sorry I was shallow but i do feel this was a legit concern. For the future, if i run into someone of a different fraternity and they find theta chi on their college as a pushover chapter, i'm pretty sure they'll put me in that category as well.

but you guys are correct, the way you present YOURSELF matters more then what fraternity you're part of. any sterotype that person put you in will disappear once you present yourself better.

I will stick with my chapter because they are the best bunch of guys i've ever met. It bothers me a bit that potential big and known party schools i'll visit has some not-very-social chapters but I'll manage.

you guys were a bit rough on me (probably because i sounded like a thick-headed dickwad) but totally right

Also though this wasn't mentioned, reputations have a habit of changing rather rapidly. so a so called nerdy chapter can turn into all jocks in a semester.

This sounds like you're afraid they'll beat you up or trash your apartment or something. That happens in movies, not real life.

For the record, I've met people from other schools, and my sorority at their school was VERY different than my chapter, but the reaction was pretty much "huh. Imagine that." and we both went on. Really, it's not that serious.

Although if one of the things that's concerning you is that the OXs at party schools you want to visit aren't partiers, you still have a lot of growing up and priority straightening to do. If all you're joining a fraternity for is to have a place to crash when you road trip and make a drunken idiot of yourself, you need to get real.

Rough? That was nothing! :p So glad that you've seen the light.

We rarely change people's minds around here so the punishment might continue for a while. Stick around though. You'll eventually get a chance to bash the next newb along with us.

i think that once you are in the true adult world, people judge you, not so much what organizations you belong(ed) to in college. being a member of a fraternity shows that you can work with a group-that is always a sought after attribute. if you hold a leadership position that will be a plus too, on a resume'.

as multiple people said multiple times, every greek org. has their strong chapters and their weak. it doesn't matter what name you throw out there, they all do. you could always visit just those chapters of theta chi which meet your standards on your roadtrips :rolleyes:

There are so many different national/international fraternities that it seems a little silly to hang too much on any real or perceived "national" reputation or image. If you like your chapter and wnat to make the commitment of becoming a lifetime member, go for it. From initiation day on the quality of your membership experience will be almost entirely up to you!

Later in life, you'll most likely find that your membership experience is something you'll share in common with anyone you come across who joined a fraternity or sorority (of any council.) You may find you'll have the most common experiences with other Greek alumni from your own campus, or similar campuses (for example large state universities or small private lib arts colleges) and very little in common with an individual who joined your particular GLO at a very different college or university.

Exactly!

I remember a couple of years ago in my grad program (in a particularly difficult course), I was casually talking to two classmates outside the door. It turned out that all three of us are greek (one IFC, one NPHC, one NALFO) and it was, bam, instant study group! Once you leave undergrad, I think most people are very excited to encounter other greeks in the workplace, grad school, etc., and I don't know anyone who stops and thinks, "Hmmm...what was XYZ like when I was in school?"

I know guys in several fraternities on my campus that are "low-tier" and "top-tier" and I have never consciously said to myself, stop talking to him because he is a XYZ. The majority of people don't care what org you are in, personally I get excited if I meet a greek that's not even in the same org as me! Chapters are different nationwide and if you are proud to be a Theta Chi and like your brothers, I wouldn't give a crap about what other people think about me.

Wonderful!

Another way to look at it is that, in one of those "loser" chapters are pointing to your chapter as how they want to be.

Almost everyone that replied came from a "seasoned Greek" point of view.

This guy is only 4 weeks into his pledgeship, and I can see where his concern comes from. He thought Theta Chi was the best and was disappointed to find that all chapters are different.

But yeah, you don't pledge national fraternities, you pledge a chapter. And top tier on one campus could be bottom of the barrel in another school. It's like that with every organization.

Just stick to it. And like some people said, reputations change over time.