<p>fendergirl, even I have to pay membership dues for clubs, and I'm only in highschool...$200 for lacrosse, $20 for spanish club, $20 for history club...</p>
<p>and they're not even letting me live in their homes or cooking me food or throwing me parties. greek life doesn't seem to be for everyone, but those who aren't involved shouldn't just make blanket statements regarding it. All stereotypes are inaccurate.(check the irony of that statement)</p>
<p>im Phi Delta Theta at clemson, best choice i have made to date...</p>
<p>i'm pledgint Sigma Phi Soceity, Alpha of Virginia. we have a chapter in Michigan, do you know much about it, nirvana?</p>
<p>DKE here at UVa is probably the richest house.</p>
<p>phi delt here at UVa has a dry house I think, it's got heads of all the organizations on Grounds. 1st year president is pledging there, 3rd year VP is one of the brothers. One of their brothers just got Marshall or Rhoads scholar......it's known as the nice guy fraternity.</p>
<p>MacTech, like I've told you in like 5 other forums already - just because you don't like a certain lifestyle doesn't mean that you have to insult it. FYI: I personally won't get a penny from the new members who join my fraternity next year so I don't see how they're paying me to be my friends.</p>
<p>I am a Chi Psi at Washington and Lee University, where about 83% of my freshman class pledged a fraternity. The average fraternity size here is around 35 and the biggest (FIJI) has about 50. BTW, we also have Alphas at both Virginia and Michigan. We have a Phi Delt here (they tend to be athletes), they're a pretty cool house. Don't have a DKE though.</p>
<p>luxar, i'm sorry to hear that. i've taken part of probably 12 clubs throughout high school and college and never once had to pay a due for anything. </p>
<p>big red, i met dozens of friends in my first week of college that still, a year after i've graduated, drive two hours out of their way to visit me, are taking a ten day vacation with this summer, and whatever else. you can say that about any organization, class, dorm, etc... not just a frat... because i've met tons of people in my classes as well that i still hang out with on a weekly basis... and like i said, i graduated a year ago.</p>
<p>So fendergirl, you're saying that you can be happy and have good friends without joining a fraternity?</p>
<p>Not exactly news</p>
<p>Not exactly a good point against fraternities either</p>
<p>i was just responding to the "tell me where else" thread... as if that's the only place you can find those things... i didn't mean it in a way to bash frat's.</p>
<p>Reading back over that post, I guess it sounds a little aggressive. I apologize I didn't mean it to be. I am just sick of all the frat bashing that goes on on these boards from people who don't know a thing about fraternities or who know a little (or maybe a lot) about maybe one fraternity or Greek Life on one campus and assume that's enough to judge all fraternities everywhere. So I apologize - I do respect all your posts that don't bash the fratty lifestyle (read: khaki shorts).</p>
<p>nirvana: wrong. SigEp and Beta. Those were the two. My decision? Hell no. I was first hopeful for fraternities. After taking the tour around their houses, seeing what they do and how they "waste away" their lives by drinking/constantly partying/screwing with girls, I told myself, that's not the lifestyle I want to follow. True, you don't have to drink, but they'll view you as an outcast, which eventually is gonna push you out. And, as I said numerous times, and you cannot refute the claim, you do in fact pay for your friends. All that MONEY accumulates near the end of college and you realize it may have been thousands! </p>
<p>My sister was in a sorority, and doesn't even hang out with her 'sorority sisters' much anymore. It's all BS. You make your true friends in college like you did in high school. Greek life takes away the true meaning by forcing you in.</p>
<p>Of course, there are good things to fraternities, also. It can look good on resumes, etc, so there's another thing to consider. I didn't like them nevertheless. Getting "trashed" every weekend is not my thing (the frats even specified they do this so I'm not exaggerating here).</p>
<p>Interestingly enough, both the houses you mentioned were kicked off of my campus in the past 5-6 years. BTW if it weren't for my frat brothers, I wouldn't have had a ride back to campus after Spring Break and I wouldn't have a place to stay this summer while working in Lex.</p>
<p>Oh I know all about DKE at UVA. I was going to visit my friend there, but we had greek week. Phi Delt here is a dry house, but they are really cool guys. Chi Psi probably has the nicest fraternity house (non dry) on campus. I believe their house was, correct me if i'm wrong, the first fraternity house in the country. </p>
<p>Also, in my house we have two people who choose not to drink for personal reasons, and we respect that. Stop making generalizations. Also, we know when to stop. We do drink a lot, but it never gets in the way of academics. I have a 3.7 at Michigan (major grade deflation, esp in my classes) as a cellular and molecular biology major. Also, at least in my experience, girls join sororities more or less for the social aspect, whereas for guys the unity and brotherhood becomes much more important. No one is going to force you to drink. People might give you ****, but it's not a big deal. Like I said, I spend most weekend nights in the library and probably only party 2-3 times a month. One more thing-the money is so worth it.</p>
<p>yeah Phi Delt is dry everywhere... we made that move in 1997, i dont know about the house thing but i do know that phi delt was the first to own a chapter house in 1873. one of my pledge brothers doesnt drink and its no big deal...
how did yalls spring pledge classes turn out? we started with 7 but ended with 4, 2 quit really early off becuase of time stuff...</p>
<p>HI,
I'll be transferring to univ. this fall... and I'm 22...
Am I too late to join a frat? and what's the avg. fee?
I'd like to form a great bond and network so they can help me later in life..
like nirvan did...</p>
<p>Eh, I'm on the fence with this whole fraternity thing to be honest. Although I feel like I should still rush next year even though I will be a senior. I think it is too late for me though.</p>
<p>Obviously you're gonna have way more connections etc. if you go greek. However, the big reasons why a lot of people dislike frats are because of the lifestyle and because of the way that you get the connections (i.e. money, pledging, etc.). The argument against frats is more moral reasoning than cost vs. rewards comparison, and I don't think a lot of greeks realize that. For those of us who wouldn't join a frat, talking about all your benefits and success is like bragging about how good you're living after robbing and killing some people. Extreme example, but you get the point ;)</p>
<p>so what are the average fees?</p>
<p>nirvana, can you tell me about the sigma phi at Michigan?</p>
<p>I mean if you are a senior and it's something you really want to do, go for it. You will be pledging with freshmen and possibly sophomores, but you can take a leadership role in that respect...it's up to you. Dues vary from house to house. The average at Michigan is $500/semester. Sigma Phi here is a small, relatively low key house. They are probably the least "fratty" house on campus, but they are definitely cool guys. Their house was designed by an apprentice of Frank LLoyd Wright, and they their parties are generally chill and moderately sized. They sort of have a retro/60s mentality...interesting house. Not too many people know about them though. The big houses here are SAE, Beta, Fiji, AEPi, Phi Psi, Pike, and DKE</p>
<p>here at brown dues are around $300</p>
<p>Without the greek system, my parents would never have met. I literally owe my life to the greek system, and I loved the look on my dad's face when I told him about pledging and stuff over spring break (obviously I am pledging the same frat my father is in). My father, is almost 70 years old, he still talks to and sees his PLEDGE BROTHERS FROM 50 YEARS AGO, he was the best man at one of his brothers' weddings, and he was my father's best man. Baller, I find it very hard to believe that you can buy friendship that lasts half a century, and if you can, 1-2k over 4 years is a fantastic deal.</p>
<p>Yeah that's what I think is the coolest aspect about a fraternity-it's a lifelong ordeal. We just had an alumni event and it was really cool to talk to DKEs from the Michigan chapter in the 1940s and 1950s. You can really learn a lot from them and they will all say that being in a fraternity has been a huge part of their lives. That's why they still donate money and go to events like the one we just had. Brown what house are you in?</p>