<p>Hey guys, I just graduated from NU last year but as a former sorority rush chair I'd like to offer myself to answer any questions you might have about rushing or about greek life on campus. Feel free to PM me or ask here if you want. All my guy friends were very involved in their frats too so I can answer questions for guys as well. I know the greek presence can be overwhelming at first so if you want answers I can help.</p>
<p>Does housing/food cost more than dorms?</p>
<p>Also, I know this is a cliche question, but greek life can be a big distraction to studying right?</p>
<p>Are there any academic benefits to joining a frat/sorority?</p>
<p>I am just confused on how the whole rush process works at NU, considering that it doesn’t happen until the week we come back from winter break. Could you give a time outline of important dates/sign up times for this fall/winter?</p>
<ol>
<li>Greek life is cheaper than dorms. Some houses are cheapre than apartments.</li>
<li>Greek GPA is higher than all campus, but thats misleading. It can be a distraction if you let it. So can any other major commitment on campus. Greek life is no worse than Theater in that regard.</li>
<li>No real academic benefits, no. (I’m an academics coordinator for my house, I know).</li>
</ol>
<p>4.I will cover men’s rush:</p>
<p>Starting from the third sunday, all the fraternities will be open and serve dinners inviting freshman to come and check them out and meet brothers. In reality they’ll already be meeting you and rushing you, but this is the official beginning. You’ll also start getting invited to floor parties (private, drinking events) and dance parties (registered with the police, nominally dry (but not really if you know brothers). This continues through fall.</p>
<p>The first week of winter quarter, you come back and its rush week. There is a dinner and then an event every night at every fraternity. Bids can be given out freely at this time. Voila. Rush.</p>
<p>I’ll let someone else cover women’s recruitment, but its a lot more formal and its the same on every campus in the country.</p>
<p>See I disagree with you, arbiter, I think being in a sorority had HUGE academic benefits. It was not a distraction at all- in fact, I don’t think I would have done half well if I didn’t have the rest of my sorority keeping me on track, reminding me of things to do, revising my papers, etc. Living in the house with so much support as I bounced around majors really really helped me and eventually I ended up in the #1 public health program in the country for grad school doing something I really love. So yeah, you’re not getting all you can out of your house if you think there are no academic benefits. </p>
<p>For girls recruitment sign up is usually sometime in october- there is an event called recruitment kickoff when registration opens and you get to attend an info session so that should be pretty well publicized. In November there is recruitment preview round where you all get to go through all the houses and meet the girls, and we get to meet you (I definitely recommend attending this round). In January once we all get back from winter break sorority recruitment starts (a few days after frat recruitment starts). There are 4 sets- set 1, set 2, informals, and pref night. At the end of each round (set 1 lasts 2 days because you go to all 12 houses) you choose which houses youd like to go back to and houses decide if they want to invite you back. Set 2 you go back to a max of 9 houses, set 3 max of 6, and pref night a max of 3. After pref night you choose which house you want to be in, and the houses make their bid lists. Usually youll get your first or second choice because youll kind of know if a house wants you and its a good fit or not.</p>
<p>As I said, I AM the academics coordinator. I’m more inclined to suggest that sororities may have academic benefits, but fraternities don’t. And at the risk of revealing who I am to an inquiring mind, my fraternity had the highest GPA of any greek organization. </p>
<p>People who lack focus in my chapter have reminders and help, but they tend not to be helped out. We take classes together, share notes, edit papers, and help keep eachother on task. But for most people in my house, if they’re struggling, the fraternity has nothing to offer- i.e. they don’t want the help.</p>
<p>Do most people who go through rush end up with a bid, or is it really competitive? Also what is the Freshman freeze for Greek Life? Any other hints and tips for getting into a good house?</p>
<p>All the houses are good. Don’t go in with that mind set. Look for the house that is good for YOU.</p>
<p>Freshman freeze means no freshman are allowed inside any greek house for the first 3 weeks. of the fall.</p>
<p>And most people will end up with a bid if they’re smart about it. For guys that means shopping around, for girls it means not only preffing three houses and considering the rest beneath you.</p>
<p>To get into a good house: if youre a guy, make friends with guys in the house you want to be in. They are looking to rush freshman, make yourself available to them and its pretty easy to get a bid as long as you fit into the house. if youre a girl, well, if you have a good personality you should be fine during rush. of course looks and clothes and who your friends are matter a little, but its not the be all end all. i know that sounds superficial and horrible but thats…sorority rush. you should still do it, once you get past the creepiness its beyond worth it.</p>
<p>also no one listens to freshman freeze, you can go to the houses and talk to the older kids regardless. and you should.</p>
<p>Actually, thewayitis underestimates the whole looks and clothes and friends - it matters A LOT! Girls spend days getting their hair done, putting outfits together, etc. I do agree with her statement, “superficial and horrible.” Very 1950’s as far as I’m concerned, but to each their own.</p>
<p>My house really does honor freeze (to our detriment, we’re the only ones). But if someone in a fraternity invites you to hang out off campus, you are being rushed! Congrats. Go if you want to join or think you might. And humor htem if you’re “certain you don’t want to join a house”</p>
<p>Yeah arbs, way to be noble.</p>
<p>Freeze usually gets broken seriously week 2. </p>
<p>Anyways, upperclassman guys will be more friendly than normal fall quarter so take advantage to get to know as many chapters as possible. Find one(s) you like s guys have much more control of where they go than the girls do.I don’t know how the chicks do it.</p>
<p>Be friendly and yourself and you are good to go. Focus in on 2-3 that you like at the end – and the fraternities you dont like appreciate your honesty if you really just aren’t interested. They’ll focus their attention on the people that are.</p>
<p>For sororities, how helpful are rec letters and legacies?</p>
<p>what does “freeze” and “rush” mean?</p>
<p>"Actually, thewayitis underestimates the whole looks and clothes and friends - it matters A LOT! Girls spend days getting their hair done, putting outfits together, etc. "</p>
<p>Interesting. A huge amount of the sorority girls I’ve talked to - recruitment counselors as well as just normal sisters from a number of houses - have emphasized that this is NOT how things work here. It’s not the Southern sororities. Of course looking nice and making a good impression is important, but there are 12 houses with 12 different personalities, and all sorts of people in those houses. Why stress and dress up and pretend you’re someone you’re not just to get into a house that might not fit you? It sounds like this PoV might be biased toward a certain type of house, which is fine, but just not indicative of all of them.</p>
<p>From what I’ve seen, recruitment - and Greek life in general - is what you make it. If you want to shoot for a single house, then fine. But if I’m going to end up living with a bunch of girls who get to see me first thing in the morning or during super stressful midterm weeks, I’d rather go as I am and respect that the process is developed to put girls in houses they like and that like them.</p>
<p>I’m a parent of a freshman. He had no interest in fraternity life, but he has been asked to come for dinner several times at one of the houses and invited to an off-campus event. I guess from what you’re describing, this is part of the informal rush. He is only interested in this one house. Before he gets really involved in this process, how do we find out what the financial costs associated with membership are? If it’s too expensive for us, I’d like to let him know now, so that he’s not disappointed by his parents in a couple of months. I think he’d just be too embarrassed to ask flat-out, he would think that it’s a “dorky” question, for lack of a better term.</p>
<p>Is there a general guideline for what fraternity membership for a freshman costs?</p>
<p>Asking for costs directly is not dorky- it shows direct interest and is used as a flag of real interest. Not only should he ask directly for practical reasons like not being disappointed (and the house not being disappointed!), it would work in his favor towards getting accepted.</p>
<p>Wow, arbiter, thanks for your quick response. I never would have anticipated that asking about costs would be expected! 
I will convey this to my kiddo. But, can you give me some sort of idea what the range might be? I promise I won’t hold you to it!</p>
<p>At the cheapest, you’re looking at about $500 per quarter for a fraternity. Sororities can be twice as expensive. You probably need a meal plan on top of dues, but you can reduce your university meal plan so you break even or even save a few bucks.</p>
<p>As a member of a fraternity- and I have no idea which one your son is rushing- I can tell you that becoming part of my fraternity and the greek community as a whole has been the most rewarding and valuable part of my undergraduate experience. Your son would gain great friends, a community of brothers who support him unconditionally, and amazing leadership opportunities. If it’s within your budget, I would strongly encourage you to allow your son to rush whichever fraternity he’s interested in.</p>
<p>I also agree with arbiter that asking about dues can only help your son with rush.</p>