<p>Yes, but isn't it wonderful that this thead makes everyone articulate what they really love about Dartmouth?</p>
<p>Here is a Cornell mom. It is not strange for a new comer to ask such a question where there is a Greek life. By definition, having a Greek life is to exclude some people. Whether you want to openly admit it, there is a hierarchy. My sister went to Dartmouth, and she fully enjoyed belonging to a sorority. My daughter also joined a sorority at Cornell. Everyone there knows which sororities/fraternities are first tiers, second tiers... Maybe Dartmouth doesn't differentiate, but it is quite normal at other schools where there is a strong Greek life. There is no reason to bash a new comer for asking a very normal question at any other school. </p>
<p>OP - don't let these posters make you feel bad about your decision. Congrats on your ED. It's a great school.</p>
<p>Thanks oldfort, I appreciate it. Granted I did ask the question obnoxiously, everyone probably got offended because there's likely elitism at Dartmouth, and talking about it in such a flagrant way is like picking at a scab. </p>
<p>Funny enough, I looked at the boards for Penn and Cornell. Similar questions were asked, and everyone responded with resounding lists of what each house was known for.</p>
<p>As VeryHappy said, I guess this thread if anything shows that Dartmouth is still a welcoming place in spite of having such a strong greek system (from what I've seen, the pattern is that schools with large greek systems are quite pretentious). I hope the small sample posting on this board is actually representative of the wider community.</p>
<p>Okay then, time to rest this flu and stop frequenting these addictive boards so that I can go back to school and not get my ED acceptance rescinded for lack of attendance...</p>
<p>XOXO
dartgirl</p>
<p>
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there's likely elitism at Dartmouth, and talking about it in such a flagrant way is like picking at a scab.
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<p>Of course, this sort of tone isn't exactly conducive to nicely-worded responses - you might want to consider that too. Again, as I've already done twice, I'd advise you to actually wait till you get here to start passing judgement on the school and the Greek scene, rather than trying to jump to conclusions and trying to go on the perceptions of others. (As Xanatos said, if you're looking for elitism you'll probably find it - it's just much more limited here than in other schools, at least from my experience.)</p>
<p>
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from what I've seen, the pattern is that schools with large greek systems are quite pretentious
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<p>Oh, you think so, Doctor? You think it maybe it kinda sorta has to do with pre-matriculated girls asking questions like "Which fraternity has the hottest guys XOXO"?</p>
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By definition, having a Greek life is to exclude some people.
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<p>I think that every year there are people who come to campus with their eye on only one particular house and their perception of who they think are the big dogs on campus and this is the group that they have made up their minds to run with. All that everyone is saying to Dartgirl is to keep an open mind as yes, houses do vary from campus to campus.</p>
<p>While the men's rush process is totally different from the women's, at Dartmouth during the rush process unless a woman drops out by her own choice, suicides because she only only interested in one house doesn't get selected to that house and doesn't go further in to the process or is just plain worse than socially inept, almost every woman who goes through rush, ends up at a house when the process is over. </p>
<p>
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Maybe Dartmouth doesn't differentiate, but it is quite normal at other schools where there is a strong Greek life.
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<p>I understand what you are talking about oldfort because I went to college with a big greek hierachy system in place and you were pretty defined by the house that you belonged to. From what I have seen and I think one of the big differences between Dartmouth and other traditionally greek schools is that one does not have to be a greek in order to participate in functions that are thrown by the greeks. Pretty much any social event thrown by the greeks are open to any student who wants to attend, where as on other campuses, if one is not a memeber of a specific frat, sorority this may not be the case. </p>
<p>Also at many other schools, if a person is a greek most of their friends are members of that same greek organization and there tends to be less socialization between greeks in different frats or sorrorities and independents which is defitintely not the case at Dartmouth. </p>
<p>Where as at many schools with large greek systems there are many people who are defined by your Frat or sorority, at Dartmouth you are far less likely to meet people who are totally defined by the house that they belong to.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is overrated...all about UC Riverside....whats up? dont agree?
check out my gpa and ask me why i choose the highlanders over all ivy league schools</p>
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Also at many other schools, if a person is a greek most of their friends are members of that same greek organization and there tends to be less socialization between greeks in different frats or sorrorities and independents which is defitintely not the case at Dartmouth.
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<p>Actually, I've found that to be the case at Dartmouth. Sorry, Sybbie.</p>
<p>The most valuable information about sororities and fraternities revolves around interests/values/etc - not about prestige. Therefore, wait until you get to campus and meet people before you decide what sorority is the best for you (it's usually not the most "elite" one)</p>
<p>This was from a few months ago:</p>
<p>I think it depends on the person. </p>
<p>Ok, Chicky knew a quite a few upperclassmen who lived in her dorm freshmen year who were also members at the house where she pledged. In addition, she got into her house with one of her roommates and a number of her friends from the floor so for all them to hangout together now as seniors is really a non-issue. However of her core group of friends: 2 is are sisters, 1 is in another house and 2 are independents (she & ~ 9 of the friends; some them some from her house, other houses and some independents are all going away together on spring break next week). She is also involved in a number of other things outside of her house.</p>
<p>Hi Xan,</p>
<p>I think as with everything in life, YMMV. I do beleive that there are some people who allow themselves to be defined by their frat/sorority and there are some for whom the frat/sorority is simply another facet of who they are as a whole.</p>
<p>However, have you found this to be your experience that most of your friends or close associates are frat brothers or do you have a group of friends that extend past the greeks?</p>
<p>dartgirl12... i understand your curiosity about the fraternity and sorority systems at dartmouth, and i think that there is just too much negativity on this thread! i have heard from a few of my friends who attend dartmouth and from my cousins who go there that delta delta delta is a great sorority with very high values. the girls are all very nice and the sorority has a good mixture of people. many of the students that i know who were/are a part of tri-delta had their actual (familial) sisters at the same house either before, after, or during their lives in the sorority.</p>
<p>good luck next year and congratulations on being accepted to such a great school!</p>
<p>Falsteda, Why did you choose the highlanders over ivy league schools?</p>
<p>The OP (if not a troll) makes me sad.</p>
<p>Do the majority of eligible students pledge?</p>
<p>yes, a majority of eligible students are in greek organizations. about 60% of eligible students are a member of a greek letter organization.</p>
<p>also, nobody's like "omg you're in XYZ you must be superawesome and elite and the most bestest" ... because i felt throwing dartgirl under the bus again. i must be super evil. or, you know, it might be the truth.</p>
<p>but yea, ~60% of eligible students are involved in the greek system.</p>
<p>i think if you kids really don't know or believe that many are looking of the "right" sorority or the one that everyone wants to get into then you have been sheltered. it can make or break a college experience and many worry about it. sisterhood is not why some join to begin with. it is to say they are a ..... to imply that your school is better than others because someone asks a perfectly simple question is so rude and superior sounding. kids put your heart in the right place.</p>
<p>2007mom, What is your connection to Dartmouth?</p>
<p>2007mom, if you want to debate this with people, your post has to make sense first.</p>
<p>Of course its easy to reduce what 2007mom is saying by dismissing it as something that "doesn't make sense." I started this thread because I said out loud what I was thought in my head. I don't know why you reacted in such a way, and I won't suggest or imply or state why I think you reacted in such a way. But you all had a reaction, a very strong one.</p>
<p>So why are on this board arguing with a bunch of bored high school suburbanites or their even more bored moms? Reading way too into every little thing we say, dignifying us with a response?</p>
<p>Take the high road as a Dartmouth student should and simply talk about the positive, strong community, without all this negativity or badgering at easy targets.</p>
<p>Dartgirl, I think that what people on this board have done is "talk about the positive, strong community." Virtually all the posts on here do exactly that.</p>