek life in general would be more focused on community and shared values. It’s definitely a little more cutthroat in the south! I also noticed your username, if you’re vegan too that’s awesome.
When I first read your post, I assumed you were from the South. Greek life in the South is absolutely insane. I am not involved in social Greek life, but it comprises 30% of GW, so you definitely notice it’s there, but it’s not an overwhelming presence. I feel like you definitely see some stereotypical Greek life people around campus, but you also see a lot that are down-to-earth Greek life members that don’t meet those stereotypes.
@liveyourlife26 is right. And while it’s 30% of campus, a good portion of Greek life are non-traditional type frats/sororities, as in community service, honors, or study/interest-based. I didn’t find it over-powering at all, and most Greeks I met were very normal. The two or three “typical” Greek groups, however… lol
I do live in the South, and some schools have informal Greek events for incoming freshmen/PNMs as early as in the spring…it’s insane!