I’ve been admitted early and I’m on the fence about whether or not I want to attend USC. One of the larger sticking points for me is the greek life, which I’m not sure how I really feel about. Because of that uncertainty, I’m scared to commit myself to a University where I hear Greek is so integral, because who knows, I may hate it.
So with that in mind:
Sell me on Greek Life.
Keep in mind only 20% of undergrads are involved in Greek life, so the overwhelming majority of people aren’t involved. You can still go to USC and not go Greek.
Question: What prejudices or other thoughts do you have about the Greek system at USC or in general, and are you a member of any social groups, including church or sports teams?
One does not need to be in the Greek system at USC to have a fulfilling social life. That said, the benefits of Greek life are membership in a smaller community, mentoring, social networking, leadership and community service opportunities. Oh, and the parties, whether on the row with a professional soundstage and lighting crew, in a rented-out LA nightclub, or by chartered excursion to Vegas, are beyond anything you might imagine.
Greek life at SC is just one of the social options. Members of the NPC and IFC national fraternal organizations number about 17% of the undergraduates. The first national sorority was founded at SC in the late 1800s and is still active on the row.
Greek life is active at Penn, Vanderbilt, Cornell, Northwestern, Duke, Dartmouth, Stanford, Berkeley, Yale, WUSt. Louis, Emory, Carnegie-Mellon, Virginia, Wake Forest, Michigan, UNC, William & Mary, Georgia Tech, Texas and other highly respected universities.
Would you reject attending any of these institutions because there are Greek organizations as an option?