What’s the best way to choose the perfect fraternity for you? Check out our tips for choosing the right fraternity! We’ll help you find your future and make Greek life awesome for you!
Choosing a fraternity can be terrifying, especially if you don’t know how to approach it. Fortunately, you only need to take a couple of steps to find your dream brotherhood. This guide will show you some quick tips for choosing the right fraternity that allows you to make long-lasting connections and sets you up for success in the future!
Striving for the Perfect Greek Life
Aside from endless parties and exciting college life, fraternities also provide a powerful community. After all, frats are not only about beer, sports, and parties. They can allow you to learn, socialize, volunteer, and take meaningful steps towards your future.
What’s more, joining a frat is a rite of passage. However, lots of young men are unaware of what actually goes on inside them. If you want to join a fraternity (or sorority), it will take some time until you find the right fit for you. If you don’t put in the effort to find the best frat, you could have a negative experience. If you make the right choice in advance, you could dodge some of the pitfalls of Greek life!
Tip #1: Research Fraternity Reputation
Get ready to do a lot of research. Firstly, you should look into your prospective frats and learn their histories, values, and goals. You could investigate the reputation of the national organization and its broader standing within the Greek community.
Then, pay attention to the fraternity’s standing on campus. Have the brothers been involved in noteworthy achievements? Or are they perhaps more famous for some scandalous activities? When you learn about what actually goes on within the frat, you can form a smarter decision before the time you get to rush week.
Of course, the way to do this is to read about your frat’s reputation online. Frats are incredibly diverse on a national and local level, but there are many ways to learn the truth about them. One handy tip is to browse online frat reviews.
Tip #2: Seek Out Like-Minded Brothers
You can also go a step further and talk to alumni and former frat brothers. Let them tell you about their experience with the organization. Plus, we highly recommend you find a frat that houses brothers who share similar interests with you.
After all, Greek life is all about providing a support network. College can get extremely overwhelming at times, and that’s when you have to rely on your fraternity brothers to back you up. On the other hand, you also need to make a strong bond with your future bros. That could be impossible if they don’t share the same interests with you.
For this tip, it’s best to consider your previous friendships. What do you look for in a new friend? Is it loyalty, honesty, or even a sense of adventure or humor? You can jot those values down and then find the fraternity that suits you best.
Tip #3: Consider Legacy Options
There’s a big chance that your father or grandfather has already spoken to you about their frat. It’s common for new students to follow in their close relatives’ footsteps and allow their legacy to endure.
If you talk to your father, he could share meaningful and even intimate stories about his time in his frat. This is a great way to get to know the frat and prepare for college. However, try to keep in mind that things have changed a lot since your parents were in college.
For example, frats used to automatically grant acceptance to the descendants of their previous members. This is not so common today. If you chat with your relative and decide that their frat is the best choice for you, try to research the legacy benefits. Moreover, get a fresh opinion from someone who is currently a member of the frat.
Tip #4: Look for Diverse Communities
Fraternities that have a high degree of diversity are generally more exciting. They also provide many new opportunities for growth and exploration. Since college is all about experimentation, picking a diverse community and frat will have a highly positive impact.
For instance, it’s a good way to get you out of your security blanket. If you find yourself in a community full of people with different backgrounds, you will get a fresh perspective. It will bring new ways of growing and learning, along with new challenges.
Additionally, a fraternity that encourages diversity will also be much more tolerant of people who are different. Here, you can interact with many people with unique backgrounds, cultures, and life paths to learn something new about yourself.
Tip #5: Ask About Dues
It’s likely that money has been on your and your parents’ mind ever since you started to consider college. That’s perfectly understandable because college life is not cheap. Sure, there are those who aren’t limited by money, but most of us have gone through the challenging process of determining our budgets for college.
Therefore, you’ll have to research and learn all about your fraternity dues before you pledge. Note that living in the frat house will cost you a lot of money, and that mainly includes renting costs or charity/event fees.
One way to minimize fraternity costs is to live off-campus. That way, you’ll only have to pay the basic frat dues along with your rent. While this takes away from some of the social aspects of Greek life, it can help you save some money in the long run. So before you make a commitment, get a breakdown of the costs and see what suits you best.
Tip #6: See How You Can Make a Difference
In the end, your choice of frat will leave a lasting impact on your life. It’s a huge part of the college experience, and that’s why it’s essential to pick a fraternity that resonates with your goals and values. The frat should mirror your personality, hobbies, passions, and interests. If not, it will be a major time-waster, and it could even cause you a lot of stress.
Moreover, if you find out that your future frat matches your personality, you could also look into some of its charitable causes. Will they allow you to make a difference? How can you work with your frat to give back to others?
That’s It!
Now that you know how to research and choose the best fraternity for you, it’s time to put in the effort and work towards your future! Good luck with your pledge!
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