<p>What are fraternaties and sororities like at MIT? Are they demanding of time or do they take into account the workload of MIT students, UROP opportunities, etc.? How do they blend with the unique educational opportunity MIT offers?</p>
<p>Let's try this one more time. Any current MIT students have an opinion to share?</p>
<p>Everyone should be back from spring break tonight, so maybe you'll get more responses soon. One reason my son didn't want to pledge a fraternity is distance. Apparently the fraternity/sorority houses are across the river and quite a treck from campus. From his dorm he can get from his room to class in about 5 minutes - nice if it's raining or really cold, plus he can sleep a little longer. (Most dorms are further away however.) Also, he really likes the people on his floor and is happy living with them.</p>
<p>They are radically different. The frat scene is very strong, the sorority scene rather quiet. Sure, they take up time - what activity doesn't? But they don't prevent you from joining other clubs or doing UROPs if you want to. Most frats/sororities actually only help you, with regards to the connections you develop within them.</p>
<p>As mentioned above, distance is a large factor - no one really enjoys walking across the bridge in the winter. But that's what SafeRide's there for (and some houses also have vans they drive to and from campus). However, many frats don't require you live in the house, and three of the five sororities don't even have a house. Plus, PBE, for example, is right on campus, along dorm row.</p>
<p>And what exactly do you mean by "unique educational opportunities"? I mean, they don't prevent you from going to classes or labs or anything...</p>
<p>Google "MIT Fraternities"
Check out the Articles.
This is a link to a Report called Project Aurora on Fraternities and Independent Living Groups at MIT.</p>
<p><a href="http://web.mit.edu/dsl/aurora/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://web.mit.edu/dsl/aurora/index.html</a></p>
<p>Thank you for the responses. The study provided by richs73cas helps get a feel for the relationship between MIT and the FSILGs.</p>
<p>mmm. as a general note, MIT studies should usually be taken with a few grains of salt, at least, and more if you don't actually have a bit of grounding in the real situation and the politics that may or may not've surrounded the writing of said report, whether it's student-done or from the administration or both. any report on housing in the last 10 years falls under this category, unfortunately. looking at contemporary Tech articles can sometimes be a semi-decent remedy to figure out what actually is going on, tho they're also sometimes rather misinformed.</p>
<p>i'm a little surprised at the lack of actual current undergrad greek response. but then, i've been surprised at the lack of current undergrads posting on this board as a whole. i have limited contact with the greek community, but from what i can tell:
yes, the fraternities/IFC are rather different from the sororities/Panhel. the individual societies differ quite a bit in their personalities and priorities, but do appear to be close-knit, at least (frats moreso than sororities, being smaller) like any organization run for and by students, they don't interfere unduly with the MIT experience, though they often lend a different flavor to that experience.</p>
<p>Parental unit--</p>
<p>My son (a soph) was the last person on earth I'd thought would join a frat but he did at MIT. They're a little different. Some of the guys in his frat seem like the frat-type, and there are some parties, but there isn't pressure to drink--my son is a health Nazi and won't drink. He gripes sometimes about the frat meetings, clean-ups, community service. But on the whole it's been good for this stay-in-your-room-type kid. He's got a community. I am sure that the feeling of community can be great in a dorm, also. So my advice is: don't freak out if your kid does or doesn't want to join.</p>
<p>Incidentally, a couple of the frats (like my son's) are right on campus.</p>