Greek Life
Your guide to jumping into the world of greek life. It's all togas and good times.
My Experience
Hello everyone! Welcome to your insider’s perspective on Greek Life! I am an active member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and I can genuinely say that joining Chapman’s Greek community has been one of the best decisions of my life. I personally love the Greek community due to the mutual understanding that each separate fraternity and sorority co-exists in order to lift each other up. Not only do you gain a network of driven and inspiring individuals to look up to, you gain a community of people who have all come together under the same core values as you. This creates such a strong bond between you and your brothers or sisters that will last a lifetime.
Interview
Is Greek Life Affordable?
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Greek Life expenses vary depending on the chapter. Most houses will be around $600-$800 per semester, plus additional expenses for events and required items. Although this may not be affordable for many students, Greek Life offers scholarships to help ease the financial burden. If this still remains a problem, do not hesitate to reach out to your chapter’s financial vice president because they want to help you, and can most likely figure out a plan to assist your needs!
What Is Greek Life?
Greek life is a term used for fraternities and sororities, or Greek Letter Organizations, at colleges and universities. Greek Life is a type of social organization where men (fraternities) and women (sororities) come together under similar principles and values to form a brotherhood or sisterhood and to fulfill a philanthropic mission together. For more information, we have linked the websites to Chapman’s Panhellenic and IFC websites.
Greek Systems vary from campus to campus. Chapman’s Greek System is generally viewed as one that is much less “intense” than many people might imagine. Some examples of why Chapman’s Greek Life is so laid back is due to our absence of fraternity and sorority houses on campus, as well as our no hazing policy. Generally, each fraternity and sorority across the nation will have residential houses, as well as their own unique philanthropy that they volunteer their time and raise funds for all year long. Typically fraternities and sororities will put on special events that are either for the enjoyment of the student body or to raise money for their philanthropies. I would recommend researching information about Greek Life within the college you are interested in because each campus’ requirements and styles vary.
Across the U.S. there are approximately 6,000 greek chapters spread over about 800 campuses. Greek Systems vary from campus to campus. At Chapman, we have 9 fraternity chapters, and 8 sorority chapters. Chapman’s Greek System is generally viewed as one that is much less “intense” than many people might imagine. Some examples of why Chapman’s Greek Life is so laid back is due to our absence of fraternity and sorority houses on campus, as well as our no hazing policy. Generally, each fraternity and sorority across the nation will have residential houses, as well as their own unique philanthropy that they volunteer their time and raise funds for all year long. Typically fraternities and sororities will put on special events that are either for the enjoyment of the student body or to raise money for their philanthropies. I would recommend researching information about Greek Life within the college you are interested in because each campus’ requirements and styles vary.
Are The Stereotypes True?
How Much Of A Time Commitment Is Greek LIfe
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In most cases, stereotypes are far from reality. Media and word of mouth have generalized fraternities and sororities to sometimes be seen in a negative light. However, I have been blown away by the amount of driven and inspiring men and women that I have met through Greek Life. I would advise going into Greek Life with an open mind because most of the time the opinions you have before rushing will drastically change.
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The cool thing about Greek Life is that you can make it as big or as little of a time commitment as you’d like! Of course, there are mandatory meetings and events around one or two times a week, however, they typically are not extraneous. There are so many opportunities within your chapter or the Panhellenic or IFC Communities as well to get involved. As I like to say, you will get out the amount that you give to Greek Life!
with the President of Gamma Phi Beta (Sorority), Tara Abdi
Chapman Fraternity Instagram
Chapman Sorority Instagram
Testominials
“Being in a fraternity has taught me a lot: time management, handling responsibilities, opening up more socially, and just how to have fun with the guys. It’s made a huge contribution to my growth in college so far.” - Josh Michaelberg (Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity)
“Serving as president of Gamma Phi has given me the confidence to realize I truly can accomplish anything I put my mind to. While leading a group of 200+ women can be challenging at times, there is nothing more rewarding for me than to see what all they accomplish. I have learned time management, professionalism, leadership skills, and so much more. This semester has been my favorite yet and it’s all thanks to the amazing women I get to call my sisters!” - Tara Abdi (Gamma Phi Beta Sorority President)