Can someone please explain the whole frat thing to me? What goes in rushing and what is it all about

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The actual "rush" period (lots of parties and drinking) is about a week- maybe 10 days. Then the picking happens. With guys the actual "acceptance" is less formal- I think you are just told by your new buddies. For girls they have this horrific ceremony (at least at Carolina) where all the girls stand in the horseshoe (the main part of campus) and are given bags that they all open at the same time. Some bags are empty, and some have t-shirts. The t-shirt has the name of your sorority. You open you bag and either cry or go hug your new "sisters." In front of everyone. Kids (Greek and Non Greek) hang on the sidelines to watch.

That's awesome that he already has friends in the frat so he has an "in." Pleducation classes are usually one or two nights a week for about 2 hours. If he really wants to do it, it will be up to him to budget his time and produce the grades amongst the frivolity.

Ouch - empty bags?!

That's not true. I was in a sorority at the University of South Carolina and girls who didn't get a bid did not go to the Bid Day ceremony. They found out ahead of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't imAgine why any thinking human being would want to participate in something so disgusting on every level. No way would I allow my child to go Greek. And yes we are looking. At elitist ( meaning the students have brains and are primarily going to college to
Learn from a wife diversity of people ) SLACs that don't tolerate this ridiculousness.

What's ridiculous is your suggesting that there isn't an enormous amount of self-segregation and extreme snobbery at the most "elite" schools. BTDT, and am fine with my kid joining a frat or sorority at a school that actually has many more opportunities to learn from students from different backgrounds than a typical SLAC.

Your reason is flawed, frats & sororities offer LESS DIVERSITY, not more.

They may be less diverse than the universities where they are located as a whole, but have just as much SES diversity as some SLACs full of liberal rich kids, if not more.

I have yet to attend any school, with or without frats, where students did not engage in some degree of self-segregation, whether based on income, race, ethnicity or political views.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SLACs often have very small classes and emphasize learning through discussion and interactive learning. Students get to know the other students in their major very well and often develop strong bonds with their key professors. The emphasis is on undergraduate education; although many have wonderful science programs that develop the very top candidates for graduate, medical and law school. Many of the students go on to graduate and professional schools or become artists, teachers, or entrepreneurs. The best SLACs (Williams and Amherst) are as difficult to get into as the Ivies.

Nice plug. I got into Amherst and Williams. I don't seem to recall Williams having fraternities at the time, but Amherst definitely did.