<p>Can someone explain the process of joining a frat?</p>
<p>iono all i know is it costs quite a bit of dough</p>
<p>To join a fraternity, you have to go through a process called rush. Rush pretty much starts as soon as you get here, where you visit a lot of fraternities during welcome week parties. There, you'll get put on email lists, and be invited back during formal rush.
Formal rush starts with mass meetings and Diag days, where members of fraternities will briefly introduce you to their fraternity. Then, there are a few days called Open House, where you visit houses you are interested in. There, you see the houses, and start limiting your choices. This is usually the chance for the fraternity to impress YOU. Then, there are 4 days of formal rush, where you go to just a few fraterniteis you like. There, you talk with many individuals of that fraternity, try to impress them so that they hand you a bid. A bid is an invitation to join that fraternity. You can get a bid from many fraternities, one fraternity, or none. You can only accept up to one, and then you register with the IFC, where then you become a pledge at that fraternity.</p>
<p>Oh, and rush is really fun. You get to meet a lot of people, see beautiful houses, and get great food. Some fraternities, like my own, will take you on excursions Tigers games.</p>
<p>As far as dues go, they're not that bad. Most fraternities dues for freshman year range anywhere from $500-$2000, depending on if meal plan is included, and other factors. Fraternity housing is usually much cheaper than dorms. I've heard of some fraternity's rent being as low as $3500 per year, although they can be much higher.</p>
<p>Go Greek!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.umich.edu/%7Egreeks/%5B/url%5D">http://www.umich.edu/~greeks/</a></p>
<p>if you recieve a bid and you accept it and become a pledge can you still be rejected</p>
<p>
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iono all i know is it costs quite a bit of dough
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<p>And a BIG waste of time and money. Just my opinion.</p>
<p>whys that?</p>
<p>From a thread I remember, Mightynick hates alcohol comsumption, so that is probably a factor...</p>
<p>yeah, when a fraternity hands you a bid, it is not binding either. It is only binding when they send it into the IFC and then you formally accept it through the IFC. Then, you'll have a pledge period, during which you will decide if the fraternity is for you, and the fraternity will decide if you fit in.</p>
<p>And to respond to Mightynick:
Did you guys know:
Approximately 80% of the top executives in Fortune 500 are fraternity men.
71% of men listed in Who's Who in America are fraternity men.
76% of the current United States Senators and Congressmen are fraternity men.
40 of the 47 Supreme Court Justices since 1910 have been fraternity men.
100 of the 158 cabinet members since 1900 have been fraternity men.
All but 3 United States Presidents since 1825(when fraternities were founded) have been fraternity men, including Gerald Ford.</p>
<p>A fraternity is a lot more than the drinking and debauchery that is often associated with them. It is about a lifelong friendship, it is about leadership, responsibility, and a whole lot more that can only be truly understand when you join one. </p>
<p>Also, keep in mind, there are many different types of fraternities and sororities. So far, I've really only been talking about "traditionally white social fraternities", those part of the IFC. There are muliticultural fraternities and sororities, pre-professional ones, service, honor fraternities, and more. Explore some of these options as freshman and keep an open mind as you come to campus.</p>
<p>I see Maguo saw the first episode of the show greek</p>
<p>edit: n/m you got it from that site but they said basically the same exact thing on the show</p>
<p>yeah but u'd have to consider how much of that is due to cause and how much due to correlation. the ones with enough people skills to hold public office are more inclined to have joined a fraternity</p>
<p>yeah, i do agree that there is some if not a lot of correlation. I guess my point is is that fraternities are not like what is depicted in Animal House. Fraternity members in general do well in school (Greeks at UM have a higher average GPA than the student body), and go on to become successful individuals.</p>
<p>well id love to join a frat but i mean the cost to join one is ALOT. Do they expect us to pay upfront 500-2000 bucks..theres no way in hell ill have 2k cash to give</p>
<p>nope, it depends on the fraternity you join. in general, you don't pay anything until your pledge semester is over, so depending on the fraternity, you start paying sometime between October and February. Then, you usually pay monthly dues. It actually turned out to be pretty cheap for me. My fraternity has a meal plan, so I changed my dorm plan to all entree plus. Then, i got a lot of entree plus dollars credited back, so it wasn't very expensive at all. </p>
<p>Keep in mind I only know the specifics of a few fraternities. I would definitely recommend rushing (free food, other perks) and talk to the guys there. There is absolutely no obligation during rush to do anything.</p>
<p>ah i c i c. Can you go into the perks of frats..when i think of frats i think of alot of partying</p>
<p>Yeah, sure; I'd love to.
Well, I guess the first thing that you think of when you think of fraternities is the parties. Yes, fraternities throw parties, and they usually fall of Th, Fri, Sat. Some fraternities throw parties every weekend, others don't. Parties are obviously fun, you get to meet people, and most importantly you meet sorority girls.</p>
<p>The most important part of a fraternity is the brotherhood though. You will grow to feel a sense of love and responsibility to each and every one of your brothers. Early in my pledge semester, they told me that about 90% of us would have a pledge brother be our best man at our marriage. I didn't believe it at first, but now I can see how they were totally not lying. Through the pledge semester, you develop a sense of love and respect for everybody. You learn to be forgiving, and to be understanding. These bonds can be really important in giving you a sense of comfort at such a big school like UM.</p>
<p>Through these bonds, you have people who will help you. There were several times during my freshman year when I needed alot help, and I knew I could always turn to people in my fraternity. You know there will always be somewhere there to help you, which is a very reassuring feeling.</p>
<p>Fraternities also present a great leadership opportunity. Being a leader in a fraternity, you learn to deal with personal conflicts, monetary issues, as well as many other issues. It can also look really good on a resume.</p>
<p>Being in a fraternity also gives you a sense of belonging and pride. You are not just a Wolverine, you are part of the 15% that is the Greek population. Moreso, you belong to a house, and you wear your letters with pride. You become part of your fraternity's history, and many of their histories are very rich. You become united with fraternity members accross the country as well.</p>
<p>Fraternities also present you with opportunities at jobs and internships. Alumni, many of whom are very very successful, are more than willing to help you out to jobs right when you graduate, or great summer internships. </p>
<p>Fraternity brothers are there to help you. This can come in handy especially with academics. I would take hours out of my weekend to help a fraternity brother with Orgo (and I did), but would I do that for a random guy in my dorm? Most likely not. The older members will be more than willing to help you with your coursework, and give you the most candid advice on your academics.</p>
<p>A fraternity's social life is much more than just the parties too. Parties fall on weekends, but on weekdays, you hang out with your brothers and sometimes a few guests and these are some great times. Some of the best times I've had were these Monday nights when we sat over a case of beer or hookah, and just chatted or watched TV. You know you'll always have something to do.</p>
<p>wow thanks doode. thats actually really helpful and something I'd love to be a part of. I really like the idea of having dudes who will awlays have my back+i cant be really interested in girls since im doing a L.D. relationship</p>
<p>so..is there like a "financial aid" for frats ; P</p>
<p>Actually yes, there is financial aid.<br>
First off, most fraternity treasurers (like myself), will recognize individuals who have financial troubles and reduce their dues to the point where it is possible for them to handle.
On top of that, fraternities offer scholarships. Individual chapters like my own give out annual scholarships to individuals based on a variety of factors. This past year, my chapter handed out over 20k in scholarships.
Then, I believe all fraternities have national scholarships. Each fraternity has a national organization, and they can hand out huge amounts of money each year based on leadership, merit, need, or whatever.</p>
<p>Be sure to ask about this if you do rush. </p>
<p>Any other questions/concerns about anything regarding Greek Life?</p>
<p>While someone could join a fraternity their freshman year, would you advise it? Or should they maybe wait a year or two and get settled into college life and all that it entails?</p>
<p>Maguo is right on this time. Think of a fraternity as being like a high school sports team. You get close with your teammates and hang out with them. Fraternities offer the same kind of atmosphere. This is why a large fraction of fraternity members were athletes in high school. You can even compete through things like Mudbowl, IM Sports, and Greek Week. Also, most people rush their freshman year. In addition to fall rush, which is the biggest, there is also winter rush. All of the houses participate, though recruitment is on a much smaller scale. It is not unheard of to rush as a sophomore, though. In fact, most fraternities will have one or more sophomores in a given pledge class. It just depends how ready you are, I guess.</p>