<p>After reading these boards for a while it seems like whenever the subject of fraternities is brought up, everybody jumps on the Greek bashing bandwagon (detracts from studying, arrogant, exclusive, stupid, etc.). I know that there are very real problems with hazing and alcohal abuse that go on with frats, but it seems like people here can't even understand how anyone could ever join one. I mean, fraternities and sororities are just as much a part of American college life as the school newspaper and the Human Rights Club and the intramural Ultimate squad. Especially on the Ivy forums, I've noticed a lot of apprehension about Dartmouth's fraternities and the same sort of feelings about Princeton's eating clubs. Do people here really hate Greeks?</p>
<p>I agree. My niece found her sorority sisters invaluable to her experience of student life at U Mich. Being a sister provided a great home for her at this great but huge school. She has loved the experience. Being a sorority sister has not tied her down. She is curently finishing a successful year studying abroad. After my niece's experience, I would definitely ecourage my D (especially if she chooses a big uni) to consider pledging a sorority.</p>
<p>I personally would not join a sorority because I think I would like to do my own thing as opposed to joining a group. I have never really been a large group kind of person. Im more of a "few good friends" kind of person and, generally, I think many girls my age are annoying. My best friend joined a sorority and she has become a different person. She is just like her sorority sisters and has COMPLETELY changed her personality. I think pledging was a big part of that. I object to the homogenization that comes with pledging. That said, I wouldnt look down on someone for pledging, I just wouldnt do it myself.</p>
<p>My advice: Fraternities and sororities aren't for everyone. But if you are interested at all, do go check out rush. Pledging could be one of the best decisions of your college life. But again, it's not for everyone. </p>
<p>theo235, this is an internet forum. i highly doubt most of the people posting here are the social party-animal types (yes, that is a stereotype), but my point is, there are many more studious and serious students are posting here than those who are not.</p>
<p>im independent but rushing was a great expierence that allowed me to meet many people. if i had the money, i would join a fraternity in a heartbeat (at my school frats aren't residential).</p>
<p>The fact of the matter is that the time and dedication is takes to participate in a sorority/fraternity does detract from time for academics and thus generally your grades so suffer (unless you take 2 classes a semester). Exceptions are business frats, etc. </p>
<p>If you aren't going to pursue grad school, then yes--maybe joining a frat/sorority is a memorable experience. But if you're applying to grad school, your GPA (& test scores) are really the only things that matter ( they don't care about extracurriculars)--so it's probably not the right option for you.</p>
<p>I'm looking forward to frat parties.</p>
<p>I would agree that pledging can affect your grades. I did not want it to affect mine, so I took one less class than normal so that my grades would not suffer. It worked out for me fine. The following semester I took one extra class, which was a lot of extra work, but you just have to deal with it ( I realize not everyone can, but I am used to being in the library until the sun rises, and I still have time to party lol). </p>
<p>I do not see my joining a fraternity affecting my own or my brothers chances at graduate school at all. In fact, those graduating from my fraternity this year are going off to Duke Law, Columbia, Yale, and Cornell for grad school. It all depends on the person and if they can handle it. Even when pledging is over, it is still time consuming especially if you hold a leadership position. Being in a Greek house itself may not help you land a job or get into a better grad school, but the leadership positions you can hold will. I am treasurer of my fraternity and it has been a great thing to talk about during interviews. Not many people in college can say they have managed a yearly budget of over $125K. It actually helped me get my current internship.</p>
<p>We are nerds thats why we hate frats.</p>
<p>theo, frats are cool, I plan to join one when I get to school this fall. Like everybody else has said, frats and sororities are just as much apart of the college experience as athletics or student protests, etc.</p>
<p>Where are you going to school jblackboy?</p>
<p>For a given college, if you look at the campus crime blotter, you will see that the greeks tend to be featured rather prominently. If you go by fraternity row on a weekend night, you are likely to see drinking, maybe drugs, all sorts of activities that parents just don't want to imagine their kids doing, particularly in a non private setting, out of their minds. When you read about hazing, binge drinking at colleges, again, the greeks are big players in this scene. If the particular frats/sororities are not indulging heavily in these activities, I would feel differently, but they tend to be the center for such things. It's like going to a beehive when you don't want to get stung.</p>
<p>jblackboy's going to Dartmouth, the awesomest place in the whole wide world =). i am also heading there, and i also plan on rushing (altho we can't do it until our sophomore year, jblackboy... i'm pretty sure). i think Dartmouth's frats and sororities differ a bit from other schools' in that they're not exclusive at all (i.e. never party lists, etc.). or so i was told.</p>
<p>yep Im going to the KRUNKEST place on Earth, DARTMOUTH COLLEGE this fall spn and like taurus said the greeks there are really non-exclusive and their parties arent either, which is what makes them really appealing to me so im extremely excited.</p>
<p>bcuz dey hav big noses lol get it?!?!?!</p>
<p>I'm dartmouth 09 as well. The thing is that while fraternities and sororities may be the center of drinking and drug use on campus, they by no means are the reason why kids drink or do drugs. If there were no Greeks, drinking and smoking would be pushed underground, probably to unregistered off-campus houses or to the dorms. Drinking, hazing, doing crazy things like stealing road signs, etc are not activities exclusive to frat boys; college kids of all affiliations do these kind of things. Therefore I can't understand why everyone always blames the fraternites as the reason why these activities take place, when in fact we should be examining the societal influences that tell college kids that they should drink until they boot. Given that drinking, smoking, etc. will most likely take place at college regardless of the Greek scene, I say that the camradery and friendships built through Greeks are well worth the cost.</p>
<p>i plan to join a sorority/go to frat parties! why not have another social outlet? i love going to big parties! :) so it sounds like fun to me, and i dont need to prove anything by bashing them (as people often seem to).</p>
<p>in asia there is not much cultre of greek grps and frankly i have a negative probably exagerated impression of them thru the american novles i have read... :o</p>
<p>I went into college not having an opinion but four years later I am now anti-greek. It's really a personality thing so it's not appropriate to bash it in a public forum.</p>
<p>However, the one thing that amuses me is the cluelessness of the adults in the Parents Forum. They don't know 1% of the stuff that goes on in greek life.</p>
<p>care to enlighten on it?? :p
[nope i am not a parent]</p>