Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyGreek Life Summary

Written by Sun Kim

Sun Kim

Hometown

Duluth, GA

Major

Mechanical Engineering

View all previous student authors

As with everything else at MIT, the personalities of the fraternities and sororities vary. Everyone who wants to join can usually find some place where they feel comfortable. Many of the fraternities and sororities have gorgeous houses for great prices in the heart of Boston. If you’re concerned about the distance, some even have houses on dorm row. One unique thing about MIT’s Greek life is the existence of another set of houses called the Independent Living Groups. Although they’re not Greek, they still provide places to live, and they have historically been grouped with the fraternities and sororities. However, the ILGs are actually very distinct entities, and they are very vehement about being different from the Greeks.

With a variety of fraternities and sororities, MIT has an incredibly vibrant Greek system. Fraternities usually have between 25–50 brothers, and most sororities have about 100 sisters. The percentage of guys who join fraternities is higher than the percentage of women who join sororities. Hpwever, this isn’t Greek life like you see on TV—Greek life at MIT revolves more around academics and building friendships than pure social activities. Many community service events are sponsored or attended by Greek houses, and Greeks also hold many leadership positions. The Greek system at MIT is unlike what most people would expect at other schools, which is why many students who go Greek at MIT are people who never would have considered it at any other school.