The influence of Greek life on campus

<p>Hi everyone,
So basically, I don't know anything about fraternity/sorority that I am sure is true. However, from what I've read everywhere, many people are against it, especially about the action of hazing (which does sound not so good to me).
However, greek life doesn't seem to be linked to "bad schools" or "bad kids." Even some top schools have greek life. These schools include UChicago, Dartmouth, JHU, from what I know.
As an international student who hasn't had any experiences with greek life, I feel that I don't want to join a fraternity. So for me, is schools that have no greek life at all a better choice over those that have? By the way, schools I'm applying to are around top 10 to 30, if that matters. In addition, would fraternity/sorority has much influence to students outside the group?</p>

<p>There are schools that have Greek life, but it doesn’t run the school. I’d imagine down south its a bigger deal, but at Michigan for example its pretty easy to avoid.</p>

<p>Georgetown has no official frats or sororities.</p>

<p>At georgia tech it doesn’t run the school either. Youto aren’t gonna find any other parties on campus but it’s not everything to be in a frat/sorority. I don’t know too many people who are in one. </p>

<p>A friend of mine from high school though goes to USC (south Carolina) and told me if you’re not in a frat, your social life is pretty dead so I guess it all depends</p>

<p>[The</a> truth about greek life! - Gentlemint](<a href=“http://gentlemint.com/tack/108302/]The”>The truth about greek life! | Gentlemint)</p>

<p>There are plenty of frats/sororities here, but it is easy to avoid greek life if you want to. It depends on the school. There are more than enough parties to go around, greek or not.</p>

<p>Look on the school’s threads and see what people say. Greek life might be everywhere or minor.</p>

<p>Personally I hate them. At my school, there is nothing productive about Greek life. It’s just a group of people that call themselves a brotherhood or sisterhood that party together. I’m transferring because Greek life is too big at my school.</p>

<p>Are there fraternities in Ivy schools?</p>

<p>The Greeks can serve a function on a large campus to make smaller groups. In small schools there may not be much point. A number of smaller schools either don’t have them, or they are not strong. I think most schools have an international student organization that can somewhat serve the same purpose as a fraternity. Otherwise, other student organizations are worth looking into in terms of meeting people with similar interests.</p>

<p>It honestly depends on the school. At some colleges, Greek life is strong and at others, it’s weak. And in both types, there are colleges where the Greeks are basically their only little world and have little effect on the student around them, and then there are colleges where a large part or even most of the social scene revolves around Greek life, even for the non-affiliated kids. Ranking doesn’t really factor much, because a lot of great selective schools are known for strong Greek life (Vanderbilt, Duke, and USC being examples) as well as a lot of great big public universities.</p>

<p>And to answer Planck’s question, yes, there are fraternities (and sororities) at Ivy schools. One of my friends is a Cornell alumna who was very active in the Greek life at her undergrad, and we both now work at an Ivy that has a small, intimate Greek life system.</p>

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<p>It varies. At Princeton, they exist, but are officially frowned upon, and freshmen are prohibited from joining them. [Fraternities</a> and Sororities at Princeton -*Office of the President](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/president/pages/20111026/]Fraternities”>http://www.princeton.edu/president/pages/20111026/)</p>

<p>But about 65% of Dartmouth students are in fraternities and sororities. <a href=“Home | Office of Residential Life”>Home | Office of Residential Life;

<p>I’m in a fraternity at a southern school. Greeks make up about 20% of the school’s population, so its influence is pretty big. You can read articles about how detrimental fraternities/sororities are to society and how we do nothing productive, but I can vouch that my experience with Greek life has been quite the contrary.</p>

<p>I think it’s unfair to stereotype us as just a bunch of guys/girls who party together. Sure, we like to have a good time, but we give so much back to the community and the sole purpose of these organizations is to build a fraternal bond that lasts a lifetime, and I can honestly consider every single brother of mine a lifelong friend.</p>

<p>The overall GPA of fraternity members at my school is actually higher than non-Greek males. Greeks at my school have raised over $1M towards Habitat for Humanity and have also built 14 homes. Greeks are senior members in our Student Government and Ambassadors.</p>

<p>Greek life isn’t for everyone. If you don’t want to join a fraternity or sorority, then don’t. No one’s forcing you to or is going to bash you for not joining one. If you want to avoid Greek life, then simply don’t become a Greek, but don’t label us as something we’re not.</p>

<p>I go to UPenn and Greek Life definitely has a strong presence here</p>

<p>Why wouldn’t you want to go greek? Geed…</p>

<p>I would SOOOOOO go Greek but I’m poor. And lazy. But mostly poor.
I have friends in Panhellenic and the Asian/Multicultural Greek and I think that SOME, not all, represent the typical Greek Life stereotype but that’s because partying is the ONLY thing they care about. </p>

<p>My RA founded a Frat on campus and he’s super nice, well rounded, and isn’t a jerk at all. </p>

<p>Anyway. About 3% of my school is in Greek Life.</p>

<p>In the end it’s all about what school you go to. Almost every university has frats, but leading universities like Dartmouth and other ivys have Greek life that is much more involved and successful simply because its an ivy; no student who only wants to party gets in there. You have to remember to think of Greeks as members of the university first, and partying ******bags second.</p>