Santa Clara University - Greek Life

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Greek life at Santa Clara is unique and complicated, but to put it simply, it’s not a very big deal. Since the Greek system is not recognized by the school, they are not allowed to organize, or even advertise, events on campus. Also, the fraternity and sorority houses are much smaller than those at larger schools. This affects them in several ways. First, only a handful of members actually live in the house (although there are a few non-official houses where members of a certain frat traditionally live). Second, frat parties are not huge events like at bigger schools. They are generally better organized, slightly larger versions of the house parties that go on every week.

There are benefits to the low visibility of the SCU Greek system as well. Pledging a fraternity or sorority is not such a dominant force in a student’s life as it would be elsewhere. Hazing is not a problem, and it is normal for a pledge to have a fairly extensive network of friends who are not affiliated with their house. Pledging is also a good way to meet people freshman year, especially members of the opposite sex, so if you are having trouble finding your niche at first, considering going Greek might be a good idea.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Day parties on Saturday afternoons... Day parties on Saturday afternoons at the frats are some of the best times of the year. For some reason people seem to get a lot drunker during the day. It’s a good chance to go all out and party like a rock star, especially if you live on campus most of the time. 12345 Greek Life Report

Anonymous says:

I’m glad I pledged, because it... I’m glad I pledged, because it made it easy to meet people and stuff freshman year. Plus, we have the best parties. 12345 Greek Life Report

Anonymous says:

If you are looking for a way to... If you are looking for a way to meet people and have the need to be a part of something, I’d recommend Greek life. If you are able to make a good group of friends without a formal organization, then I wouldn’t do it. It doesn’t dominate the social scene, and becomes less and less important after your freshman year. 12345 Greek Life Report

Anonymous says:

For a while, freshman year, I... For a while, freshman year, I wished I had joined a frat because they had parties and stuff to do, while the rest of us wandered around on the streets. But after I settled in, I was glad I didn’t pledge, because those benefits didn’t seem as important, and some of the frat guys really suck. 12345 Greek Life Report

Anonymous says:

The frats are not great, but Cal... The frats are not great, but Cal Phi really sucks. It isn’t even a frat; it’s just a house that you can pay to be friends with. 12345 Greek Life Report

Facts

Did You Know?

The Greek system at SCU is unique. Several years ago, the University stopped acknowledging Greek organizations, which were never very large or numerous, saying that they conflicted with the school’s Jesuit values. At about the same time, the SAE fraternity house had its charter revoked by its national council for hazing infractions. The Greek system still survives in an unsanctioned form, even the SAE house, which became California Phi

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