Do students form a lot of friendships through their dorms? Are there social events lead by RAs etc during orientation and throughout the year where people meet?

Just have to point out that college is actually about academics and social life just happens conveniently and is fluid -
Focus on the academics

I know three students there now who said they would never, ever rush but all ended up doing it because they felt panicked after the first semester about not having found enough friends. It’s two years later and 2 of the 3 are happy in their house and glad they forced themselves to do it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not very many engineering students are involved in the greek scene; they just do not have the free time to do that.

Yeah, I’m not sure any of them have what I’d call a “thriving social life.”

Seriously?!?!

Not at uva, but my engineering kid has a great social life. Not a nerd (she specifically searched out schools where the engineers are not nerds and have other interests)

What she will have is a great job, one that pays well at graduation.

Oh and she's also in a sorority because that's where all her friends are (so a mid tiered one). Goes to bars and parties all the time
And has a 3.8+ in chemical eng

3.8. That is crazy. What year?

My eschool student definitely makes time for a club sport. It is definitely what you are willing to make of it and how you set your priorities while in college.

Anonymous wrote:Your kid needs to think about how he is going to relate to people who matter. For example, people in pharma sales can’t derivative/integral their way out of a paper bag. But they learned in Greek life how to be hot and to be enjoyable at a reception or a cocktail party or a client dinner. That’s regardless of whether they’re hot sorority women or frat guys who aren’t dorks and fun to hang out with.

Don’t be the dork who grinds on Power BI and Python coming up with reports, or even slogging through med school to become an underpaid general physician.

Become the person the doctors dreamt of hanging out with as they studied all through college: the cool frat guys who know everybody important, and the hot sorority girls who will lock down someone very wealthy after having a LOT of fun in college.

Troll alert, do not respond.

Your kid needs to think about how he is going to relate to people who matter. For example, people in pharma sales can’t derivative/integral their way out of a paper bag. But they learned in Greek life how to be hot and to be enjoyable at a reception or a cocktail party or a client dinner. That’s regardless of whether they’re hot sorority women or frat guys who aren’t dorks and fun to hang out with.

Don’t be the dork who grinds on Power BI and Python coming up with reports, or even slogging through med school to become an underpaid general physician.

Become the person the doctors dreamt of hanging out with as they studied all through college: the cool frat guys who know everybody important, and the hot sorority girls who will lock down someone very wealthy after having a LOT of fun in college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not very many engineering students are involved in the greek scene; they just do not have the free time to do that.

Yeah, I’m not sure any of them have what I’d call a “thriving social life.”

Seriously?!?!

Not at uva, but my engineering kid has a great social life. Not a nerd (she specifically searched out schools where the engineers are not nerds and have other interests)

What she will have is a great job, one that pays well at graduation.

Oh and she's also in a sorority because that's where all her friends are (so a mid tiered one). Goes to bars and parties all the time
And has a 3.8+ in chemical eng

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not very many engineering students are involved in the greek scene; they just do not have the free time to do that.

Yeah, I’m not sure any of them have what I’d call a “thriving social life.”

This is not true for all engineers, many join the greek system and have thriving social lives!

Even though our first year student is pledging, they joined club swim (no cut) and a theatre group (audition). They also joined a professional society (not business).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not very many engineering students are involved in the greek scene; they just do not have the free time to do that.

Yeah, I’m not sure any of them have what I’d call a “thriving social life.”

Yikes. Whoa. You know all the engineering students at UVA? Eyeroll.

Relax, it was a joke. I never saw the e-school kids at UVA because they were always studying. No judgement. It’s just actual hard work.

Yeah. My Greek e-school kid definitely has a lot to balance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not very many engineering students are involved in the greek scene; they just do not have the free time to do that.

Yeah, I’m not sure any of them have what I’d call a “thriving social life.”

Yikes. Whoa. You know all the engineering students at UVA? Eyeroll.

Relax, it was a joke. I never saw the e-school kids at UVA because they were always studying. No judgement. It’s just actual hard work.

This one hits close to home. I rushed twice, once as a freshman where I didn’t sign my bid card, and once as a sophomore where I would up not matching with any houses. I did it by:

Being a relatively attractive girl, where girls always get into some fraternity parties, regardless of if they are in a sorority or not. (Not talking about mixers)

Hanging out with other Greek friends, who would invite me to their stuff sometimes (surprisingly a lot of it)

Working at a popular bar on the Corner where many Greeks and non Greeks would come to drink

I also did Madison house volunteer work and student government, and made friends through those orgs and classes.

Basically I mooched off of my friends who were Greek, without paying dues or having to do all the “mandatory” stuff. It wound up being kinda great.

Also by 4th year, all my friends were done with Greek life and wanted to go early alumni or deactivate so they didn’t have to do it anymore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not very many engineering students are involved in the greek scene; they just do not have the free time to do that.

Yeah, I’m not sure any of them have what I’d call a “thriving social life.”

Yikes. Whoa. You know all the engineering students at UVA? Eyeroll.

Anonymous wrote:Not very many engineering students are involved in the greek scene; they just do not have the free time to do that.

At many schools there are Greek houses that are predominantly engineering / STEM. No surprise…they aren’t the most popular or coolest but their rush and pledging accounts for their studies.