<p>The least expensive ones at SC are $2500 annually. I could obviously take out some more loans to make things less tight but I’m planning on law school so I want to be as debt free as possible in undergrad.</p>
<p>Wow, I had no idea. For me living in a frat was cheaper than living in a dorm. I couldn’t have done it otherwise. That’s too bad.</p>
<p>Re: #21</p>
<p>Do you mean to say that living in a fraternity house would cost $2,500 more than living in a dorm at USC?</p>
<p>Obviously, the cost of fraternity may be higher or lower than the cost of dorm, depending on the school. If that is of concern, you may want to ask on the school-specific forum (or try to see if the web pages of the school and fraternities will tell you).</p>
<p>Also, Vanderbilt has a much higher percentage of students in fraternities and sororities than USC does; if you transfer there, you may find them to be of greater influence on the social scene than at USC.</p>
<p>Re travel: Before airfare got so cheap, students who crossed half the continent went home twice a year. Other school breaks we mooched off relatives who were near by, or off the families of our new college pals who were near by. If you are a good house guest, you will get invited back. I still spend every Labor Day weekend with one college friend, and another who later moved close to my parents now spends that holiday with my siblings!</p>
<p>California has amazing cheap state and national parks. If you pool your resources with your pals, you may be able to get some camping done there.</p>
<p>Re frats: When my dad was in college in the 1950’s, he was president of his university’s association of Independent Students. Somewhere I have a picture of him and his G.D.I. (as they called themselves) pals. Maybe it is time to revive that organization at USC. I have no idea what they did other than NOT join frats, but they sure look like they are having fun in that old photo.</p>
<p>Based on the observations of my son, who graduated USC in 2007, fraternities only seem to dominate the social scene from the eyes of first semester freshmen males. By second semester, without much effort, you develop your own social network based on the dorm, work, classes, clubs.</p>
<p>Stick with it, work at it, it will get better.</p>
<p>2500 are the dues for the fraternities without living in the house; they are paid by every member regardless of where they live. It’s costing me about $7000 a year on top of my aid package to attend USC now which I have to pay for myself. My aid package also includes $5500 worth of loans. </p>
<p>I never meant to sound like I have any problems with the Greek community as I really want to pledge a fraternity and prefer that type of crowd. The point I wanted to make is that it’s hard for me to do right now financially and thus makes me feel like I’m missing out on a big part of the college experience.</p>