Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Greek Life

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Most social activities at RPI are Greek-related. Sororities are dry, which means they can’t drink in their houses, but this isn’t the case at the (off-campus) fraternities. Frats offer the student body a close and safe way to party on the weekends. Fraternity life is not for everyone, and the different fraternities range widely in their interests and specialties. Some men find it hard to get into fraternity parties if they are not Greek—girls are in high demand, but there are already plenty of guys around.

Fraternities are the backbone of the social scene and provide an outlet for students to get out and have a good time. There is no great rift between Greeks and non-Greeks, however. Every Greek organization does a lot of community service, most of which are fun events, and they contribute a lot to the student body and the greater Troy area, as well. Almost every chapter has at least one or two well-known charity events they hold each year. The best advice for incoming freshmen is to go check out as many houses as you can during rush; get to know as many people as you can to find out if there is a Greek organization out there for you. Go to houses with the friends you’ve made in the dorms, and don’t go in with any preconceived ideas. Every house is different, and if you want to go Greek, there’s a house for you.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Parties are usually Greek (run by... Parties are usually Greek (run by fraternities), and they are fun and usually very safe depending on the house you visit. 12345 Greek Life Report

Anonymous says:

Our Greek system is not like the... Our Greek system is not like the stereotypical ‘wild and out of control’ images you see on TV. Granted, we certainly do get ridiculous and party hard, we are also mostly serious students as well. It does somewhat dominate the social scene, but that’s because there isn’t too much to do in the area. Albany (15 minutes away) is semi-decent, but not amazing. Because of there not being a ton to do, Greek stuff does tend to dominate, and involve mostly normal kids who want to have fun and a good social life while at school. It’s obviously not for everyone, though, but most of the campus does have a good time at fraternity parties. Sororities tend to be governed a lot tighter, and from what I’ve seen, aren’t as tight as the fraternities. 12345 Greek Life Report

Anonymous says:

The parties on campus are... The parties on campus are basically the fraternity parties. They basically run the social scene at RPI, although there are a lot of apartment parties not associated with frats at all. 12345 Greek Life Report

Anonymous says:

If you’re not into Greek life,... If you’re not into Greek life, don’t bother. 12345 Greek Life Report

Anonymous says:

It’s scary—as all Greek life is. 12345 Greek Life Report

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