<p>I am trying to weigh the positives and negatives about joining a fraternity at my school before rush starts next week. One of the things that my Greek Life office have said that students in Greek Life at my school have a higher average GPA than non-Greeks on campus (only about 18% of students join a fraternity or sorority). Do you think that this statement is accurate? What other things should I consider if I am thinking of joining a fraternity?</p>
<p>As a recent graduate and member of a fraternity at Emory, I can tell you that our Greeks have similar GPA statistics, which are available at our Greek Life Office. Maybe consider asking for them at your school.</p>
<p>No matter what others say about Greek life, every chapter at every school is different. One chapter may provide an excellent experience, while another may not. The are bad chapters out there for sure, but there are also many good ones. </p>
<p>Look for a place that acknowledges the importance of school work. The pledging semester is time consuming to be sure, but any fraternity should always make plenty of accommodation for papers and tests (and class/study time for that matter). </p>
<p>But beyond that, look for a group of close-knit brothers who seem to have a good time together and who are involved in things outside of just their fraternity. The activities that they participate in will give you a good idea of their interests, and you can match those with your own.</p>
<p>Lastly, ask about hazing (or to be more coy about it, ask what pledging is like there). People asked us all the time. Your 4 years in college should be about having fun, learning, and growing up, not useless hazing. If they dodge the question, maybe it’s not the best place for you. Pledging should be one of the most memorable times of your life because of the friendships you develop with your pledge class. It was for me, and I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world, no matter what the opinions of the naysayers are.</p>
<p>Feel free to pm me, if you have other questions.</p>
<p>Because Greek life varies from campus to campus, you might want to post the same question on the board of your specific college.</p>