college with no frats or sororities

[Guest Barb B]

Is there a list somewhere of schools that don't have these. DS wants to attend somewhere where the greek like is minimal. He is visiting Purdue university this week and says there is a frat. house on every corner. Definitly puts him off on the school.

 

Barb

[EKS]

UC Santa Cruz doesn't (or didn't when I was there, not sure about now).

[Gwen in VA]

A number of colleges that don't have fraternities or sororities have "eating clubs" or the equivalent instead.

 

Instead of trying to find a college with no Greek scene, your son might try to look for a college where less than, say, 30% of the students are Greek. If most of the students are not Greek, the Greek influence will be minimal.

[Guest Barb B]

A number of colleges that don't have fraternities or sororities have "eating clubs" or the equivalent instead.

 

Instead of trying to find a college with no Greek scene, your son might try to look for a college where less than, say, 30% of the students are Greek. If most of the students are not Greek, the Greek influence will be minimal.

True - after posting I thought I should have put less then idea. So, what is an "eating club"?

 

Barb

[Murmer]

My college did not have any greek at all...it was not allowed. But it was also a private religious school.

[Susie-Knits]

Hendrix in AK - has no Greek, if I remember correctly.

[MomsintheGarden]

My dd wanted to go to a Christian school with no frats or sororities, and we were very surprised at how few there were. They weren't usually the national organizations at secular shools, but they were similar. The only way we found to really know was to search the "Student Life" and "Student Organizations" parts of their websites.

 

I think that Greek life at a small school would have more of an effect than at a large one. I also believe that more than 20% Greek or similar groups is a large amount.

 

PM me if you like -this issue was a big deal for us as well.

 

Gardenmom

[Hannah C.]

I don't have a list, but the college I go to does not have any fraternities/sororities at all. (Except for one service fraternity which accepts both guys and girls - and it is a minor presence on campus.)

 

College guides tend to have statistics on how much Greek life there is. Perhaps those would be helpful?

[Janice H]

One guide that I know of, through isi.org called College Guide.org, describes how "open" or friendly the Greek organizations are to non-members. Usually this is supported through anectodal quotes from students. Apparently some schools may have an active Greek presence, but the intensity and personality of the clubs depends on the school.

 

I don't know what the current stats are on my alma mater, but because on-campus housing was very limited after freshman year, one of the benefits of the Greek houses was a place to sleep near campus. Otherwise, whether or not one belonged to a fraternity or sorority was relatively unimportant.

[readwithem]

i'm not sure whether you can read this list from the College Board - if not, go here and keep hitting "no preference" till you get to page 6, where it asks about fraternities and sororities, and click "I definitely do not want to attend a college with fraternities or sororities." You'll get quite a list ;)

[Jennifer in MI]

I went to Vassar. No Greek system there!

[kokotg]

A lot of smaller schools don't have frats...DH went to Oberlin, and there certainly weren't any there. My experience with a big state U (UGA) though, is that the population is diverse enough that you can find whatever kind of social experience you're looking for. Avoiding Greek life was not difficult for me at all.

[momofkhm]

The college I went to didn't have either and still doesn't as far as I can tell. Mary Washington University

[distancia]

There is a book called "40 Colleges That Will Change...You..." and I believe the vast majority of those listed do not have a Greek system on campus.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143037366

 

The one I attended, New College of Florida, is in that book and it definitley has NO Greek system!

[QueenCat]

Unless it's changed.... St. Mary's College of Maryland. A public honors college.

[Jane in NC]

Just a note that you may want to read beyond the numbers. My son will soon attend the College of Wooster. Technically, the school has fraternities. But none are affiliated with national Greek organizations. As I understand it, the groups are essentially clubs that are focused on service projects. (A Wooster Mom told me she was shocked when her daughter said that she had joined a sorority--until she learned that the group worked at an animal shelter.)

 

My son learned a lot about the social scene at one school he visited just from reading the bulletin boards. It seemed that almost every activity was sponsored by a frat or sorority. Everyone was invited, but an overwhelming number of events seem to initiate from a Greek organization. It completely turned him off. Other schools have fraternities but they did not seem to have such a huge campus presence. Of course, one does not quite realize this unless one visits the campus when school is in session.

 

Best,

Jane

[Guest seahomeschooler]

I went Purdue 20 years ago. It was very Greek then. If you do not join, you definitely feel left out. If you do, it's all about the parties and drinking. At least it was back then.

[HeidiKC]

Instead of trying to find a college with no Greek scene, your son might try to look for a college where less than, say, 30% of the students are Greek. If most of the students are not Greek, the Greek influence will be minimal.

 

Yep, I think this is right. I went to a state University that had a fair number of Greek houses, but not sure of the percentage. Surely not anywhere near 30%. Anyway, I was not in a house and I didn't think the Greek thing was any big deal. I didn't feel like a minority or that they were ruling the campus or anything. It was just another group of people, and you knew what bars they hung out at!

 

I know Notre Dame does not have Greek houses, and I think they are required to live on campus all 4 years. I like this idea. Some of my friends went there and they say that was such a nice atmosphere since everyone was in the dorms together, maybe more of a cohesive group. Plus as a parent, I sure as heck like that idea of my child living on campus!

[HeidiKC]

A lot of smaller schools don't have frats...DH went to Oberlin, and there certainly weren't any there. My experience with a big state U (UGA) though, is that the population is diverse enough that you can find whatever kind of social experience you're looking for. Avoiding Greek life was not difficult for me at all.

 

:iagree: Yes, I guess this is what I was trying to say in my earlier post. Big state schools are diverse, and there are so many kinds of people. That's why I loved going to a big school. I always think it's funny that lots of people think it is a disadvantage to go to big school and that you might get "lost" or something. I don't get that. I also only had one or maybe two very large lecture classes (Biology and Theater), the rest were all fairly small.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Funny ... my husband went to Purdue, did not join a fraternity and did not feel left out at all. He felt that most engineers did not join ... not their personality type. I suppose that if you went there for something other than engineering, there was more of a greek presence, but not among engineers. He made some lifelong friends there and still communicates with his professors there.

[In The Great White North]

None of the Service Academies have any Greek life at all

[Cindyg]

BJU doesn't have sororities or fraternities.

 

I've never thought about it (attending a college with frats and not participating), but that would be a big turn off to me too.

[vonfirmath]

A lot of smaller schools don't have frats...DH went to Oberlin, and there certainly weren't any there. My experience with a big state U (UGA) though, is that the population is diverse enough that you can find whatever kind of social experience you're looking for. Avoiding Greek life was not difficult for me at all.

 

This. I went to Texas A&M university. I know there were frats and sororities there... but i don't recall it ever making a difference in my campus life (and I lived on campus 2 years).

[MBM]

I know Notre Dame does not have Greek houses, and I think they are required to live on campus all 4 years. I like this idea. Some of my friends went there and they say that was such a nice atmosphere since everyone was in the dorms together, maybe more of a cohesive group. Plus as a parent, I sure as heck like that idea of my child living on campus!

 

You're close, Heidi. Notre Dame does not have (will not allow) a Greek system, but they do allow off-campus housing typically junior or senior year. Off-campus housing is also allowed if there is a shortage of rooms on campus or a student lives at home and commutes.

 

ND also has parietal hours -- periods of time when no members of the opposite sex are allowed in dorm rooms. Studying together in the common areas, usually parts of the basement, and various buildings around campus is okay.

Edited July 29, 2010 by MBM
It's my cat's fault.

[LibraryLover]

Dh and I both went to schools with 'Greek Life'. We did not join, but we also didn't notice it was a big thing to join or not to join. It was one option, with housing better than some of the dorms. (Some were worse. lol) I think it depends on the school. I wouldn't like a school where it was the main or only social scene. I would want a more diverse campus experience than that could offer, and I would want the same for my children. My son is part of a small-ish fraternity (at least on his campus--it is part of a much larger older organization), and I really like the young men that i have met, and who have visited our home.

 

I mention our experience because most universities have some fraternities and sororities; it would be a shame to limit a good college search/match on this criteria alone.

Edited July 31, 2010 by LibraryLover

[MomsintheGarden]

BJU doesn't have sororities or fraternities.

 

I've never thought about it (attending a college with frats and not participating), but that would be a big turn off to me too.

 

Actually, BJU does have sororities and fraternities. They are called "societies," and ALL unmarried incoming freshmen under the age of 23 are required to join one - at least according to Wikipedia. They are not associated with the national organizations with which most of us are familiar, but many even use Greek letters.

 

Here is the link to the BJU societies page:

http://www.bju.edu/become-a-student/student-life/involved/societies/

 

Pensacola Christian College has "Collegians," complete with Greek letters and a Greek rush. I know a PCC graduate, and she said that all students are required to join a Collegian.

 

Grove City College is another Christian school whose social life is dominated by non-national fraternities, sororities, and housing groups.

 

I'm not trying to pick on you Cindy:), but I find it odd that these very conservative schools model their student life on that of secular frats and sororities.

 

GardenMom

[dirty ethel rackham]

 

I'm not trying to pick on you Cindy:), but I find it odd that these very conservative schools model their student life on that of secular frats and sororities.

 

 

 

FYI, From what I understand, many of the "secular" frats and sororities were originally based on religious principles. Their ritual and founding principles are often steeped in scripture. How that is lived out in modern day is not always exemplary of what their founders intended.

 

As an aside, even today, many fraternities and sororities eschew the stereotypical "greek life" and promote philanthropy, scholarship, community involvement, extra-curricular activities. Many sorority houses are "dry" and do not allow any of their funds to be put toward alcoholic beverages. I was in a sorority that promoted these ideas. If it were not for the encouragement of my sorority "sisters", I would not have tried many of the activities I did and certainly would not have had those beneficial experiences. My life is richer for the experience. However, there were individuals who did not take up that mantle and lived a more typical "greek" life. Also, there were chapters on other campuses that did not hold to these ideals either.

 

I guess it bothers me to see these groups painted with such a broad brush.

[Gwen in VA]

I agree that we must be careful not to paint Greek life as universally bad.

 

Dh and I attended a college where a huge percentage of the men lived in fraternities. (The first sorority wasn't started until my sophomore year, so I know little about the role of sororities on this particular campus.) Dh was in one of the fraternities.

 

The fraternities did provide some social life, but partying was fairly minimal (most people only went partying once a week), service was definitely a part of fraternity life, and the fraternities provided a much cheaper alternative to living on campus.

 

Also, my kids are independents at a college that has one of the highest Greek participation rates of any college in the country. They have still found like-minded people to be friends with. They have still found that most extracurricular activities (singing groups, sports teams, various clubs) involve a mix of Greeks and independents.

[sandra in va]

Some have the college system instead of the Greek system. Rice U in Houston and Yale are two that I know. I really liked that everyone was placed in a college and had an identity on campus based on that.

[MomsintheGarden]

I guess it bothers me to see these groups painted with such a broad brush.

You're right. There are as many possible experiences with social organizations as there are groups.

 

I have an opinion based only on my experience as a member of a national sorority at a secular school. I had an ok experience, but would not have joined if I had really known what I was getting into. I was an engineering major and a co-op student, and was talked into joining by a friend (also in engineering) who felt that we needed to do more activities with girls. There were some very nice girls in our chapter, but most of the "sisters" focused on partying. I don't remember anything Christian about our rituals. I do remember being rather strapped financially because there was always another social to pay for, dues, t-shirts, etc. After I had been in the group for about a year the leaders decided we should be more "exclusive," meaning that we should try to get the more "popular" girls to join in rush. I had no idea what they were even talking about.:confused: I guess I wasn't much help with that initiative.

 

I think that besides the partying (for those that focus on it), my biggest issue with these sororities and fraternities is that I feel they can be socially stifling. Your main group of friends is chosen by you (actually, they vote on YOU in post-rush-party meetings - oh my, you really don't want to go to those) very early on in your college life. Yes, you can join activities, and many do, but you won't have as much time to explore in that way, especially if you are in a time-intensive major.

 

Because of my experience, we chose a college for our daughter that did not have Greek organizations. Your explanation about how some sororities/fraternities had Christian origins is interesting, and helps make some sense of why some very conservative Christian schools have them, or groups modeled from them. I just found it surprising because I didn't expect it.

 

I'm sorry if I offended you by my opinion, but that is all it is - my view. You are welcome to have whatever opinion you like:001_smile:. For those who are thinking about this issue for their children, I encourage you to look at all the sides of the issue. Whatever you choose to do, it is helpful to know what to look for in a college.

 

GardenMom

[dirty ethel rackham]

You're right. There are as many possible experiences with social organizations as there are groups.

 

I have an opinion based only on my experience as a member of a national sorority at a secular school. I had an ok experience, but would not have joined if I had really known what I was getting into. I was an engineering major and a co-op student, and was talked into joining by a friend (also in engineering) who felt that we needed to do more activities with girls. There were some very nice girls in our chapter, but most of the "sisters" focused on partying. I don't remember anything Christian about our rituals. I do remember being rather strapped financially because there was always another social to pay for, dues, t-shirts, etc. After I had been in the group for about a year the leaders decided we should be more "exclusive," meaning that we should try to get the more "popular" girls to join in rush. I had no idea what they were even talking about.:confused: I guess I wasn't much help with that initiative.

 

I think that besides the partying (for those that focus on it), my biggest issue with these sororities and fraternities is that I feel they can be socially stifling. Your main group of friends is chosen by you (actually, they vote on YOU in post-rush-party meetings - oh my, you really don't want to go to those) very early on in your college life. Yes, you can join activities, and many do, but you won't have as much time to explore in that way, especially if you are in a time-intensive major.

 

You are right. This is a common experience. On our campus, there were many greek organizations that were like this. I guess there is a good reason for the stereotype. I guess I was fortunate that I found a group that, while fun-loving, aspired to more. It wasn't a Christian group, as in one must have professed Christianity to be invited to join. But the ritual and tradition was steeped in Christian scripture. I never felt stifled socially. There were a couple bad apples who wanted the "more exclusive" group, but they did not rule the day. I think my experience widened my social experience. I was not limited to my dorm-mates, high-school friends and people in my major (not many spoke english:).) I met people in a larger strata of the campus due to the emphasis on getting out there and trying new things.

 

 

I'm sorry if I offended you by my opinion, but that is all it is - my view. You are welcome to have whatever opinion you like:001_smile:.

 

GardenMom

 

No offense taken. :001_smile: Like I said before, there is a reason for the stereotype and your experience exemplefies it. I just wanted to add another point of view to the discussion.

[creekland]

Covenant College in GA does not have frats/sors. It's a small, academically decent Christian College. Instead of frats, they focus on belonging to a dorm or hall. That said, one can change dorms each year if they prefer. My son (soon to be freshman) is really looking forward to dorm life and seems to have been matched well.

 

I went to a secular "name brand" public U where there were plenty of frats and sors and never felt the need to join one. I wouldn't let whether a school had them or not be a deciding factor, unless, perhaps everyone was supposed to be in one. I do know one of the reasons my middle son didn't care for Rice was due to some of the "experiences" in some of their "colleges" (not at all a frat, but rather, similar to Covenant with regards to dorm life, but WITHOUT the Christian influence). He didn't want to take a chance of getting assigned to some of them. They were way out of his comfort range.