OK, so I “KNOW” she doesn’t have to be involved, but Lehigh has an extremely high percentage of students involved in Greel life. I read that it is rated 3 or 4th depending on the source,
So, if she attends, will it be an issue if she doesn’t want to get involved in Greek life?
It’s easier for girls to not be involved imo because they can still go to parties much easier than guys since all major parties are thrown by fraternities.
I’m not sure what ranking you’re referring to but it’s definitely not percentage involved in Greek life. About forty percent of students are in Greek life which is huge but less than some other schools. It’s definitely not an issue in terms of making friends because more than half campus is still not involved. Some Greeks are very cliquey but a lot aren’t. People won’t judge your daughter for not being in Greek life.
I would say for girls the only real con of not being in a sorority is maybe feeling a bit left out since Greek life is so big but atleast girls can still get into parties easily. And she may have friends in Greek life and if not she’ll have friends elsewhere. There are plenty of clubs outside Greek life that have great community, just don’t expect them to throw wild parties.
In sum, I know plenty of people who are happy here in Greek life or not in Greek life. People won’t really judge you but you may just feel a little left out. It’s not a big deal at all to not go Greek for girls but if youre bothered by a big presence I recommend going somewhere else.
Well, I don’t think I am allowed to name sources of competing websites, but:
Lehigh is listed #3 “2018 Best Greek Life Colleges in America” and student comments make it sound very high for the amount of students involved.
@AbsDad, My daughter is at Lehigh and is in Greek life and loves it. I know other students there who are not and still love it. There are other groups to connect with: singing groups, dancing groups, club sports, outdoor groups, engineers without borders, etc. More than half are not Greek.
My guess is that @Absdad NEITHER wants to be in a sorority NOR be an ‘independent girl invited to frat parties’.
The fact posters can’t even imagine having zero contact with Greek life should provide sufficient information regarding fit for @absdad’s daughter. There are hundreds of equally excellent universities where Greek life is not as essential to people’s social life.
From what I gather, @absdad is not outright dismissing Greek life for his daughter. He is looking for information on the overall social scene, which is the smart thing to do.
DS1 seemed to have no interest in Greek life when he was considering colleges. He ended up somewhere that has a fair-sized Greek presence and, to my surprise, ended up joining a “chill” frat in the spring. I did not think it would be his thing, but it actually worked out well for him.
I don’t know much about Lehigh Greek life, but I would not dismiss the possibility that there might be a sorority @abssdad’s daughter would like.
@stardustmom … agreed. FYI, @AbsDad , Alpha Gamma Delta is known as being the “bookish” academic, nerdy sorority.
@absdad “So, if she attends, will it be an issue if she doesn’t want to get involved in Greek life?”
It depends on the student. Greek life at Lehigh is big, but shrinking. There were significantly fewer students who pledged this year. Most students are not Greek, there are other things to do, and there seems to be an increasing focus on providing other activities and social opportunities for the growing non-Greek population.
I would consider attending admitted student days and ask admissions about the social opportunities, clubs, and activities for non-greek students, and also talk directly to current students who are not in Greek life and get their experiences and how they are involved.
Lehigh seems to be gradually evolving away from the emphasis on Greek life that it had historically, (to the dismay of some and the joy of others). The administration is also increasingly focused on moving away from the past and toward what they want Lehigh to be in the future. As Greek Life diminishes, Lehigh needs to provide more social engagement alternatives to attract and retain top students.
While Lehigh has been offering more alternatives to engage students, I would be clear with administrators about what your student is looking for, and ask about their specific plans are to continue down that path. While they have made progress, in providing engagement opportunities for non-greeks, there is more that can be done, in my opinion. I think that Lehigh is happy to support that direction but they need to hear that it is what students want.
@muchtolearn I don’t have data on fraternity recruitment, but the number of women participating in sorority recruitment this year was essentially the same as last year.
Did your daughter apply ED to Lehigh ?
@higheredmom I have the impression that the number of women who actually pledged a sorority was down slightly. I was impacted by the suspension of AXO, who could not accept a pledge class, so there are only 8 sororities currently. It may be that many began recruitment, but some of the more serious party kids will drop if they don’t get into one of the “top” 3: GPhi, Alpha Phi or AoPi.
I understand that the recruitment numbers for guys were down more significantly and impacted by the fact that a number of frats are under some form of university sanction.
@Much2learn Formal recruitment 2017 quota was 27; 2018 was 26 (25 primary, 1 secondary -sophs and above). Open House Pool was essentially the same. All chapters matched quota and several took quota additions (meaning New member classes were as high as 29). The AXO suspension did not impact the OHP; had AXO participated, quota would be down, but essentially the same number of women participated in at least one round as 2017. Some women declined bids; very few unmatched without any options. Pretty much flat year over year.
And LOL on the “serious party kids;” - every sorority at Lehigh has a robust social calendar.
–and the men’s groups – well, that is one big, unorganized process IMHO
If she doesn’t want to be in a sorority, there will be plenty of social opportunities for her. The girls who do join are more likely to sit together at sporting events, go to concerts together, make plans for spring break. That doesn’t mean others can’t go to the sporting events with them or sit together in the dining hall.
The greek houses give a structure to the social life. Other groups can do the same thing, like marching band, student government, study abroad groups. Some kids prefer less structure.
@higheredmom
“So the quota @Much2learn Formal recruitment 2017 quota was 27; 2018 was 26.”
In 2017 there were 246 sorority bids were accepted. In 2018 there were 8 sororities x 26 this year = 208 maximum this year. So it looks like the total is down. Am I missing something?
Also, the total number of girls on campus continues move higher every year, so I think that it is also lower as a percentage of the total.
@Much2learn sorry trying not to go wonky on sorority speak – but no, not limited to to the 26 primary and secondary quota. There are quota additions and COBs (continuous open bids after the conclusion of bid day-- i.e., starting the moment bids are distributed up to campus total which is reset two x a year – the first following the conclusion of formal recruitment recruitment. Lehigh uses average chapter size and this year it is reset higher than 2017, albeit by only about 4 spots. The open house pool (all women registered for recurrent) was 300 in 2017, and 284 in 2018-- but at the end of the process, the total participation in sorority membership was essentially flat (the campus total). Campus total is reset prior to the Fall to account for the '18 grads and is lower, but chapters still have the opportunity to fill “open” spots in Fall 18 with upperclassmen if their roster is under the campus total.
I will in interested in the impact of Path to Prominence and 1000 new students has on lehigh greek life; if we assume demographic trends, the 1,000 new students will be more diverse, more first gen college students who traditionally have not been the traditional OHP for NPC groups.
@Much2learn probably more than you wanted to know lol. if you’re interested, peruse the NPC annual of Information and RFM (release figure methodology) employed at Lehigh and most Greek campuses–an algorithm invented by a very smart MIT sorority woman that is designed to achieve parity in size and maximum placement of prospective new members.
@higheredmom
Lehigh published that 246 sorority bids were accepted, and 279 fraternity bids accepted in 2017. I had heard that for 2018 the sorority bid total was a bit lower and that the fraternity total was significantly lower. Is that incorrect?
“I will in interested in the impact of Path to Prominence and 1000 new students has on Lehigh greek life; if we assume demographic trends, the 1,000 new students will be more diverse, more first gen college students who traditionally have not been the traditional OHP for NPC groups.”
I think more first-gen students, minority students, women, and more geographically diverse students all tend to mitigate the dangerous aspects of Greek Life.
They are also expanding the amount of on-campus housing available, which is needed.
Additionally, Lehigh is gradually offering more non-Greek opportunities on campus compared to the past. I think they need to continue to improve student engagement for non-Greeks and the less party-oriented Greeks. That will be more attractive to the future students they want to attract improve retention rates among the students they have, and help their USN ranking which will all contribute to achieving the goals of the Path To Prominence initiative. It may also be easier to do with more students on campus.
The future of Greek Life at Lehigh is unclear to me. I think Greek Life either has to evolve and adapt to behaviors consistent with the direction the school is headed or it its place at Lehigh will be gradually diminished. I think that is up to the Greeks to decide.