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

[Buttonz]

If your at a large Greek school, was that one of the reasons why you went greek? Do you feel that if you were at a smaller Greek school you wouldn't have rushed?

If your at a small Greek school, did that play a part? Do you think you would have rushed at a larger Greek school?

(I'll post my reply seprate.)

[33girl]

definitely.

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

[tunatartare]

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

[DeltAlum]

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...

[purplewindex]

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.

[TSteven]

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.

[AlphaFrog]

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.

[KSUViolet06]

No. My mom and stepdad are both Greek, as are alot of girls who graduated HS before me. They all promoted Greek Life as an essential part of the college experience. I knew I'd end up going Greek no matter which school I chose.

[PhiMuAmberkins]

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!

[KatieKate1244]

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.

[flirt5721]

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.

[SOPi_Jawbreaker]

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.

[jon1856]

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

[KDMafia]

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.

[Buttonz]

I don't think I would have gone greek at a school with a large greek system, only becuase I would ahve been afraid of what rush seems like, and very intimdated. I'm a shy person, so a large rush part and a pledge class of 30+ girls isn't something I think I'd be able to handle. One of the reasons why I loved my schools greek system that it was small enough that everyone knew everyone, yet there was a lot of diversity (at least for a commter school). Also, there is no way I'd be able to afford it.

The funny thing is, my top chocie school, the school I almost wound up going to, the school I went to, and the school I transfered to, all have one thing in common: a chapter of SDT.