I had a nice visit at Colgate and really loved the campus. I am not a fan of frats and wondering how important it is to be part of Greek life. I want to have a social life but just not interested in a frat. Any input?
There is more to Colgate than greek life. You can have a great experience there without joining a frat.
As a freshman you will find out about what you do and do not want to spend your time and effort doing. And this extends beyond your academic workload to your extracurricular life. And now that the 4 residential commons are in place for all freshmen and sophomores there is a formalized structure in place around the people, programs and faciltiies themselves. Each commons is dedicated to achieving the right work/play balance for their members. I hope that this was clarified for you during your campus tour!
http://www.colgate.edu/campus-life/housing-options/residential-commons
That said, there are 5 fraternities and 3 sororities for 2900 students. Not such a big deal and you can certainly “dip in and out” as you see fit.
Good luck with your college search!
Go 'gate!
As the mother of a daughter who transferred out of Colgate after her second year, our experience was that Greek life was a bigger deal (especially for men) than the tour and information session, or the low number of frats and sororities would imply. My daughter was in a sorority, and enjoyed that part of her experience, although she found the fraternity influence on campus almost too big … see what you can find out about “Fraturdays” and it will make more sense. The bigger problem is the “underground” sorority and fraternity, which are able to dominate the social scene without being recognized by the university. Those tapped for membership in those organizations certainly enjoy them, but sometimes exhibit a sense of superiority over those who aren’t invited to join. It’s unfortunate that Colgate allows these organizations to operate … they clearly are aware of their existence, and I assume they feel that they lend an ivy-esque feel to Colgate.
There are obviously lots of students who do not to join a Greek organization - whether by choice or simply by not receiving a bid - and most of those students thoroughly enjoy their four years on the hill. It’s just important to realize that they do have a significant presence on campus, and then to make your decisions from there.
Just curious but where did your daughter transfer to and how is she adjusting?
She transferred to William & Mary and is really happy there. It was a surprisingly easy transition - her participation in Greek life at Colgate transferred to W&M, which really helped her - and she’s just sad that she only has two years there.