Amazing how it seems like Theta has a presence at the schools that have about 3 sororities- honestly, it makes them seem stronger in my eyes, though I don't know how on point that is. But to me, it's impressive that they are at the "top 3" schools, plus many others on that list, and not many other sororities are.

Coming from a school that had a lot of sororities but about 60 people in each sorority (large, public school), I can't fathom 75% of the student body in any school being affiliated with something like the Greek System or eating clubs. I know that it's different at different schools, as I can't imagine being in a sorority with 200 undergrad members either, but seeing as there are only so many eating clubs at Princeton, for example, and so many people join them... I'm not sure it would hold as special of a place in my heart, knowing that I was a part of something that a select group of others was a part of. (Not that I am thinking "I'm a so-and-so, na-na na-na boo boo.") Wouldn't it just seem like a given to be a member of an eating club, and not that big of a deal that you were there with hundreds of others? Especially since people who weren't involved in the eating clubs would be there and be able to join in everything as well?

Michigan State and Penn State (in that order) were the first two land-grant colleges.

ETA: To keep the record clear, they were both established prior to the Morrill Act. Michigan State was considered a model for the how the Morrill Act would work.

I wonder how much of the lack of prestige that historically white GLOs have at the Ivies is based on the fact that, except Cornell, the schools are older than most fraternities and sororities. That wouldn't quite explain the relative popularity of Greek Life at Dartmouth and Penn, but would explain the fact that at the other five (and even at equally old places like W&M and Rutgers, where Greek life is there but not strong), campus life was built up without them for the most part and they didn't get a strong toehold in campus life. Most of the "big" Greek schools were founded much later than the Ivies, and perhaps more professors and parents were Greek, and encouraged Greek life more.

It could also be that for the most part, the "good" schools are located in either large cities (NYC, DC, Atlanta) where there's a lot of other things to do.

As I've mentioned before, I wrote my senior thesis on the postwar architectural programme at Brown. Part of that programme was to construct a Greek quad, and I devoted a chapter to the things that the college did to control the Greeks (even immediately after WWII, it made Animal House look like an episode of Sesame Street). Greek Life wasn't even that strong then.

I've been pretty busy, but I do want to discuss Greek Life at Brown and Columbia. I promise. :)

For Alpha Phi Omega (Community Service co-ed)

Harvard - Never
Princeton -Inactive
Yale - Inactive (within last year)
Cal Tech - Never
MIT -Active (First chapter in New England)
Stanford - Active (First chapter on the West Coast)
U Penn - Active
Colombia - Inactive
Chicago - Active
Duke - Active
Dartmouth -Never
Northwestern - Colony
Wash U - Active
Johns Hopkins - Active
Cornell - Active
Brown - Inactive
Emory - Active
Rice - Inactive
Vanderbilt - Active
Notre Dame - Inactive
Berkeley - Active
Carnegie Mellon - Active (my alma mater!)
Georgetown - Active
UCLA - Active
UVA - Active

15 Active
1 Colony (APO calls them Petitioning Groups)
6 Inactive
3 Never

The existence of Alpha Phi Omega definitely doesn't indicate one way or another whether there is an active Social Greek system though. :)

ITYM Columbia

For that matter, there is no Greek system at Caltech. They used to have frats way back in the 30's or something, but they no longer have them (at least not as recognized organizations). I would imagine no one has time to participate in one anyways ;)

Thanks for the explanation!!! I've heard it before, but I never remember the exact details.

I don't think all state schools in Texas are land grant. One school that comes to mind is Sam Houston State. It started out as a Teacher's College. And, Texas Southern U. It started out as Houston College for Negroes.

But, to keep track on the thread, I know that both schools have really great greek systems!!

You'd be surprised. RPI is one of the best tech schools in the country, and Greek Life is huge there. Location might have a lot ot do with it though. I know the NYU Greek life is very weak because a lot of students don't see the need for it with all that is available in the area.

See my post above. I checked and there are two land-grant schools in Texas: Texas A&M and Prairie View A&M. ;)

Yeah....I replied to your first one before I saw your other one....:o

I'm at MIT, and Greek life is huge here as well. I'm sure it's just a matter of the demographic and foci of the students. I definitely know that at Caltech, there is an amazing focus on research and academics. Not that they're all bookworms, but the students seem to believe that the main purpose of college is purely academics, and they are all very devoted to their studies. Pasadena isn't exactly the best college town with tons to do, but I would figure that Caltech students have enough on their plate without having to deal with pledging.

At MIT, Greek life isn't so much about the "party" aspect as it is about having a support group. The brothers and sisters in our GLOs are the people we go to for stress relief, for help with classes, for career guidance. In all universities, there are vastly difference reasons for the existence and purposes that Greek life plays, whether it's mainly social or mainly academic.

That's exactly right. And it's less than 10% of the school -- it's around 10% of the eligible students (they are upperclassman-only at both Harvard and Yale). The Yale ones don't have social events at all; they are solely for members. At Harvard, the old-money ones operate the same way: a drinking club for members, closed doors, no guests. The ones that have parties with guests are basically just local frats and not so hard to get into. They are strongly associated with certain sports teams, just like frats at most campuses.

Re: the silliness of a selective, elite institution believing in an egalitarian social scene: a lot of people think that competition belongs in some arenas and not in others. Anyone who applies to HYP is inherently agreeing to be judged on academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, and diverse life experience. It doesn't mean that they want to be judged based on looks, popularity, social connections, and being the life of the party. Realistically, that's what GLO selection is about when you're selecting from the HYP student body: everyone is an excellent student, ambitious, talented, a leader, etc. Students compete to get into those schools; once there, they compete with one another to lead orchestras and publications and service groups; they compete to get into Yale Law and Hopkins Med; when it comes time to socialize, they want to chill out for a change and not worry about who's who.

Re: the fact that Theta is at all 3 of HYP: I know we don't like to talk about tiers here, but it's the "hot," socially elite group at all 3, too, and has chapters at all the other Ivies except Dartmouth, where its chapter went local.

The embarrassment about sorority membership that you find at HYP, and sometimes at Brown/Columbia, is nonexistent at Dartmouth and Cornell. Penn is in the middle; sororities are pretty cool for freshman women and totally uncool for seniors.

Re: tech schools: Caltech groups students into houses where you live/eat/party together, like Harvard, Yale, and Rice do. Schools that do this typically have much lower interest in Greek life. MIT does not, which explains the thriving Greek life there vs. none at Caltech.
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Park Royal 2 Condominium

I'm sure there are definitely areas of some of our dorms that could contest that ;) For example, certain halls in our East Campus dorm are so close that they're practically a frat. In fact, the 2nd West hall even calls themselves "Pi Tau Zeta" (a Greekification of their nickname, Putz). It certainly is true, however, that most GLO members at MIT come from the west side of campus, where dorms are much bigger and less bonded as a group.

re: Theta, it's also seen as one of the "top tier" sororities at MIT as well, interestingly.

Thank you! I am used to typing the name of the country when I play Sporcle lol

Fun fact: Iowa was the first state to accept the Morrill act and Iowa State is considered the "first" land-grant institution as designated by the Morrill act. There's even a building on campus named after Morrill - Morrill Hall.

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