<p>Do you have to be in a Fraternity to have a good social life??</p>
<p>Absolutely not!!!</p>
<p>Nah. You can also be in a sorority. </p>
<p>:p</p>
<p>Haha I’m a boy!</p>
<p>Honest answer? Depends on what you mean by social life.</p>
<p>If you are a drinker/partier, and not part of a subscene (theatre/film, asian, athletics, pwild/sailing, etc.), then greek life is a great option. Certainly its not necessary. But there are not tons of open house parties at NU that aren’t greek-related. Most of your partying freshman year will be on/off campus fraternity parties, and to be honest, the only game in town outside of the groups i already mentioned are fraternities.</p>
<p>But fraternities offer much much more than just parties, and I didn’t join it for the social scene. Chances are you will find a group of people you like if thats your jam. Many in my fraternity dont drink at all, and many are part of many different scenes.</p>
<p>If your definition of social life is staying up til 4am sober with close friends watching movies or playing settlers of catan, there is tons of that too. NU is relatively diverse when it comes to its party culture.</p>
<p>One of the most important aspects of my time at NU was my joining my fraternity, and I am in no way a heavy partier. I also haven’t been looking for girls at all (been with my girlfriend since we started dating here 1st week of school). </p>
<p>They are not necessary, but they can be very very beneficial. Also, don’t assume you know anything about what greek life is like. Get to campus, check it out, then decide you know about it.</p>
<p>My daughter went to NU knowing that she would NEVER join a sorority…and then, of course, she pledged in February (or January, or whenever that was). She is not preppy at all, but she had met a lot of upper-classmen/women from her various EC activities who are active in Greek life, and she changed her mind. She really likes the people in her sorority, and she likes the fact that community service is a large part of what they do. I guess what I’m trying to say is that one should be open-minded about Greek life. It isn’t for everyone, and fewer than half the students are involved, but the people who are seem to be very passionate about it.</p>
<p>Yes. This helped me a lot. Look for ones with a lot of members.
[Greek</a> Recruitment Guide 2009 » North by Northwestern](<a href=“http://www.northbynorthwestern.com/2009/01/15443/greek-2009/]Greek”>http://www.northbynorthwestern.com/2009/01/15443/greek-2009/)</p>
<p>I’d be hesitant to endorse averby’s link. Its kind of outdated, 3 years makes a difference</p>
<p>is it hard/competitive to earn a sorority bid? i’m so used to hearing about the cutthroat southern greek life. but northwestern greek life aounds like the complete opposite : )</p>
<p>The way sorority rush works, every single night of rush you rank your top houses and houses rank their top girls, and you see less and less houses every night depending on those preferences, until you have 3 on the last night (that is a combination of who you like and whose lists you were on). </p>
<p>Some girls dont like some of their final 3, and so they just decide to go for one house – these are the only people that dont get matched to houses – if that one they went for doesn’t want them. Otherwise, everyone gets a house, although you might not be 100% happy with it (although most people are pretty happy).</p>
<p>thanks! that sounds nice : D</p>
<p>I just wanted to add that it <em>is</em> possible to be “cut” from recruitment before the final day. I don’t think it happens very often, due to the nature of the selection process, but it does happen. Going through rush doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed to be placed into a chapter – however, as long as you maximize your options and keep your mind open, you probably will be.</p>
<p>@saints2009</p>
<p>If what I’ve seen and heard are or any indication, NU students DESPISE UChicago students. I think it’s unlikely, especially in a frat party (which are selective even if you are an NU student not in that frat), that you will get in. Should’ve chosen the better school! :P</p>
<p>Also, who rides on the El an hour up and an hour back (at god knows what time) just to go to a fraternity party? UChicago is hardly in the “heart” of the city any more than Evanston…</p>
<p>I’m sure they do!</p>
<p>Haha. Maybe wait until you actually start college to decide that! :P</p>
<p>good joke saints. if you think uchicago is better, please stay there. oh and i highly doubt you’ll be let into an NU party.</p>
<p>i think the day a Northwestern student gets jealous of a U of C student is the day hell freezes over haha</p>
<p>Frankly, I don’t think NU students generally think much about UoC, other than to think “Whew, glad I don’t go to a school were fun goes to die.” </p>
<p>(Yes, this is a gross generalization and the reality isn’t as bad, but that’s the common perception for better or worse.)</p>
<hr>
<p>As for having a social life - no, one doesn’t have to join a fraternity/sorority to have a social life (the amount of partying that I and my friends did didn’t change much at all before we joined fraternities; not everyone did).</p>
<p>Tho it helps to become friends your frosh year with people who are “more social.”</p>