Did Where You Went To School Play A Part Of Going Greek?
 

definitely.

I don't know that I would have rushed at a school where being Greek was a "must."

Same here. I don't know if I would have rushed, or if I had, if I would have had a chance.

I went to a reasonable size Greek School, I guess -- 16 National Fraternities, 12 National Sororities and three (or maybe four) BLGO's in a University of around 20,000 students.

I had no intention of rushing.

One of the guys who was a student manager at the university radio station invited me and a friend to a rush function and I got a bid the next day.

The rest, as they say...

I feel like I would've been intimidated had I chosen to go to a school where the Greek community was flourishing. Unfortunately, the president of the school I attend despises greek life and is trying her best to get rid of it (fat chance). Enrollment is getting smaller and smaller each year for fraternities and sororities, although last year was a really great year for recruitment. Hopefully a sign of what's to come in the future. :)

I grew up in a college town where Greek Life was embraced by both the university and the community. Most of my immediate and extended family, community leaders, and high school friends and peers (those who graduated before me) were (are!) Greek. As such, it was part of the college experience that *I* knew. Thus any "large" versus "small" scenario did not matter.

Yes. I didn't decide to rush until the end of my freshman year, so if I was at an ultra-competitive school, I wouldn't have bothered. Plus, our rush only cost $5. And, I don't think I could have afforded much more in dues then what I paid at my relatively small school.

I grew up in a town with NO greek life prescence, and go to a small college with only 2 NPC Sororities (Alpha Xi Delta, Phi Mu) and 3 Fraternities (Zeta Beta Tau, TKE, and Kappa Sigma). I think I would have gone greek anywhere I went, just because I've always wanted to, and I think it's a great experience. I probably would have gone a lot earlier at a larger school with a more flourishing greek system, but that's about the only difference.

I was actually going to wait until I go to University of Arkansas for grad school, because grad students can rush there (so I was told, correct me if I'm wrong!) and they have a larger amount of sororities to choose from. But I found my home right here! There isn't a Phi Mu chapter there, so I'm glad I found my place...although it would be nice to have one up there too, so I could be around my sisters all the time!

I grew up in a town with considerable Greek Life (around Marshall University), and I would always drive past the houses and wonder what went on inside. When I was in HS and looking at colleges, I didn't look at Greek Life at all. When I came to my current school, I did look at going Greek, as there's not much to do in a rural town.

I don't know if I would have. The reason I joined was because I was surrounded by guys at the EE building and need to hang out with girls. So I went through recruitment, but that wasn't until my Soph. year.

I don't think I would have gone Greek if I had gone to a school with small Greek system. But the reason is that a smaller Greek school probably would have a smaller variety and diversity of GLO's. It's not that I have anything against the NPC orgs. It's just that the recruitment is different between NPC GLO's and ethnic GLO's.

I had attended Pitt my freshmen year, and was very anti-Greek because I believed a lot of the stereotypes about sororites. It also didn't help to be living in Holland Hall and one night seeing a group of women standing outside in jeans and bras, singing songs. I don't know what group this was, and it very well could have been a sports team or something else. But since it was in the quad where a bunch of the sorority suites were, I automatically assumed it was a sorority hazing. And I think I would have gone my whole life being very anti-Greek if I hadn't met a nice sorority member who came up to me and just started chatting with me.

And I think that's where the difference in recruitment made a difference for me. From what I've seen, it seems like with NPC, women who are interested are the ones who have to make the first move (going to the Greek Life office and signing up for recruitment). It's kinda like they have to pursue the sororities at first (by signing up with Greek Life), and then during the recruitment events, that's when the sororities are pursuing the PNM's. I know there are exceptions, like if a sorority member talks to her friend (during the time before she's prohibited) and convinces her friend to sign up for recruitment.

It seemed to me like a lot of people who are anti-Greek would stay that way. I know I would have never signed up for recruitment and given the sororities a chance, and at the time I didn't have any friends that were Greek. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the way NPC does things. It works for them, and there are more than enough women who are already interested in sorority life that the sororities don't really need to pre-recruit (meaning like chatting up women prior to recruitment to get them interested in participating in recruitment).

So long story short, I'm glad I went to a school with a HUGE Greek community, because I was able to find something that was perfect for me and it's definitely changed my ideas about what sorority and fraternity members are like.

Greek Rush
 

I went to UPS ( That would be a whole new thread-what and where is UPS and who are some of the better known alumni's)
with about 2,800 students. At the time the GLO were 6 and 6.
And rush was held the week before orentation!

I went with an open mind but also without anyone from home with me as UPS not around the block from home.

For me this worked out well.

I did spend a summer at a near by chapter which is part of a 35,000 student population.

Rush alone would have been mind blowing. And full of stress.
Jon

I can almost guarantee if I went to a large school I wouldn't have gone greek. I was very anti sorority my freshman year and the only thing that changed my mine was that all but oneof my closest friends joined the same sorority. It was hard to not see the benefits of a sorority when you're sitting in your dorm room alone and all your friends are in the same place.

I think at a bigger school I wouldn't have run the risk of having all my friends in one sorority and therefore I might have felt less bored/lonely. Also since I didnt' rush til my sophmore year that could have prevented me.

The better questions is, if you had to go back to school now, would you go Greek?

-Rudey

I would only join if I were to join the best and most good looking house.

i jus wrote a response, and GC is acting weird.

if i had went to another school on my list (namely, Syracuse, but SUNY Albany/Binghamton was on there, as was Union and Hamiliton), i dont think i wouldve. then again, i went through my phases of how i felt about greek life.

if i had to go back to school and join, i wouldnt have joined so late (senior year). i wouldve tried for membership sophomore/junior year.

It didn't play any part for me. I probably would have gone Greek at most other schools, and the fact that my school had a tiny Greek system didn't play into the thought process at all.

If I had to do it over again, I'd do it the exact same way (rushing Kappa Sig second semester of freshman year).

You have been misinformed about Arkansas! Rush at UA is southern and extremely competitive. You would have trouble getting a bid as a sophomore, let alone a grad student. We are colonizing there because all but one chapter are WAY above campus total.

Because my older cousins were in sororities and because I spent a lot of my childhood at my grandparents' house--which was set among the sorority houses at the University of Arkansas--I could not have imagined college without Greek life.

I ended up going Greek because I had good friends who were Greek and they introduced me to the idea. I don't know if I would have thought of it otherwise, so it's tough to say!

Definitely. And furthermore, the *type* (local) sorority I joined had a lot to do with it. For being a small-ish school, Otterbein has a sizeable Greek life. A lot of people are involved in it, something ridiculous like 25 or so percent. I went to school with all of these notions of what sorority women and sorority life were like, and I got to OC, and absolutely NONE of them apply to Otterbein or our community.

I was really pulled in by the quirky traditions of each chapter, the unique identities each has, the ties with the school...things that I think joining another sorority would have lacked for me (not to say they don't have, but it's...different, hard to describe). The uniqueness of Tau Delta, our history, our traditions and how entwined they are with the history of the university really endeared me to the community.

On the more practical side, local sorority membership is affordable for me, Jane Average Student. While my brother is NIC, his dues/fees/costs would have absolutely devestated me. I can afford our dues ($50 or $45/quarter, depending on GPA), and that makes a difference...hearing some of the dues of some other greeks makes me almost have a heart attack, and makes me realize that I've got it pretty easy.

At any other school? Maybe not. The main reason I joined was b/c the older brother of one of my best friends was in the chapter.

I would have rushed at any other school because the concept appealed to me.

I grew up honestly thinking that anyone who wasn't a Greek had tried to get into a fraternity or sorority and didn't get a bid. I'll go out on a limb and say that, if I hadn't gotten a bid, I would have transferred to another school and tried again - I was that pro-Greek! So yes, I would have gone Greek, whatever the school & system.

Yes, me too -- I was pro-Greek before I arrived on my campus. Also, all of the other schools I considered had/have good Chi Omega chapters, so I like to think the outcome would have been the same!

I was raised in a heavy greek influenced environment....and my hometown is extremely inundated with greek alumni....so it wasn't really that much of a debate for me.

Side comment...

NutBrnHair...I love your signature quote!!!

Okay, back to the thread...

Yea, I would have gone through recruitment and hoped I got a bid.

My other school choice would have been UGA..with things as competitive are now, I guess they were back then..who knows if I would have gotten a bid.

In fact, I wanted to transfer my junior year but my dad said no.

My school isn't that big, but has a large greek system (about 6,000 students with over 1,000 being greek). I did not want to rush before comming to school, so I didn't go through formal rush. After a semester I wasn't really happy at school, and over winter break I talked to my brother's girlfriend who is an AGD at her school and I decided to go through spring rush, best decision I ever made. The kind of social life I wanted I really couldn't achieve without going greek.

I think it absolutely matters for most people. Where I went to school, a large university, I could have had a great time not being greek, but I wanted to experience the southern greek life I'd always heard about. Other examples...If I had went to Georgia Tech (where many of my HS friends went), I'd of absolutely gone greek like they did. It is a school where academics are the main focus, and to be blunt, many students there lack social abilities. Thus, if you're an intelligent kid from the area, and want a great education and to have a good time, you don't have too many other options. On the opposite side, if I went to a school like UCF or FSU, I probably would refuse to rush, as the fraternities there are completely different from what I would like to be a part of. Schools tend to have a greek system which although containing different organizations, share many similarities. Thus, I think its possible to end up at a school where the greek system may be completely wrong for you, despite your ability to fit in well at another school's.

I would have gone Greek anywhere, and I only seriously considered schools with strong Greek communities.

Perhaps I would have gone greek elsewhere, but where I went to school definitely did play a part. I went to a tiny liberal arts college, and greek life is the main thing to do there. You can definitely get involved with other things and keep plenty busy. However, greek life was really THE thing to do when I was a freshman. Anything fun or interesting was going on because a greek house was involved (Derby Days, etc.)

I think that at a large university (especially one without deferred recruitment) I probably wouldn't have bothered. The size of the school (1200 students) and the deferred rush (so I could learn about the greek system and go on coke dates) were a huge factor. No one in my family was greek, and coming into college I was already on the cheerleading team, so I didn't know about greek life or feel a huge need to be involved until I learned about the houses, met the girls, and saw what a huge part greek life played at my school.

It absolutely affected me. I go to a small, Southern, private school. Had I gone to a larger school, I wouldn't have had much of a chance outside of BGLOs. Not to step on any toes, but in all honesty, finding an African American Tri Delta is like looking for an already extinct species. It doesn't happen much. But at my school, we have no BGLOs, and I had no interest in joining a sorority at any point. Until most of my friends in the first semester turned out to be a part of the Greek system, then I became interested in how different it was, as opposed to larger, Greek-dominated schools. It was a slow process, but I went through formal deferred rush and just knew that I was meant to be a Tri D.

Went to My first school and Greek was a big thing.

Underground Pledged a New Group.

Left school and went to another.

Was strong Greek then.

Pledged one, left one, started a local and is still going.:) 42 years ago to be exact.:D

Never had any Greek Affiliation as the first one in My whole family to go to college.

Would I ever do it over again, No Way! Just the way it has worked out very well!


Oh Hell Yes I would!:D

OMG... I feel you!
 

Same thing for me! I so understand. I probably wouldn't have rushed an NPC is I had went to any other state school. I don't know if I would have rushed at all, but I don't think I could have gone NPHC, maybe Multicultural. I'm glad that my school is very different from most schools, otherwise I def. wouldn't have made my first choice. I think I'm the only black collegiate in the state of Florida (if I'm wrong I'd love to see some proof-I'm so serious!)

I think I would have rushed no matter where I went. I went through HS wanting to go to Lafayette like my grandfather and uncle (Chi Phi and DTD respectively)... I wanted to be a Chi O or Tri Delt...

Un/Fortunately when my grandfather passed away my junior year of HS, my grades dropped and so did my interest in applying to schools. I applied/got accepted to Clarion quickly and Im glad I did!

I found Phi Sig and it was a great fit!! :)

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have rushed elsewhere if I hadn't gone to Penn State - a high school friend was at UNC Chapel Hill, and she said she didn't feel particularly comfortable in their Greek environment, and I don't think I would have either.

I also wouldn't have rushed at a school where rush was for freshman - since my mom didn't go to college, I hadn't even heard anything about sororities until I watched a new friend go through. Fortunately, very few people rushed until sophomore year back then.

Penn State was SO big that Greek life is a great way to make it a little smaller (maybe too small - by the time I was a Senior, I used to joke, "I wish I had gone to a bigger school") Plus there were BIG Penn State events like the Dance Marathon which were pretty much Greeks-only at the time.

But I don't know if I'd like Greek life as much if I were 19 now. I look at pictures of my sorority, which was (and still is) a good strong sorority on campus, and I see curly hair, straight hair, short, tall, thin, pudgy - all sorts. Plus we had a few girls from families which were struggling financially. I look at pictures on the website now, and every single girl is thin with straight hair, and I'm guessing no one has to hold up paying dues because their dad is on strike. I see a conformity that wasn't there when I was at school. One of the things I loved about my chapter at the time was that everyone could be themselves, there wasn't an "ASA" look or "ASA" way of doing things (I know there was this pressure at other sororities) Don't know if that's still the case.

I thought rush was dumb so didn't go. I just called the recruitment chair later and told him I wanted to pledge. So him and the marshal interviewed me and I got my bid that way. Rushing is for suckers. You should simply join, like I did. ;)