Greek Life for an International Student

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>The admission decisions are released today and depending on whether I come in, I think it's highly probable that I will be choosing to attend UIUC this fall.</p>

<p>I am quite excited about it, but as I'm from Norway, there is also a lot to take in as I'm not very familiar with how things work, especially greek life which seems to be a big part of UIUC. Norwegian culture is quite like American culture, I guess, but at the same time it's also very different. We do however have something similar to fraternities during high school, so even though I'll be doing an engineering major, I would want to join a 'social' or partying fraternity. Bear in mind though, I'm going to the US to get an education and will prioritize this (doesn't mean I can't go out :)).</p>

<p>Anyway, hope the post is not a mess, I basically just want to know as much as possible about how things work and if possible, from an international perspective. Pleding, rushing a fraternity, bids and 'Hell Week', I've read about it, but I don't really know how it works yet.</p>

<p>If you have links to any good artivcles too, I would appreciate it! I've tried searching some already.</p>

<p>Cheers,
Anton</p>

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<p>[Getting</a> in, and what happens afterward: Sororities and fraternities, Pt. 2 | Online Gargoyle](<a href=“http://www.uni.illinois.edu/og/features/2008/02/getting-and-what-happens-afterwar]Getting”>http://www.uni.illinois.edu/og/features/2008/02/getting-and-what-happens-afterwar)</p>

3

<p>Thanks, that definitely helped!</p>

<p>If I would not be joining a fraternity, would there be a major difference in my college experience? Are there still parties and social events, etc.?</p>

4

<p>As an alum of U of I, I had a great experience in the Greek system. It’s not for everyone though. It can and often is exclusive, depending on the house. If you’re interested, you can PM me, and I’d be happy to tell you about my fraternity, which has recolonized at the school.</p>