Joining a Fraternity: Dos and Don'ts

Rushing a Fraternity can be a fun but stressful process. If you are planning on attending a large state school with a large Greek Community, you will have a plethora of choices before you during rush. My school for example, has 31 Fraternities and approximately 30% of our 25,000 undergrads are Greek. It can be a very important part of your collegiate life and even further on as the people you will meet in your fraternity will undoubtedly be your friends for the rest of your life. Make sure to follow these guidelines when rushing

DO: Dress well. Wear a collard shirt and a nice pair of shorts or pants depending on the weather and a pair of Top-Siders or casual dress shoes. Think of joining a fraternity as interviewing for a job.

DON'T: Wear sweatpants, athletic shorts, gym shoes, cargo shorts, etc. Again, you wouldn't interview for a job wearing gym clothes. There is a time and place for everything.

DO: Check out as many houses on campus as you can before making your decision. You'll never know which house might be the perfect fit for you until you check it out and meet the guys there.

DON'T: Join a house just because your friend from high school is joining or because you are a legacy or because of the house's reputation on campus. Take all of these things into consideration, but don't let these be the deciding factors into your choice.

DO: Meet as many of the brothers that house as you can before deciding. These are the guys you will be living with and spending most of your time at college with if you want to be active in your fraternity.

DO: Think about the next four years. Does the fraternity you're thinking about joining often get in trouble with the school? Will your house be on campus when you're a senior? Will you have a house to come back to? These are all important things to think about.

DON'T: Join a house that doesn't help motivate you academically. Fraternities are about having fun with your brothers and giving back to the community, but in most cases if you don't maintain a certain grade threshold, you won't remain an active member of the fraternity. If your grades slip far enough, you might even get kicked out of school. It is easy to get caught up in having fun, but keep in mind you are going to school first and joining a fraternity second.

Have any questions? Have any other tips? Comment them below! Good luck and GO GREEK!