2024 Rushes Listen Up: Stuff to Think About
by: eddy
Here are some factors to think about in addition to the usual ranking tiers.
1. How stable has a frat been long-term? There are a small number of frats here that were founded in the 1800s, have lived in the same house for 100 years or more, and are steady as a rock. There are other frats that are younger, have had multiple periods (some a decade or more) when they’ve been gone from campus, and/or have changed houses every few decades. Stability makes a difference in terms of house traditions, chapter pride, and the strength of the alumni network.
2. How much continuity does a frat have in terms of who it recruits? Strong frats have an identity, they know who they are and they recruit a similar type of brother over generations. If a frat has changed its identity in a big way – for example an athlete house that's changed into a stoner house – it might mean it doesn’t know who and what it is.
3. How many brothers does the frat have? Being one of 80-90 brothers is different from being one of 40-50 brothers. Pros and cons to both in terms of tightness, campus reach, etc.
4. Does a frat own its house, or is it renting it from cornell? Frats that own have more freedom, and owning usually means the frat has money and alums are smart about chapter finances/operations. About half the frats here own. Some frats who brag a lot here and try to portray themselves as wealthy are renting their houses.
5. Are a frat’s alums actually loyal? All frat says they have an amazing alumni network, but the reality is often different. If you asked brothers how often alums more than 5 years out of college visit the house, or how many guys actually got an internship or job through an alum, you might be unimpressed by the answer. And look at the condition of the house: if it’s run down (and a lot are), that says something about alumni involvement and alumni dollars too.
6. Most importantly, where do you really feel at home? There are guys who turn down bids from frats they really like in favor of ones that offer more clout. That strategy sometimes doesn’t turn out well, and sets the stage for being a checked-out brother as a junior or senior. Frats are brotherhoods, so join the one that feels the best for you.
Comment#2 by: another
i'll add two:
- How many chapters does the frat have? The oldest frats nationally started out as secret societies and have 20 or less chapters at name-brand schools, so very clubby and old-school. A lot of other frats exist nationwide and have 100 or more chapters (and a few have over 200) which dilutes their brand. Two different animals.
- What are the frat's roots? Frats that originated in the northeast tend to have a different vibe from frats that originated in the south. Speaking very generally, southern frats are rowdier and northeastern frats are more elite.
by: BruhJan 9, 2024 11:45:30 AM
No one should care about name recognition generally lmao. A run-of-the-mill frat with over 200 chapters is like McDonalds. The old elite frats with 10 or 15 chapters are like Peter Luger’s. McDonalds has way more name recognition nationwide than Peter Luger’s, so what? The elite frats don’t care if no one at Mississippi State knows who they are.
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by: FJan 11, 2024 4:12:59 AM
by: ADWJan 11, 2024 1:55:29 PM
Also AD, Kappa Alpha (which used to have a chapter here), and Delta Psi aka St. Anthony Hall (don’t think they ever were here). St. Anthony’s house at Trinity is sick.
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by: popeJan 11, 2024 7:28:43 PM
Chi Psi and Psi U are also very old and don't have a lot of chapters.
Kappa Sig, on the other hand, has over 300 chapters. No thanks.
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by: CounterpointJan 12, 2024 5:08:34 PM
There are pluses to having a lot of chapters tho. The national conventions of the big nationwide frats are really fun. It’s also cool being able to drop in to a chapter of your frat at lots of different schools. Apples and oranges vs the smaller older frats.
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by: llenrockerJan 25, 2024 10:50:37 AM
I'll say larger frats have MORE alumni connections. Whether or not they're wealthy or worth rushing for it is up to you
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#3 by: Get off GR
This is a good post, but the number one thing is to just get off Greekrank. If you're a 2024 rush on this website you probably have a broad understandikg by now of what frats are in what tiers which can be useful info. But now you should get off Greekrank and just join the frat that you feel best at. if you obsess over greekrank and think about "rank" as the most important thing during rush you will 100% regret it
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by: HmmJan 9, 2024 10:46:09 AM
The nationals branding thing cuts both ways, if you tell someone who didn’t go to Cornell that you were in Sig Phi or AD (small national brand) they aren’t going to think it’s impressive. Bigger nationals (SAE, Sig Chi) with top chapters across the country command more name recognition and prestige outside of Ithaca
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