Northwestern University
- Greek Life

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While Greek life at NU is tame compared to its state school counterparts, students are likely to gain a fair grasp of the Greek alphabet during their time at Northwestern. Greek life is a pretty big deal at Northwestern, with 30 percent of men joining fraternities and upwards of 40 percent of women joining sororities. Because of Northwestern’s delayed rush process (rush happens the first week of January, rather than in the fall), many students, who were originally opposed to the idea, pledge. Some houses center themselves around drinking and partying, but others pride themselves in their friendships and philanthropies. Bottom line: If you want to join a fraternity or sorority, there will be one to suit your needs. But at the end of the day, the choice is up to you. Either way, you are going to have friends who rush and those who don’t. And although many students do choose to rush, you can have a social life regardless.

One important aspect to keep in mind is that formal recruitment for guys and girls happens in the winter. This is good because it gives students a chance to make friends and grow accustomed to college life before deciding if Greek life is something they want to be a part of. For guys, the rush process is very informal; the fraternities offer Sunday night dinners during the fall, which give guys a chance to test out different houses to see what they like before accepting formal bids in the winter. For girls, the process is much more structured. Sororities and prospective new members (PNMs) go through a period of visiting specific houses. Through mutual selection, every PNM will be matched with a house. Northwestern does not allow hazing, so the rushing and pledging process should be fun and easy for anyone interested.

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Greek Life at Northwestern University

WildCat1992

Performing Arts '15

4.6

A

Big part of campus life

Greek life is VERY big here. But at the same time, it doesn't fit all of the negative stereotypes that it has at many other schools. Pretty much anyone can find a place in the Greek system that works for them. All kinds of people go greek. For the average social student, frat parties dominate weekends. But there are other huge scenes as well like the theatre scene and sports teams, and you will have no problem finding a social life here if you're part of another organization. But the campus is VERY Greek. It is a good part of campus life, and a great way to make friends.

Mar 10, 2012

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Greek Life at Northwestern University

bearclaw9393

Mathematics & Statistics '15

4.6

A

Gone Greek

With winter rush, fraternities are basically recruiting freshman all fall quarter and throw open parties. But winter and spring quarter basically eliminate open parties and rushing is really the only way to enjoy big parties, especially for guys. Overall, the Greek system is great here.

Jan 30, 2012

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Greek Life at Northwestern University

bc14

Biological Sciences '15

3.5

B

Not Too Overwhelming

Greeks and non-Greeks certainly intermingle. A large percent of campus is Greek so it's very normal to learn that new acquaintances are greek. Freshmen do not rush until winter quarter, so for the guys who want to rush, a lot of the first quarter is attending events with the frats in order to figure out where they are rushing. For the girls, there's no real emphasis until rush itself - which is a pretty laid back process. The Greeks can often be seen doing fundraisers around campus and supporting events such as Homecoming. Overall, it's mostly another social outlet, but can give students a place that they will always belong.

Dec 12, 2011

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