Boise State/ Univ of Idaho Greek life

[EagleScout4life]

I am heading into my sophomore year of college. I am 20 yr old (class of 2019)spent my first year at a Jr college and transferring into either BSU or Univ of Idaho in the fall(deciding this week due to COVID stay home and commute or move to Moscow). I am wanting to join a fraternity and curious what Greek life is like at BSU or UI. Are they both highly competitive Greek systems to get accepted into a Fraternity? I don’t party. would I be cut because I’m not the party type. I’m a gamer. I am an Eagle Scout, State head of my Masonic youth Organization (Demolay) I have a High GPA 3.5 and in honor society. I was on my High School track team and marching band. I am a Mason and a Shriner. However, I want to hang out and make friends and be a brother with guts my age.. My mom is a sorority member and says I am the complete package. However, her stories from Greek life in the south in the early 90s ..... well sounds cut throat. I am shy and somewhat awkward at times and just curious how Greek life is at Boise State or even Univ of Idaho. Any advice? Be your self is played out. I need tips to make it through recruitment and stand out to get a bid. Any advice will help a lot!

[naraht]

A few comments...

1) From the comments here over the years, Sorority Rush in the SEC (and to some extent the rest of the South) is super competitive (as you said cutthroat) compared to sororities outside the South and for the most part (NIC) Fraternities as well.

2) With your Eagle Scout Background, you may want to look at Alpha Phi Omega community service fraternity, which was founded on the ideals of the Scout Oath and Law.

[EagleScout4life]

ThAnk you for your comments. I know I can be a member of APhiO as well as an IFC fraternity member. I’m looking for advice and input to go through IFC formal recruitment at either school. I’ve been told by Scout Masters already about Alpha Phi Omega.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by EagleScout4life

ThAnk you for your comments. I know I can be a member of APhiO as well as an IFC fraternity member. I’m looking for advice and input to go through IFC formal recruitment at either school. I’ve been told by Scout Masters already about Alpha Phi Omega.

Cool. I don't remember any members here specifically from either BSU or UI, so I don't think you'll get anything specific on the two campuses.

U of I's Fraternity recruitment looks to be more organized, see https://www.uidaho.edu/student-life/...c-fraternities , but of course with COVID, who knows.

[PGD-GRAD]

You are coming into rush very well informed and armed with a strong GPA and activities. My best advice initially would be: BE YOURSELF! If you feel that you can be “awkward at times” then WORK on that! You have time to practice greetings and conversations.

Being able to appear confident and to carry on meaningful conversations are both VITAL SKILLS in networking and in interviewing for an internship and a job. So what better time than fraternity rush to hone those skills?

I’d also encourage you to search fraternity websites and—perhaps—reach out to rush chairs or officers and introduce yourself, tell them you’re interested, and ask them to tell you a bit about their chapter. Don’t discuss your shortcomings and appear insecure—just gather information and THANK THEM! They will remember your name; believe me, VERY FEW rushees will do this.

And GOOD LUCK to you! I know in my own chapter, our rush chairs are always happy and even flattered when a rushee expresses interest. (And—reaching out is one way to work through your perceived “awkwardness”!)

Please come back in the fall and share your experience with us...

[EagleScout4life]

Originally Posted by naraht

Cool. I don't remember any members here specifically from either BSU or UI, so I don't think you'll get anything specific on the two campuses.

U of I's Fraternity recruitment looks to be more organized, see https://www.uidaho.edu/student-life/...c-fraternities , but of course with COVID, who knows.

Serious who knows! I’m so up in the air which school to commit to . Do I just stay home here in Boise and commute or go to UI which was my first choice, but with COVID I’m so confused.
Both schools have good chapters but again how competitive I don’t know.

My main objective is school first and foremost and can always do classes online.
Thanks COVID for messing with everything in our lives.

[EagleScout4life]

Originally Posted by PGD-GRAD

You are coming into rush very well informed and armed with a strong GPA and activities. My best advice initially would be: BE YOURSELF! If you feel that you can be “awkward at times” then WORK on that! You have time to practice greetings and conversations.

Being able to appear confident and to carry on meaningful conversations are both VITAL SKILLS in networking and in interviewing for an internship and a job. So what better time than fraternity rush to hone those skills?

I’d also encourage you to search fraternity websites and—perhaps—reach out to rush chairs or officers and introduce yourself, tell them you’re interested, and ask them to tell you a bit about their chapter. Don’t discuss your shortcomings and appear insecure—just gather information and THANK THEM! They will remember your name; believe me, VERY FEW rushees will do this.

And GOOD LUCK to you! I know in my own chapter, our rush chairs are always happy and even flattered when a rushee expresses interest. (And—reaching out is one way to work through your perceived “awkwardness”!)

Please come back in the fall and share your experience with us...

That is fantastic and valuable advice ... I wasn’t sure if you could reach out to the various groups. One of my Masonic brothers just emailed me some names of masons and Shriners here locally who know me and who are alumni of the various groups...... would it be ok to approach them to aid in my recruitment? My mother said something about Rec letters but wasn’t sure if fraternities need them. thank you for your advice I will let you know what happens.👍🏼 Love to hear all valuable input keep it coming 👍🏼👍🏼

[PGD-GRAD]

Absolutely! Fraternities do still receive recommendation letters or emails for both legacies and students or sons of friends or neighbors.
And absolutely a letter would not hurt—ha!—your Greek membership of Shriners and Masonic brothers is indeed a valuable source. It reminds me of advice many of our GC sorority alumnae give to a PNMs: ask teachers, church members, their mothers’ friends ALL of whom are women who were or could be college graduates and could be Greek.

You’ve got the interest and spirit—use it! Just don’t appear OVERLY zealous; there’s a fine line....

[PhilTau]

First, you're talking about two public universities in sparsely populated Idaho. For about 20 years, I lived about 300 miles west of Boise. Kids in the Pacific Northwest are just not the same as in the South where I grew up. I would never expect Idaho kids to be angsting over getting into a particular fraternity or sorority. They just would just never do that up here. Though to be clear, the OP is not doing this, he is just asking if he should expect competitive recruitment. So my guess would be no.

I would recommend that you edit your original post to remove information that can be used to identify you. You put way too much personal information in it. Though helpful to members of Greek Chat, for obvious reasons, you don't want to do that. (Not that too many local chapters of fraternities monitor Greek Chat.) From what I see, you will have no problem interacting with fraternities and finding one that suits you. Especially, if you go to UI with their 18 IFC fraternities. From what you say, your mom is right.

There are a lot of earlier posts in Recruitment/Fraternity Recruitment you should look at about how to pick a fraternity and behave during recruitment/rush. You are not the first to ask and many of your questions have been answered there.

My guess (and this is only a guess) is that a major difference between the fraternities in Idaho is between fraternities composed of big town kids verses ones composed of small town kids and all the differences that that implies. But that is only a very speculative guess and I do hope someone from Idaho can chime in to correct me and to help you with more specific information.

For Greek Chat members:

From Wikipedia: The University of Idaho is home to 18 housed fraternities, 10 housed sororities, and 6 multicultural Greek organizations that make up more than 20% of the student population, and over 44% of the students who live on campus (around 1,800 students). This fraternity and sorority community is unique in that it's one of the few that allow freshmen to move in first semester as a living option, as opposed to waiting until second semester or sophomore year. This system works very well for the University and the students, with the Greeks having the highest GPA for 9 consecutive semesters as of Spring 2011.

From Wikipedia: Boise State has seen a growing in Greek Community on campus, from less than a couple hundred in 2010 to over 1,400 today. There are eight fraternities, * * * [Note: I counted nine on Boise State's website.]

[EagleScout4life]

Originally Posted by PGD-GRAD

Absolutely! Fraternities do still receive recommendation letters or emails for both legacies and students or sons of friends or neighbors.
And absolutely a letter would not hurt—ha!—your Greek membership of Shriners and Masonic brothers is indeed a valuable source. It reminds me of advice many of our GC sorority alumnae give to a PNMs: ask teachers, church members, their mothers’ friends ALL of whom are women who were or could be college graduates and could be Greek.

You’ve got the interest and spirit—use it! Just don’t appear OVERLY zealous; there’s a fine line....

👍🏼👍🏼 Great!!!

[SAEalumnus]

Originally Posted by EagleScout4life

ThAnk you for your comments. I know I can be a member of APhiO as well as an IFC fraternity member. I’m looking for advice and input to go through IFC formal recruitment at either school. I’ve been told by Scout Masters already about Alpha Phi Omega.

Just to put this out there:

My brothers in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house, where I lived, who were outstanding for high ideals and clean living, were all former Scouts. I felt a college organization should be formed that would strengthen men in these ideals, and give them an opportunity for leadership experience and for service to others.
As a senior at Lafayette College, I talked to some of the men with a scouting background and the response was good. These men would join an organization based on the ideals of scouting.
https://apo.org/about-us/our-story/the-founding/

By the way, I'm also an Eagle Scout.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by SAEalumnus

Just to put this out there:



By the way, I'm also an Eagle Scout.

More specifically, of the 14 student founders of Alpha Phi Omega in 1925, 8 were members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, 7 having inititated at Lafayette(Pennsylvania Gamma Gamma), and Frank Reed Horton who initiated up at Boston University (Massachusetts Beta Upsilon). 5 were members of the Krescent local which would become a chapter of Kappa Delta Rho in 1927 and 1 was an independent.

(Information from the Alpha Phi Omega Pledge Manual and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Magazine "The Record" Volume 81, Issue 2, page 56. )