University of California - Los AngelesGreek Life Summary

Written by Suzy Strutner

Suzy Strutner

Hometown

Newport Beach, Calif.

Major

Communication Studies

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Greek Bruins try to make it a point to show that they're not the letter-wearing, keg-chugging animals stereotyped on TV. And to some extent, this is true—when chatting up a sorority girl or frat guy, you know there's a UCLA-worthy brain in there. There's little hierarchy or cliquey-ness to be found within Bruin frats and sororities, though the Greek system itself often acts as a giant, everyone-knows-and-loves-each-other family to which other students are merely foreigners. Most agree that the process of joining one of UCLA's many nationally recognized houses can be daunting, but the years of camaraderie, networking opportunities, and feel-good service ventures are worth it.

As far as Greeks and the social scene goes, frat parties tend to make up a large part of weekend activity and are often the only alternative to low-key apartment gatherings. If you're a member of Greek life, this means you're constantly ambushed with raging opportunities, while non-Greeks may just have to watch from the sidelines. Greeks typically also attend two official events per week, such as date parties, philanthropy events, or club-centered "raids" with other houses. However, students who choose not to partake in Greek parties still find themselves with all of L.A. to conquer by night—the Sunset Strip and Santa Monica are popular party destinations and only a car or bus ride away.