<p>The Princeton Spectator ran this</a> article about the freshman experience during the first 100 days. They made some interesting comments about how large a role sororities and fraternities actually play on campus, and how most freshman are surprised to find that Greek life at Princeton is such a big deal (see quotes below). Why do they rush in fall right after you arrive as a freshman instead of doing it in spring so you can adjust to the social atmosphere and decide what option you want to pursue?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Several students gripe about how
fraternities and sororities influence social
life on campus. Sophomore Jon Drummond
complained, "I think that it is stupid that
they have so much of an impact on the social
life here. I mean, they are a big deal at state
schools, but aren't here, so they really
shouldn't have so much of an impact;
however they have a huge one, whether it is
on eating clubs or individuals themselves."</p>
<p>An overwhelming theme among
students seems to be the surprise at how big
of a role Greek organizations play on
campus. Very few students come to
Princeton with the intention of rushing. Katy
Bacon, another freshman member of Kappa
Alpha Theta, explained that, "when I was
choosing where I wanted to go to college, I
specifically chose places where I wouldn't
have to join a sorority to have a life." Bacon
explained that she decided to rush because
"I realized the sororities at Princeton were
not like my idea of what a sorority was.
They expand one's social experience instead
of limiting it; Theta has enabled me to meet
people outside of Forbes, my residential
college."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Do frats and sororities at Princeton really have a large impact on campus? How do current students view the situation?</p>
<p>Greek life is not a big deal on campus. They occassionally throw parties and stuff but nothing too big. I have no idea where they got the idea that Greek Life has a large impact. The percentage of students in Frats/Sororities here is really low so it really isn't ever a problem.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Greek life is not a big deal on campus. They occassionally throw parties and stuff but nothing too big. I have no idea where they got the idea that Greek Life has a large impact. The percentage of students in Frats/Sororities here is really low so it really isn't ever a problem.
[/quote]
PimpDaddy1 - that's what I thought,which is why the article was surprising. How accurate is the Spectator?</p>
<p>akash - CC will probably have a campus group :) with flyers, regular meetings and Phil as CC president :p lol.</p>
<p>I think the only frat (outside of maybe professional ones) I'd ever join would be a CC frat. We could so do it guys! Colla Confa Dentia (CCD)...sounds Greek enough to me :cool:</p>
<p>pimpdaddys on the money. frats dont even have frat houses here, not that you'd even want them anyway. eating clubs are soooooo much nicer than all the frat houses ive seen at other colleges. usually the handful of frats on campus throw parties in their suites. certainly nothing too big, though some people join frats so that they can later get into certain eating clubs. though usually if you join any major student group, you get the same ties that help for bicker just as easily. basically, if your college experience depends on being part of a frat, by all means go ahead. and if not, then you're not missing a thing.</p>
<p>oh yea, the administration isn't too big on the frats either. they sent us an email at the beginning of the year very strongly discouraging us from joining one. they've been trying to zone all the big suites as substance free to curb frat activity as well, as frats usually try to grab these to have a place to party.</p>
<p>"Fraternities and sororities play a unique role in Princeton's social scene. Unlike the frat houses seen on other campuses, Princeton's social scene is dominated by eating clubs, which have 100 to 200 members each. Rather than forming a separate center, fraternities and sororities mainly help students navigate Princeton's larger social life through lunches and dinners with members, off-campus excursions and community service."</p>
<p>All three of my quadmates ended up joining frats. In my opinion, frats at princeton are really watered-down versions of the state school frats. There are some parties, the pledges go through some hell, but it's not that bad at all. But they're still fun to have around, because the pledges will do funny things like dress up as superheroes and fly through the library, all while making whoosh sounds.</p>
<p>When some frats here barely have that negative, bad-boys image, you know that you're at an Ivy League school.</p>
<p>What percent of sophs, juniors, seniors at Princeton belong to a fraternity or sorority? Do frat/sorority members tend to be concentrated in certain eating clubs?</p>
<p>they say its 3 or 4%. but that's bs. looks more like 20%. and yes most frats/sororities have ties with one or several eating clubs. you usually get passes if you're in a frat/sor</p>
<p>there are 9 frats at princeton - each one taking about 12-13 pledges each year. so about 120 people each year join a frat... so thats about 10%, thats a large number. This number is especially larger in butler (counting for 50% of each frats pledges) and by the way frats, in my opinion, do play a big role, much bigger than i expected, the parties, their presence at the eating clubs, giving passes for eating clubs etc. And they are not so bad, if you have the time to join them!</p>
<p>and yeah, almost each frat has a couple of eating clubs where all their members go to or join in the future.
as a side note : princeton beat harvard 27-24 in football, next stop yale! (lets get the bonfire ready guys)</p>
<p>To correct Adides and provide more accurate information to prospective students, the average frat has around 15 pledges. More importantly, he fails to account for the fact that only half of the student body is male and as such the percentage is slightly over 20 percent, not the 10 that he suggests. Sororities have somewhere around 100 pledges this year, composing about 18 percent of the females on campus.</p>
<p>however, just to thow it out there, frats/sororities aren't the only way to have a social life/get passes to clubs....any activity you join w/ upper classmen will do the trick...dance groups (which I can personally speak to), sports teams, a cappella groups etc all hang out socially and go to Clubs etc and get passes for underclassmen....moral of the story: I didn't rush, still have an active social life, and have no problem getting into clubs</p>