<p>All NPC sororities (what y'all call the social ones) have philanthropies. Go to their national websites as well as their chapter websites to see what they do.</p>
<p>Hi! i've never posted before, and I already know I'm in the wrong place. Unfortunately, this seems to be the best thread to pose my question despite me not being a parent. I'm going to be a senior in high school and am seriously considering Richmond, it's my first choice so far. My only concern is that it's too small. I'm really excited for college and i'm hoping to have a really different experience than i've had living in the suburbs of new jersey all my life. I go to a school with about 1200 kids. I don't really want my college experience to be too much like high school which I've heard Richmond can be like, but I feel the school really fits me in every other way. Is that a big concern, and should I consider a different, bigger school in a more congested area? Or does living by the city of Richmond make up for that feeling of knowing everyone on campus? I've basically had my heart set on Richmond, and i'm afraid it's clouding my ability to determine whether the size really will be an issue.</p>
<p>Is there a reason that your D (or S - this is for anyone in the thread who has said that their kid was put off by the %age of Greeks at a school) is so opposed to schools with a high level of Greek life? I mean, I understand the negative image that many people have of it, but Greek life varies so widely from school to school! It might be a good idea to investigate what the Greek life at a particular school is like, and how the Greeks and non-Greeks interact, rather than discount a school based on the %age of Greeks.</p>
<p>I do think, though, that a high % does set the tone for the campus. My daughter that just graduated from a midsized, public university used to laugh when she heard the comment about the difference in the "service Greek " organizations. "Yeah, right."</p>
<p>My d is put off the Greek system by its simple exclusionary nature. No matter how "inclusive" they may claim to be, by holding all campus parties or whatever, the truth of the matter is that some people are members and some are not. And others get to "vote" on whether to include a person or not. That's just the nature of the system. To her, it's too much like the cliques she hates in high school. She just doesn't like the whole concept.</p>
<p>Would a large Greek system at an otherwise perfect school force her away? No, not necessarily, but that's when we'd do the more intensive research - that's what we did more at Richmond. There are so many schools to visit and so many at which she seemingly could be happy that it doesn't pay to do deep research on Greek life at a school that's low on the list anyway.</p>
<p>kylelizabeth, I wouldn't necessarily stay away from a school just because of the size of its student body. It depends on the kid, and only you know yourself. Some of my d's friends want small schools (as she does; she wants somewhere between 2-5,000 undergrads), some feel that 5,000 is too many, and others won't look at schools with a student population of less than 10,000. For every kid who transferred out because the school was too small there is at least one, if not more, for whom the size is just right.</p>
<p>Why are so many on CC appalled at the admissions process of the Greek system but not of colleges themselves? Colleges are looking for certain types to fill their classes. A Greek organization is doing the same. The sororities and fraternities are looking for well-rounded individuals with good grades, ECs and a commitment to community service and leadership. Are you friends with everybody with whom you are acquainted? Of course not, you select your friends based on common interests.</p>
<p>Recruitment applications as well as membership intake forms are just as detailed as the common application used for colleges. The potential new member will be listing GPA, class rank, activities, etc. My daughter, as well as her hs friends, have their recs lined up and have done their interviews with alumnae in our area.</p>
<p>I believe the previous poster hit the nail on the head. No matter how you slice it, the nature of the Greek system is "inclusive" or "exclusive" for that matter. Too simple an analogy but it brings back the image of the elementary playground team selecting. Who's left standing and the last to get picked? Many posters will share positives of the Greek system that carry into their adult lives but some of us just can't get past the idea of having to be "approved" to join the club.</p>
<p>That's fine for your daughter and her friends, Motherdear. Different strokes for different folks. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Are you friends with everybody with whom you are acquainted? Of course not, you select your friends based on common interests.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>My d chooses her friends herself, though, not by committee vote. And she may have interests in common with Sue and with Jane, and be friends with both, and doesn't really care if Sue and Jane have anything in common with each other. Or if they're even friends with each other. She wants to make these decisions on her own terms.</p>
<p>The difference between college decisions and Greek decisions are two-fold: One, college decisions are made by adults, and mostly professional ones at that. They're not made by a bunch of kids.</p>
<p>Two, once you're turned down from a college, no matter how devastating (and yes, kids think that the decision is based on their "worth"), you can get over it and move on. That school's out of your life. You don't see them every day. You're not reminded every time you see a flyer or poster that your peers deemed you not worthy. (For that reason, she feels that she wouldn't be able to vote down anyone, even if she did pledge somewhere. She'd never be able to face them again.) That's the exclusionary, every day effect of the Greek system.</p>
<p>(Oh, and if you think that people aren't appalled by the college admissions process itself, you haven't been on these boards enough!)</p>
<p>Chedva,
My sister goes to Richmond and is president of one of the top sororities. You're right, your daughter will get cut from the best groups on campus primarily because she's an northeast liberal. If she isn't from an old family or from the right school forget it. Of course girls are cut who do go to the right schools if they are not up to par either.</p>
<p>laxer, given that there aren't any sorority houses, does it really matter? Or is Greek life small enough at Richmond that she can have a good social life if she doesn't go Greek? Right now, her inclination is not to rush at all, and simply remain an independent, never "cut" because never applied.</p>
<p>If the "best" groups on campus are that shallow, God knows what the worst ones are like. "Up to par"? Are you kidding? </p>
<p>Acck! I can't believe I got sucked into this! I try to avoid these pro- and anti-Greek conversations like the plague.</p>
<p>I guess i wil put in my 2 cents. I always thought I was anti-greek until last year when my son joined a frat. He never thought he would be interested until he made some friends that were in the frat and they encouraged him to join. They are a great group of guys. Also, he has many independent friends. Plus all the parties are open to everyone.</p>
<p>two comments...</p>
<p>CLASSES- selection is not that great i believe... its very hard to change classes. my brother is not allowed to switch his classes until the first day of school this year. (hes a sophomore) and teachers arent the best- everyone says go to that teacher rating website to find out who you might like.</p>
<p>GREEK- the greek life there is so different than other colleges because there are no "greek houses." you can easily be in a dorm or apartment with kids who arent in a frat or sorority. the greeks have their own houses though, for parties or their community service projects. also, some frats have great parties that everyone loves, other ones.. not so much.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My d chooses her friends herself, though, not by committee vote. And she may have interests in common with Sue and with Jane, and be friends with both, and doesn't really care if Sue and Jane have anything in common with each other. Or if they're even friends with each other. She wants to make these decisions on her own terms.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>At my school, I do not know any Greek student who decides their friendships by "committee vote". It's not as though you can't be friends with non-Greeks, or people in other Greek organizations.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You're not reminded every time you see a flyer or poster that your peers deemed you not worthy. (For that reason, she feels that she wouldn't be able to vote down anyone, even if she did pledge somewhere. She'd never be able to face them again.) That's the exclusionary, every day effect of the Greek system.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Not worthy? I don't know how it works at other schools, but at mine, if a house thinks that your personality does not fit well with theirs, they recommend other houses for you. It's about finding a fit, not being worthy, and most kids who seriously want a bid get one (again, speaking only for my school).</p>
<p>I realize that not every school works like this, which illustrates my point. Every school's system is different, which is why I suggested looking into how the Greek system works at a school before dismissing it. For what it's worth, I'm not in a sorority, and I was never interested in being in a sorority. I'm just bothered by knee-jerk reactions to the concept, and by the idea that a lot of Greeks means that a non-Greek will have no social life.</p>
<p>Richmond is a great school in the south that offers great diversity and a strong academic reputation.</p>
<p>KYLELIZABETH - sorry for shouting, but I wanted to stay out of the Greek-no Greek debate.
The question that you are asking is a very personal question that no one but you can answer. No senior in high school contemplating a smaller college really knows if they will "outgrow" the school academically or socially before they start.
My advice, for what it is worth is to go back to basics, ask yourself the basic questions about small vs large - do I want smaller classes early? Am I interested in unusual majors? Does a nurturing atmosphere appeal to me or smother me? If you can find this book in your library, "The Fiske Guide to Choosing a COllege" has a great 20 question survey that guides you through this process of size, location, etc. Just listing your priorities, likes and dislikes on a sheet of paper can do the same thing.
Get a catalog from Richmond if you can and browse the course selections, then try looking on the Internet (this can take some doing to find this info) to see if you can see the actual course schedules for the last 3 semesters or so. You want to see how often the upper level courses in your prospective major are taught. If a lot of the interesting-sounding upper level courses weren't taught at all during those 3 semesters - that should be a red flag that you may well grow out of the school, or have difficulty completing a major. Well over half of them schould appear at least once in a year and a half.
Finally visit if you can and ask these questions of current students - especially juniors and seniors. Remember you have until deadline time to decide about applying, and if you are applying RD you have until May to decide which school to attend. My personal experience with my child is that the very act of going through the application process changed her thinking about college - priorities that seemed very important when she first started looking became less of an issue by Dec senior year.</p>
<p>You will most likely end up very happy at whatever school you finally attend, you just have to continue to listen to both your heart and your head and your parents over the next few months! Things will become clearer!</p>
<p>zag21 --</p>
<p>Do you have statistics to back up the great diversity claim?</p>
<p>yea.. richmond is not diverse. it is ranked significantly low on many sites for its' diversity.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses. Greek is an option that my daughter thinks she wants available to her. From what I hear, most kids get offers, but if you don't like your choices, then you can decline joining, so you feel as though you have the final decision. The "cell phone, preppy, not the most intellectually challanging student body" doesn't scare me, in fact, will add to D's comfort level ;) The new shopping mall? Well, that might seal the deal for her. CPK, Cheesecake Factory, stores galore, come on, a shoppers dream come true!</p>
<p>Size: D comes from a High School of 650. 2,900 won't feel too small, or so we hope.</p>
<p>Can do better for your buck: Well, as the saying goes.... "smile on your childs face when they come home from their first year at college..... priceless."</p>
<p>Would I prefer a more diverse atmosphere for my D, such at Trinity for example (not sooo diverse, but more so than Richmond)? Yes. But am I enrolling? Sadly, no....</p>
<p>This is a huge investment and perhaps the last chance we as parents can have some input into our childrens lives. I appreciate all your views and perspectives so far. Any others are greatly appreciated....</p>
<p>Ginger: As of right now, I am afraid Oxy is off the list. D is "in love" and BF will not consider westcoast. Richmond even feels far to her. Off topic, we went to Trinity this past week. Althought we had TERRIBLE tour guides, we had a great info session with a student admissions officer. Although I liked it much more than D, I think I have convinced her to do an overnight there in the fall. We know a very happy '08 there, just hope she will be on campus in the fall. Anyway, best of luck to you!</p>