Each fraternity brother and sorority sister joined Greek life for their own reasons. Most Greeks joined for a whole myriad of reasons. In a recent poll GreekRank visitors were asked the question “What is the biggest benefit of Greek life?”. The participants were prompted to select one of the following answers:
A) The Sisterhood / Brotherhood
B) You make more friends
C) The Dating Scene
D) Networking for the Future
E) Philanthropic Experience
F) The Social Scene / Partying
4,781 responses were recorded.
What answer do you think was the most selected choice?
Let’s dive into the results.
Philanthropic Experience - 2.8% (134 votes)
Greeks have abundant philanthropic opportunities. They are proud of their efforts toward individual causes. Often these experiences will instill a mindset of living a life in the service of others into members who will go onto do great things post-graduation. The philanthropic experience, although, is far from the top reason most Greeks choose to join a fraternity or sorority.
Sure, being a member of a sorority or fraternity can lead to more romantic opportunities. This is pretty much true for any kind of campus organization that brings together students with similar interests and background. Contrary to the belief that frat guys just join to hook up with sorority girls, these poll results show that it is near the bottom on the list of motivations to join Greek life. Networking for the Future - 10.9% (521 votes)
It is well documented that post-graduation Greeks make up a high percentage of the change agents in our society. Brothers and sisters are making connections with each other and with alumni that can certainly be used to one’s advantage when seeking future opportunities. This is great, but let’s face it…the future isn’t always top of mind for someone living the dream in college. Tip-of-the-hat to the one out of ten whose top motivation for joining Greek life is for the opportunities to come after graduation. You make more friends - 18.5% (886 votes)
Greek life is a great way to expand your network. It’s a quick and effective way to meet new people and expand horizons. It’s no surprise that nearly one out of five respondents sought friendship as their primary motivation for joining a fraternity or sorority. The Social Scene / Partying - 28.4% (1360 votes)
Greek life is fun. On a large percentage of campuses across the country, the best parties and social opportunities are Greek events. Fraternity parties, philanthropy events, date parties, and out-of-town formals are all highlights of a school year. Nearly three out of ten respondents answered that they joined Greek life primarily for the social scene.
The Sisterhood / Brotherhood - 33.6% (1608 votes)
It’s not about finding friends for your time on campus, it’s about adding people you’ll want to have by your side on your wedding day. Greek life is an opportunity to find people you’ll deeply care for just as you do for your own blood. That is the awesome power of Greek life. It’s obvious why the top response (one out of three) people shared that the sister/brotherhood was the top reason they put on their letters.
