University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

U of I has one of the largest (I believe it is THE largest) Greek presence in the country. There are plenty of people on campus who rush and join sororities and fraternities. For the people who find an interest in this, there are plenty of options. However, if this isn't your scene, it isn't looked down upon in any means. There are plenty of things to do that aren't "Greek". Greek life is fairly normal, I think - they have parties, they have the big houses on campus, they all wear their letters everyday. If it's your thing, you can find a house that fits your personality.

U of I has one of the largest (I believe it is THE largest) Greek presence in the country. There are plenty of people on campus who rush and join sororities and fraternities. For the people who find an interest in this, there are plenty of options. However, if this isn't your scene, it isn't looked down upon in any means. There are plenty of things to do that aren't "Greek". Greek life is fairly normal, I think - they have parties, they have the big houses on campus, they all wear their letters everyday. If it's your thing, you can find a house that fits your personality.

Something you'll never hear an Illini say: "We have Greeks here?" Yeah, it's a pretty big deal here. In fact, we have the largest Greek system in the nation. Our campus prides itself on epic community service projects and leadership building through the NPHC. It's quite amazing that everyone doesn't come in with the mindset to join a frat. It's so common that it's almost strange to see someone who isn't Greek. In any case, they really have a presence here. The scene that most people are used to is the frat parties. If you havent' seen Animal House, ask your parents. Frat parties are big, big, big. And you see them on any campus, but considering we have the largest Greek system, it's fair to say our frats are noisy almost every weekend.

With over 50 Greek organizations, there is an organization for everyone.

Illinois has the #1 Greek system in the country. I am very proud of this fact because I think being in the Greek system is very beneficial anywhere, especially at Illinois. First of all, being a member of a fraternity or sorority helps out the individual. One can lay the foundation down for a network that will last a lifetime. The other members in your house will definitely become your closest friends that you will keep in touch with even after college. Not to mention, it's a place of residence for you after freshman year. Living in a house is a lot of fun. Not only is it fun to live with other members of your fraternity or sorority, but it's great to interact with other houses. Fraternities and sororities have social calendars. These social calendars are filled with exchanges, pregames, and formals. Exchanges are one of my favorite things about college. A fraternity and sorority will meet up at the fraternity, usually on a Thursday night. There is a theme for these, and people like to get carried away with the theme sometimes which makes for a good time. Then the guys and girls get bussed to an off-campus bar with 25 cent drink deals and fun dancing. Then the night is capped by going to a bar like KAM's or Red Lion. Professional fraternities, such as medical and business fraternities are also a great option. Social fraternities aren't for everyone, so professional fraternities can be a substitute or a complement to social fraternities. In professional fraternities, you will learn valuable skills such as interviewing, resume building and networking. You will be able to network with the other members in the fraternity, but also with professionals that work in the field of your choice. This is key when you are looking for a job. Not only do professional and social houses benefit the individual, but they benefit the community as a whole. Each fraternity and sorority hold various philanthropic events that better the surrounding community and provide help to many worthy causes and charities.

Illinois has the #1 Greek system in the country. I am very proud of this fact because I think being in the Greek system is very beneficial anywhere, especially at Illinois. First of all, being a member of a fraternity or sorority helps out the individual. One can lay the foundation down for a network that will last a lifetime. The other members in your house will definitely become your closest friends that you will keep in touch with even after college. Not to mention, it's a place of residence for you after freshman year. Living in a house is a lot of fun. Not only is it fun to live with other members of your fraternity or sorority, but it's great to interact with other houses. Fraternities and sororities have social calendars. These social calendars are filled with exchanges, pregames, and formals. Exchanges are one of my favorite things about college. A fraternity and sorority will meet up at the fraternity, usually on a Thursday night. There is a theme for these, and people like to get carried away with the theme sometimes which makes for a good time. Then the guys and girls get bussed to an off-campus bar with 25 cent drink deals and fun dancing. Then the night is capped by going to a bar like KAM's or Red Lion. Professional fraternities, such as medical and business fraternities are also a great option. Social fraternities aren't for everyone, so professional fraternities can be a substitute or a complement to social fraternities. In professional fraternities, you will learn valuable skills such as interviewing, resume building and networking. You will be able to network with the other members in the fraternity, but also with professionals that work in the field of your choice. This is key when you are looking for a job. Not only do professional and social houses benefit the individual, but they benefit the community as a whole. Each fraternity and sorority hold various philanthropic events that better the surrounding community and provide help to many worthy causes and charities.

The University of Illinois has a very extensive Greek system, so you're in luck if you think that you'd be into the idea of joining a fraternity or sorority. It isn't just social fraternities, either. There are a lot of other types of fraternities such as business, education, and service. Personally, I rushed a fraternity my freshman year, but I decided not to join officially after going through a bit of the pledge process. I'm glad I went through the experience, though. The social frat culture is usually centered around a lot of partying and drinking, but that isn't always a bad thing, depending on what someone's looking for. I guess there is a bit of a stereotype concerning what type of student joins a frat or sorority, but the U of I has so many different options, so that stereotype doesn't necessarily apply.

The University of Illinois has one of the largest Greek systems in the country. Greek life isn't for everyone, but for those who are interested, U of I is a great place to be. With so many sororities and fraternities to choose from, everyone is able to find somewhere that they love. Greek life provides a great place to make friends and can be a great networking resource when it is time to get a job. Formal rush occurs during the first weeks on campus, so if you are interested, be sure to check it out early!

Here at Illinois, we have the largest Greek system in the country, so there are tons of different fraternities and sororities to join, all with very distinct and unique personalities. For girls, there is a formal sorority recruitment period in the fall, and an informal one which not all chapters participate in during the spring. From what I hear, rushing a fraternity is a lot more casual, but then again, I don't have any first hand experience with that! ;) Even though there are so many chapters here, only about 22-23{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are actually in a social Greek organization, so it's not a majority. I'm not in a social sorority, but a lot of my classmates are, and they all seem to love it. I rushed a coed honors fraternity last year, and I really enjoy participating in all the fun activities we have. There are lots of other professional, service, cultural, and honors fraternities to join if the run-of-the-mill social sororities and fraternities aren't your cup of tea. Again, like I've said a million times before, Illinois' huge size means that there are lots of choices and ways to get involved, and the Greek system is no exception.

There's a huge Greek life here. The sorority recruitment process (rushing) is tough and it starts in the beginning in year. My recommendation for freshman females is to go through the process and stick it out until the very end. It might seem overwhelming at first, but everyone goes through it. And it sucks. But it's totally worth it. You get to know so many different girls and fraternities; it's amazing. And it's all about drinking either. We have meetings, chairs, and so much other stuff we plan.