University of Washington-Seattle Campus Top Questions

I am involved in the Greek system at UW, but only with my Sorority, I don't go to Fraternities. Many girls participate in both. Kids in the dorms also come to the Greek system to hang out. I met my closest friends in my House, and choir and church. Many UW social scenes come together for annual activities such as Homecoming. There are lots of great events and many people come together. Especially for the football games. Off- campus there is the U-Villiage (shopping center) with lots of great shops, and the Ave, with cofee and bubble tea. Downtown seattle is also just a bus ride away, so lots of students go there.

One of the most popular groups/organizations on campus are the Washington Greeks. I may only be saying this because I am greek myself but fraternities and sororities make up a significant portion of the student population here at UW. I am a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. I did informal rush and recently became a member. I lived in the Lander dorms for all of my freshman year. One my floor in particular, we were all very close to one another so our doors were left open the majority of the time, with the exception of finals week...even then the doors were usually open. Athletic events are pretty popular here. Football and basketball are definitely the most popular. The dating scene here is interesting. I have met many guys here. =) During the middle of fall quarter I was kind of involved with a guy from my dorm from San Diego, CA. Then during the first month of spring quarter I dated a different guy from San Diego, CA. (pretty ironic). Recently, I have been involved with a guy from Orange County, CA. It's usually not the hard to find a guy around UW. The Greek system definitely helps. Some people would argue with me however. I met my closest friends from my floor in the dorm (floor two!) and from various fraternities and sororities. Some events that happen each year are Race for the Cure which I am involved in, Greek Week which is a huge ordeal in the greek system, Dawg Daze happens for the incoming freshman, and many others. People party very often here. There is no doubt that UW is a party school, but unlike many party schools, the grades stay high. Fraternities and Sororities are a huge part of UW. They are quite important. Off campus you can go downtown or to the beach when it's nice out. I went to a couple concerts this year in the SoDo district downtown and in the general downtown area. They were alot of fun and gave me a better idea of what Seattle was like.

UW sporting events, especially Husky football, are huge social events on campus. UW does have a Greek Community, made up of 3,000 students. Living in a sorority, I have made the majority of my friends through Greek events, though making friends in class is never difficult as UW students tend to be very open and willing to meet new people.

GREEK. GREEK. GREEK. It is huge at UW, 32 frats and 16 sororities not including ethnic inspired ones (asian, latino, etc.). I have no issues with the greek system in fact I would recommend it to anyone planning on attending UW, especially guys.

Usual college stuff. Same as anywhere. A little less partying unless you are on greek row than average. More cultural and intellectually broadening things to do. People are great in Seattle but you need a reason to start up a conversation, like a common group you belong to.

The dorms all have a different flavor to them, and like a lot of things in life, they are what you make them. They're going to tear down Mercer and build a lot of new halls soon, but I like Mercer. The locations not the greatest, but you can't beat Mercer's sense of community. A lot of professors offer extra credit for attending guest lectures. If you have a friend in the class, it's a good way to hang out with a friend and get closer to that 4.0! Going out and drinking all weekend stopped being cool after freshman year. The closer you are to graduation, the more you'll find yourself staying away from the bars on the Ave. Campus is fairly fit. Taking the Burke-Gilman trail to Gasworks Park was a great running work out. The IMA (gym) is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! Totally state of the art and a great place to hang out. Being in the greek system isn't key to having a social life; I never joined. But lots of my friends did and they had really good experiences. All the same, I think most of them dreaded all the social requirements during their junior and senior years. GO TO APPLE CUP AND HOMECOMING!!! Even though the Huskies usually lose football games, that doesn't dampen Husky pride during the Apple Cup and Homecoming.

most popular organizations are probably greek. but they get too much hype and are often racist and sexist.

Athletic events are very popular at UW, especially the football games. Everyone gets extremely involved and dress up and cheer. It's a lot of fun! There are a ton of guest speakers of all kinds so you can go see whoever strikes an interest in you. There was just one not too long ago about why America is so afraid of sex. I met my closest friends through classes and studying with one another. If I was awake at 2am on a Tuesday I would most likely be studying and that's what most people are doing. People party a lot just like any college but it's a very friendly environment. Frats and sororities aren't that important, you either belong to one or you don't but it's not too big of a deal. There are a lot of other things to do besides drink, a lot of stuff goes on on campus so you don't have to go out and drink to have a good time. A lot of kids hang out on the Ave.

JOIN THE GREEK SYSTEM. It's huge, and if you don't already have a close knit group of friends it is an excellent way to be part of a fun loving and closely networked community. Events between houses are frequent, and you'll meet a lot of girls (or guys if you're a girl). My friends in the dorms have become very introverted. Their lack of social skills post University will probably handicap them in the work force. Many people overlook the personal growth factor necessary for individuals during their college experience, and the way our dorms are set up now, your social skills will suffer a devastating blow.

The parties, the organizations, sports clubs, those are all things I involved myself in. I felt there was something for everyone here and I always had something to do. That's comforting and important to form a great community within the school.