As an incoming freshman I wanted to do my own research on the fraternities, though I was sort of shaky when it came to the hard hazing rumors. Ive seen a lot of posts on this reddit about fraternities, but I have my own questions:
-What are some of the black frats on campus?(Ive heard of the Kappas and Ques, but barely know anything) I need a place to start looking.
-How do I go about meeting with them?
-How long does this process take?
-Any personal experiences?
-How much are the dues on average?
-Would I have to stay in a frat house with the brothers?
-What is the pledge process?
Also just include any other info you think I should know.
Edit: What kinds of things even go on in frats besides partying?
I’m in a fraternity at OSU, and I think I can answer a few of your questions. I got into my fraternity by randomly meeting someone while volunteering at relay for life (an all day/night walk to raise money/awareness for cancer). We hit it off and I was invited over. I actually really enjoyed hanging out with the brothers at a BBQ they were having. You can meet with fraternity brothers in sometimes unexpected ways. If you’re interested in exploring a bit, you should check out OSU IFC (IFC is the primary fraternity governing body on campus). Early in the year there will be the opportunity to open house multiple fraternity houses and get a few minutes to meet some of the brothers. You can then decide what you do/don’t like and more aggressively explore some over others. However it is important to note that no fraternity can offer you a bid until at least your spring semester of your freshman year.
The process to get involved can be as much as showing up to a rush event. Each fraternity does things a little bit different from one another, but the process is largely the same.
In my fraternity we try and be active members of the community, both inside and outside school. We’ve made great efforts to volunteer with local organizations which not only helps the community but also helps to build our bonds as brothers. There are also several trips we take during each semester to get away from campus and travel nearby, usually some sort of hike. This is only a small snippet, but there’s a lot more than just partying. In fact, my favorite events are actually the sober ones, such as roasting s’mores with sororities. We also have an annual pumpkin sale right before Halloween that’s a really amazing experience to help put together with all of the brothers.
For the dues and housing requirements, those vary from fraternity to fraternity. As far as I’m aware, ours is some of the lowest, hovering around $570 per semester. However we also have a fee for living outside of the house (if it isn’t full) as well as requiring brothers to live in for a year. Generally living in the house is an extremely rewarding experience as you’ll have the opportunity to form much close bonds to your brothers. Ours is well maintained and the cleanest one I’ve been in.
Our associate process is pretty long. We expect anyone that wants to become a brother to learn about us as a chapter and to be active participants. A position in the brotherhood is earned, not just given. In total, it takes about 8 or so weeks.
Brotherhood is something that lasts for life and you get out what you put in.
Anyways, I thought this might be of some use.
Full disclosure, I’m a brother in Phi Kappa Tau.