The International Student Blog

One exciting opportunity for international students studying in the US who are looking to be a part of a campus organization while meeting new friends is joining a fraternity or sorority- also known as Greek life. Fraternities are sororities are Greek organizations that contain a number of different functions from creating social bonds, to helping the campus and community.

Find the Right Greek Organization

There are many great fraternities and sororities on campus, but it is important for students to find the right one that fits their interests and personalities. It’s a good idea to meet the different members of the organizations and get a feel for what they are all about. Some organizations may be focused on community service and philanthropy efforts. Others may be involved with local businesses and have great alumni networks to help future members get jobs or internships. Greek life is also about reputation, so it is important to check out the associated reputation of the organization you are interested in.

How to Join

Most Greek organizations will hold a formal meet and greet, or Rush Week, in which they invite new prospective members to meet there brothers and sisters and consider joining. This week consists of a number of different events each day of the week. One day may be a barbeque, while another may be a sports night. The week finishes with the organization giving out bids, or formal letters that they want you to join. Once an offer is made, a potential candidate goes through a pledging phase, usually a semester long, which teaches the member about the history of the fraternity or sorority and monitors there academics. Most pledges are required to participate in philanthropy activities, study halls and socials. Soon the pledges become full initiated members and are invited to socials, formals, and semi formals as well as many other great and exciting activities.

If you think Greek life would be a good way for you to get involved as an international student, visit your campus activities office for more information on how to get started.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 9th, 2013 at 9:18 am and is filed under International Student, Study Abroad, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Written by Bryanna Davis

Bryanna joined EIC in 2011 after returning to the United States from teaching English in China. Her interest in international education, sparked initially by her own study abroad experience in Wales, led her to the company. Bryanna is originally from Missouri and is a graduate from the University of Central Missouri.

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