Top Greek Schools

[dzsaigirl]

When I was at SMU, I was one of two people on my floor who did not rush. They had Rho Chi meetings by floor, in the floor lounge and I would just stay in my room...The girl next door was the other non-rushee and we had a contest one time to see who would turn their stereo up the loudest during Rho Chi meeting! We got bitched out, needless to say

[phikappapsiman]

I really like reading about "top Greek schools" and the percentages of Greeks on campus, because my school (Stanford) is really the opposite. While we have our fair amount of GLO's and BGLO's, it is by no means a greek-controlled school. There are those who are totally into it, but for most of us, there are so many other activities going on in other Row houses, theme houses, and dorms that campus life is always busy and fun. But we also only have 6500 undergraduates total, so we are not nearly as big as other schools. And last but not least, most of us also are so loaded down with classes that we really have to make time to enjoy the outside activities (but somehow we do!)

[SilverTurtle]

Originally posted by KappaStargirl
It's always been my understanding that DePauw's Greek system comprises such a huge percentage of the student population because they don't provide housing after freshman year, and it's easier to get a space in a Greek house than an apartment in town. Anyone from DePauw know if this is true??

I didn't go to DePauw, but a very good friend of mine did her freshman year (then she transferred). I remember her saying that greek life was all there was to do in the small town, and that the average % of greek students was about 80% of the entire student body.

I know she lived in a dorm her freshman year, and was going to be sharing an on-campus house with friends her sophomore year (before deciding to transfer), but she never said the greek system was big due to housing issues.

It's just huge there and always has been I guess

[AXWhoah]

I used to know a woman who went to Depauw, she'd been an Alpha Chi there (it is our Alpha chapter, she never let us forget!) and I always figured that since two of the largest sororities nationally were founded there (AXO and Theta) that greek life would just naturally be big.

[kristiAZD]

I'm really surprised Miami University, Oxford isn't on the list. Whenever I tell someone I am trying to transfer there they say, "Oh greek life is huge there." This one guy I met in a bar (who didn't know I was greek) told me that he went to school there and he said, "Yeah, it's a really great school but everything's about the greeks. It's okay if you're into that I guess." I didn't bother telling him I was.....didn't want to make him feel like an idiot and have to apoligize to me for an hour.

I am suprised not many Southern schools make ths list of greek schools. I am not in a Sorority and i did not rush, but i am hoping to change that thru alum initiation-- i am not going to name which one as of yet to protect the hoping and wishing and a lot of praying it comes true on my part, but I went to the Univ of Arkansas at Fayette-NAM and that was a true blue campus for greek life. My entire dorm was greek with the exception of maybe a handful of us who were not greek and i can count maybe two other dorms that were too. I am thinking and somewhat suprised that Chapel hill and Georgia did not make the cut too of most populated greek schools.


Laura

[33girl]

Originally posted by cutiepatootie
I am thinking and somewhat suprised that Chapel hill and Georgia did not make the cut too of most populated greek schools.

UGA is #15 on the list.

As far as Miami U is concerned, my ex went there for grad school and he said that while the Greek system was big, there was also a large faction of students who were virulently opposed to it. Maybe the "no, not THAT Princeton" Review factored that in. Then again, he doesn't always think the way everyone else does so he could be pulling that out of his butt.

[roxydiva]

i have two friends who are presidents of their fraternities at depauw. one explained to me last year, before he rushed, that greek life is just huge there. the housing does have something to do with it, but its not impossible to find housing without it. its just that if you want to be anybody on that campus, you have to be greek. and thats just how it goes since so many people go greek. just what ive heard anyway...

roxydiva

[ZTAMichelle]

go Lafayette...major props to my neighboring school Nice to see a smaller school on the list.

[kristiAZD]

33girl, you are right, I have heard that too. When I was on my tour our guide (a Sig Ep) said that over a third of the campus is involved in greek life. As well, many organizations were founded there, and I believe most if not all of them are still active on campus. A belltower was given to the school by the Betas, and there is also a beautiful sundial (that unfortunately doesn't work) that was given by Tri-Delta. I made my statement based on the long-standing tradition of greek excellence there, not really on the size of the greek population, I guess. Does anyone know what the criteria was for this list anyway?

[Peaches-n-Cream]

I don't know the criteria that they used for the list. I saw it on the www.msn.com site and thought that it would make a cool thread here on GC.

[DeltAlum]

There's the problem.

There may not be any criteria. At least none that I've seen.

What you have is a group that makes money using the name of a college with which they have no official affiliation.

They come up with lists that nobody agrees with using methods that nobody understands.

I've often suspected that they send out surveys and whatever student body sends the most back wins. Pretty scientific, huh?

Go figure.

[SigmaKappaKelly]

Originally posted by KappaStargirl
It's always been my understanding that DePauw's Greek system comprises such a huge percentage of the student population because they don't provide housing after freshman year, and it's easier to get a space in a Greek house than an apartment in town. Anyone from DePauw know if this is true??

KappaStargirl, I applied to DePauw University last year and from what I was told, by faculty and students was that half the reason most students went greek was because housing is very hard to come by in Greencastle. Greencastle is in the middle of nowhere and it is mainly comprised of the university. There is really nothing to do but be greek. I dont ever remember seeing any upper classman dorms. But the houses are all gorgeous and they seem to have a great Greek system. Congrats DePauw greeks!!! Keep up the good work Kappastargirl I hope I answered your question.
In Sigma,
Kelly

Orginally posted by Princeton Review
About the Rankings

Each of our rankings will give you an unbiased and uncensored view of each school profiled. We can guarantee that our candid profiles will seldom be found in any admissions office glossy view book. The important thing to remember is that each ranking is based on what the real experts, current college students, tell us about their schools. What could be more useful to students choosing a college than the opinions of current students?

There's your scientific data. That was from their website. All one has to do is fill out their survey and its online too. It should also be said that the list was categorized under the Party rankings(which included best schools for beer, pot, no social scene, etc) and the full name of it is...

Parties: Best Frat and Sorority Scene or somthing to that extent. Wouldnt take this one seriously. If anything I'd take a USA Today/Newsweek Top Greek System list seriously (if they ever come out with one). They at least seems to use some sort of complied data besides opinions when they do their rankings.

[DeltAlum]

Thanks UM Girl,

That's pretty much what I thought. Dosen't seem like very sound methodology at all (is that an understatement?).

At least it can be fun to talk about, I guess, even with no basis in fact.