<p>Hi, I'm a future Out-Of-State Nittany Lion that has not even so much as visited the campus. I'm attending for various reasons, but mostly because its an academically revered school and because it's a large, public university with lots of resources, clubs, activities, and people. I'm very interested in pledging a fraternity, I have many friends who went Greek and I know many people who are in Fraternities and Sororities who solemnly believe that their college experience was accentuated due to their going Greek. However, I know nothing of the frats/sororities in Pennsylvania let alone Penn State. Does anybody have any incredibly harsh hazing stories that were recent? If so, which fraternity? Are there certain reputations various fraternities have such as the kinds of guys in them (whether they are preppy or laid-back). I understand there are a large amount of different frats at PSU, but I was hoping for just some insight on a couple of the fraternities at a personal account.</p>
<p>Firstly, the frats do vary greatly. Some frats are mostly meatheads, others are rich snobby kids (I’m thinking mostly of SAE here) others are mostly laid-back potsmoking types, there are several Jewish fraternities such as AEPI, etc. It’s tough to give a model of what the ‘typical’ PSU frat guy is like since there is so much variety within the Greek system.</p>
<p>There are several fraternities that are considered to be “top-tier” and it is those fraternities that hold their mixers with the hottest sororities. Off the top of my head, here some of the “top-tier” frats and the assorted stereotypes.</p>
<p>Pi Kappa Phi - DRUGS! I would be surprised if any house on fraternity row is home to more drug use than Pi Kapp. Every Pi Kapp I’ve known has been a heavy potsmoker and, at the very least, an occasional coke user.</p>
<p>Sigma Alpha Epsilon - Rich, snobby kids. These guys are as close to being villains from 80’s college movies as it gets. Lots of kids from extremely wealthy suburban areas. Everyone I knew in this frat was from Upper St. Claire, one of the wealthiest suburbs of Pittsburgh</p>
<p>Beta - I’m not sure what the full name of this frat is since everyone just calls it “Beta”. I can’t stereotype this one very well because I haven’t known a ton of Betas. I do know that they hold mixers with some of the top sororities though and that they are one of the few frats to have year-long pledging as opposed to one semester.</p>
<p>Sigma Epsilon Mu - Mostly Jewish kids, but not exclusively. Basically a predominantly Jewish version of Pi Kapp, but with less extreme drug use.</p>
<p>One warning I would give to anyone considering PSU Greek life is that the hazing process at many of the “top-tier” fraternities is EXTREME. Here are a list of things that friends of mine were forced to do during the hazing process.</p>
<p>All of these stories were told to me firsthand by friends who were pledging:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Having to eat a stick of butter that has been completely covered with Skoal original flavor dipping tobacco. They called this “The chocolate bar”</p></li>
<li><p>Having to hold out your fist and have a massive mound of shaving cream placed on it to look like a large soft-serve ice-cream cone. Then that mound of shaving cream is covered in Skoal original flavor dipping tobacco and you have to eat the entire thing. They called this “The ice-cream cone”</p></li>
<li><p>Having to stand in ankle-deep ice water in a freezing basement in the middle of winter with the windows and doors open wearing only your underwear. This continues until all pledges correctly answer trivia about the fraternity.</p></li>
<li><p>One of my friends was forced to drink an entire 750ml bottle of 80-proof liquor in one hour. He was hospitalized afterward. In the hospital he blew a 0.32 breathalyzer.</p></li>
<li><p>All the pledges forced to sit for 48hrs in a small box outline by chalk. There is not enough room in this box for the pledges to lie down. They ahd to sit or stand. One-by-one they were taken out, hazed individually, then forced to return to the box. Death metal was blaring at them the entire time from speakers located only a foot or two away. At more than one point, fraternity brothers came in and peed on them as they sat there.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I could go on, but I’ll stop there for now.</p>
<p>Fraternity parties themselves are really all the same. Dark rooms packed with FAR more people than they should be able to accommodate, dancing to horrible music (When soulja boy came out my sophomore year, you heard “crank that” at least 3x per party). Regardless of outside temperatures, inside the party it will be 105degrees and humid. The music will be too loud to hold a conversation. The floor will be slick with spilled beer and what you will hope is not bodily fluids. Girls in heels will repeatedly fall on the slick floor, which can be funny unless you’re the person they spill their drink on as they’re going down. There will be at least one fight or attempted fight per party</p>
<p>Haha I copied and pasted that from another thread, then I just realized that you’re the one who I had been answering in that other thread as well. So nevermind I guess. You’ve heard all of the above before</p>
<p>Haha yeah it’s fine. I read your post on the last forum and found it incredibly helpful. I was really hoping that maybe you had any more information? I’m pretty much just trying to take as much as I can get. I’d really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Just throwing this out there…don’t you guys “rate” the highest tier sororities by how hot and how easy the girls are? And these characteristics make those girls the b***** too. </p>
<p>So the nicest, sweetest girls (ones who make the best girlfriend material)…and who are not “easy” you rate in the lower tier?</p>
<p>So actually the lower tier are where I’d want my daughter to be! Someone who has pride in herself and feels good enough about who she is and chooses to be with a guy because she actually cares for him and wants to be good to him and visa versa. And BTW my daughter is considered to be beautiful and outgoing by everyone (not just me).</p>
<p>I hate the whole idea of “top tiers” because it really should be called what it is from top tier down: </p>
<p>Nasty, arrogant, mean girls who belittle others and constantly worry if they are pretty enough, skinny enough, “popular” enough which of course means how many guys they sleep with.</p>
<p>Nice, friendly girls who are concerned with much more than who is skinniest and who has the shiniest hair and the most expensive clothes. True blue friends.</p>
<p>questbest…</p>
<p>I’m not exactly sure who you are referring to when you say “You Guys”. Also, what are these “top tier” ratings you are talking about?</p>
<p>Please elaborate…</p>
<p>It is my understanding that “top tier” sororities are essentially rated by frat boys in the order of “hot and available” girls down to “least attractive and least available.”</p>
<p>In essence the tiers are a rating given by the fraternities about the sororities.</p>
<p>My issue with this “system” is that the really down to earth, nice girls who do not want to be associated with the “high tier” sororities that attract superficial types concerned with looks, weight, and hooking up get looked down upon as being in lower tiers.</p>
<p>So…what your saying is they wouldn’t want to be involved in an organization that does such things…?</p>
<p>Just to be clear, I wasn’t making any comments concerning sororities or their rankings. Also…I’m assuming she means that the “top-tier” fraternities receive the “top-tier” ranking because they only mix with the hottest sororities. And perhaps questbest is baffled by the fact that that is how FRATERNITIES are ranked. However, I can’t say for sure, i’m pretty confused. Also, does anybody else have any insight about the frat life at PSU? I wouldn’t be able to thank you enough.</p>
<p>there are quite a number of people at PSU who do not get involved in greek life for the reasons mentioned in this thread…</p>
<p>questbest is venting (as she should as a parent) but, honestly, when one goes in to a large public university with very strong greek life, this is the story…</p>
<p>fwiw, I only know one girl at PSU who continued with the rushing process in the last three years…all the rest are unaffiliated and are having an amazing college experience; all are EXTREMELY happy…</p>
<p>so, to the OP, I know you are a guy…but you don’t have to deal with this if you don’t want to; there are plenty of people there who don’t</p>
<p>Yeah I know there are many pros and cons of certain things such as this. I was just hoping for some insight so I can make a decision. Based on IH8PSU’s observations, the greek life doesn’t seem too enticing, and I don’t know anybody at Penn State to get any other opinions. I was hoping for just some general understanding of what I would be getting myself into if I decided to rush. What is the process like? Do I need letters of recommendation? And just general questions like that. If there is another sight that would better fit my needs, can anybody link it for me? I’d appreciate it so much.</p>
<p>Some of your questions might be answered here–
[Student</a> Affairs @ Penn State | Fraternity & Sorority Life](<a href=“http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/hub/greeks/]Student”>Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life | Penn State Student Affairs)</p>
<p>Personally, no one in my family (self, husband, sib, kids) has been involved in Greek life, but I’m sure many members find it a good way to find their place at PSU. Wouldn’t it be possible to rush as a way to decide if it is something you want consider?</p>
<p>So does anyone know anything about Penn State sororities?</p>
<p>Is it this bad for sororities??? I was encouraging my daughter pledge, she is a legacy however not so sure after reading some of these comments. I had a great time,in my sorority but I went to a small private college - perhaps the experience is different at a larger school.</p>