Grad Students and Greek Life w/o Chapter at Grad School

Jestor · #1 03-07-2008, 07:20 PM

I'm in the process of waiting to hear back from graduate schools I've applied to. Two of the schools have chapters of my fraternity, the third one does not.

For the third one, how accepting are Greeks of graduate students who are Greek, but their fraternity doesn't have a chapter on their campus?

Is it still possible to be involved with Greek life or is it pretty much, no chapter, no go?

Thanks

DSTCHAOS · #2 03-07-2008, 07:31 PM

I'll say congrats now eventhough you're waiting to hear back.

You will be a graduate student so you should not confine yourself to hanging with the undergraduate Greeks on that campus/surrounding campuses. It's cool when you are just getting to know people but the novelty will wear out.

Get to know your fellow graduate student Greeks and alum Greeks in that area.

Build up your networks so that you can remain involved with your fraternity, the community, and get to know about people and events in the area. I do not know if you will remain financial with the national body but that is another way to maintain your ties and get in touch with your local graduate brothers.

Good luck!

Senusret I · #3 03-07-2008, 07:36 PM

^^ I can't imagine an answer better than that one.

I can also add that if you don't feel that your fraternity's alumni involvement is robust enough for you (if it is an NIC organization), then you might want to look into other civic or fraternal organizations that might cater to your age group.

But you don't want to be known as the random fraternity dude that hangs out with other fraternity or sorority people on campus.

And.... "go when invited." If you casually meet Greeks and they WANT you to hang out with them, they'll let you know.

DSTCHAOS · #4 03-07-2008, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senusret I

^^ I can't imagine an answer better than that one.

I can also add that if you don't feel that your fraternity's alumni involvement is robust enough for you (if it is an NIC organization), then you might want to look into other civic or fraternal organizations that might cater to your age group.

But you don't want to be known as the random fraternity dude that hangs out with other fraternity or sorority people on campus.

And.... "go when invited." If you casually meet Greeks and they WANT you to hang out with them, they'll let you know.

Or else he'll begin to seem (and feel) like the advisor or the chaperone.

Jestor · #5 03-07-2008, 07:51 PM

Thanks, guys.

Sound advice! I'm not sure how strong an alumni presence my fraternity has in the non-chapter school's area or indeed even in one area that has a chapter (due to chapter's newness), but I'll definitely look into that once I know for sure where I'm going.

And I'll definitely get to know fellow graduate students who are Greek at the very least.

Point well taken about the advisor/chaperone feeling.... and I certainly wouldn't impose myself on anyone.

LatinaAlumna · #6 03-08-2008, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jestor

And I'll definitely get to know fellow graduate students who are Greek at the very least.

Yes, it is always a pleasant surprise to meet a classmate who is also greek! I've met NIC, NPC, NPHC, and fellow NALFO greeks through my grad program, and it's nice to have that in common.

The institution that I am currently attending does not have greek life at the undergraduate level. It is kind of sad. Once I had on one of my sweatshirts in the library, and these young ladies walked up to me, very excited, and asked if Latina sororities were now allowed on campus! I felt bad when I had to tell them no.

Even though there are no greeks on my campus, I am involved with my own undergraduate chapter and one other in the area, so there are plenty of opportunities for involvement.

Good luck on your admissions!

techzbt · #7 03-13-2008, 03:08 PM

I generally stay away from the fraternities at the school where I am going to grad school. Compared to the south where I went to undergrad (even though I went to an ACC school), I consider the fraternities here shoddy, unprofessional, rude, and only concerned with getting laid. Maybe it's just because I'm older, but I don't have the patience for that kind of behavior anymore.

There was talk of recolonizing the ZBT chapter here and I volunteered with the national to help, but nobody ever wrote me back, so I guess they decided to put it off. Oh well, I'm done in 2 months and out of here.

breathesgelatin · #8 03-18-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jestor

I'm in the process of waiting to hear back from graduate schools I've applied to. Two of the schools have chapters of my fraternity, the third one does not.

For the third one, how accepting are Greeks of graduate students who are Greek, but their fraternity doesn't have a chapter on their campus?

Is it still possible to be involved with Greek life or is it pretty much, no chapter, no go?

Thanks

As someone who dearly loves Greek Life and her sorority, I gotta tell you that hanging out/partying with the undergrad chapter at your university (note I'm not talking about volunteering) is considered pretty lame among grad students. And likely by undergrads too.

I don't know what you'll be doing for grad school. If it's business/law that's one thing. But M.A./M.S./Ph.D. students are going to probably view GLOs as really lame in general. If you want to make good friends in grad school don't be all "OMG frat life" all the time.

I think the situation is probably a bit different for NPHC orgs.

Join your alum club. You're a big kid now.

Also: it's beyond ridiculous to consider whether or not your undergrad chapter is there as a factor for choosing a grad school. Period. In case you were saying that.

Jestor · #9 04-30-2008, 01:52 PM

I just wanted to say thanks again for all the advice, guys and gals.

I also received notice from my #1 choice that I've been accepted!

ComradesTrue · #10 04-30-2008, 02:06 PM

First, congrats on receiving admission to one of your programs!

Second, you have been given excellent advice above.

Let me add that when I was in grad school that there was *no time* to even worry about Greek Life! Grad school was a whole different ballgame than undergrad. And the poster who said that you will soon find it lame was spot on.

There were other Greeks in my grad program... we enjoyed getting to know each other, sharing stories from our different experiences in different GLOs in different parts of the country, but I assure you.... not one person in my grad program even sniffed the Greek Life scene of the undergrads. There just was not time. But even if there were... there was no desire.

And yes, definitely choose the program that is going to be the best professional development for you... not based on if your fraternity is there.

Best of Luck!

TrojanWoman · #11 04-30-2008, 02:17 PM

I went to grad school at the same place I went for undergrad but a few years later so there weren't many girls I knew left in the house. I didn't live near campus and I was definitely too busy to be involved in the chapter. It was great to see the new pledges and the other actives wearing their shirts around campus. My grad program had zero other Greeks in it so I involved myself in my alumni chapter.