Which ones are the best? Pi Kappa Alpha has reached out to my freshman son and I have zero knowledge about the fraternity scene. I was an old fart when I attended State. Any information is appreciated.
OT: MSU Fraternities
- Thread starter IBleedMaroonDawg
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It's best for him to go into it with an open mind and no pre-conceived notions about which frats are good or bad.
It's all about where he personally feels is the best fit for him. I had friends in just about every fraternity in college. There are positives and negatives that go with each one.
It's all about where he personally feels is the best fit for him. I had friends in just about every fraternity in college. There are positives and negatives that go with each one.
Pike isn't bad. Honestly none on campus currently are bad. Would advise going through rush to find where he best fits in.
This was my gut feeling, just wanted to get a feel from those who had been involved to advise him.
I cannot stress enough the importance of going through formal rush with an open mind. After he goes through every house in formal rush, he will have a good idea of whether or not he wants to join one. If he's not fully gung-ho about joining one after formal rush, I would tell him to wait a semester and re-visit it. A colleague's son joined a fraternity too early and it really ruined his college experience. He was back at home going to JUCO after one year at State. I was in a fraternity and loved every minute of it, but it is not for everyone.
I know my college experience was greatly enhanced by 1) living in the dorm freshman year and 2) going through formal rush.
I know my college experience was greatly enhanced by 1) living in the dorm freshman year and 2) going through formal rush.
If he's a big athlete, which is presumably why Pike would want him, he would probably enjoy Pike.
They are big on sports and weight lifting and all that. Meat headish. I'm not saying all of them are, but he'll def be around some.
I was an SAE. As intramural sports chairman there, it was hard to get some of our guys to sign up because they cared more about partying. We still had some fun teams, but we were never in contention to win anything like Pike or Kappa Sig.
My general advice would be for him to go through formal rush and see where he fits in best like others have said. Most of my friends went Kappa Sig and Sigma Chi, which is where I thought I would end up, but after going through rush my heart got set on SAE and I ended up putting all of my eggs in one basket and not going back to some invites I got on the last night and fortunately it worked out very well for me.
They are big on sports and weight lifting and all that. Meat headish. I'm not saying all of them are, but he'll def be around some.
I was an SAE. As intramural sports chairman there, it was hard to get some of our guys to sign up because they cared more about partying. We still had some fun teams, but we were never in contention to win anything like Pike or Kappa Sig.
My general advice would be for him to go through formal rush and see where he fits in best like others have said. Most of my friends went Kappa Sig and Sigma Chi, which is where I thought I would end up, but after going through rush my heart got set on SAE and I ended up putting all of my eggs in one basket and not going back to some invites I got on the last night and fortunately it worked out very well for me.
He is 6'4" and 240. But I think it is just his laid back, gregarious personality. He hasn't really gotten an invite. He was just walking by coming back from an event that got canceled and just decided to walk up and say howdy, not really knowing who or what they were. His personality seemed to have won them over because they told him he was welcome to drop by and visit on their porch anytime.
From my own experience, I'll agree with the others who have said about keeping an open mind in rush and going where he feels most comfortable.
For me, it was all about finding a fraternity that wasn't cookie cutter - it seems like several of them attract the same kind of people (meathead Pikes from the example above) or people from one certain part of the state or even from one certain high school. A lot of my friends from HS went to one fraternity and it was basically like 13th grade there. I'm glad I chose somewhere different.
For me, it was all about finding a fraternity that wasn't cookie cutter - it seems like several of them attract the same kind of people (meathead Pikes from the example above) or people from one certain part of the state or even from one certain high school. A lot of my friends from HS went to one fraternity and it was basically like 13th grade there. I'm glad I chose somewhere different.
Had two roommates one year that were pikes. Douche does not do them justice. Can't count the number of times they'd knock holes in the wall or ceiling and knock the door off the hinge. One would site in his bow on the wall by the water heater and the other his 22 on his bedroom wall. One day I came in and they were smoking the foam out of a couch cushion because they ran out of weed.
One other piece of advice...
Make sure he gets involved in other areas of campus. I enjoyed my time in my fraternity but I am grateful I didn't spend all of my time there. There are literally hundreds of clubs and organizations on campus and even if he gets involved with a fraternity, he should participate in some other things as well.
Make sure he gets involved in other areas of campus. I enjoyed my time in my fraternity but I am grateful I didn't spend all of my time there. There are literally hundreds of clubs and organizations on campus and even if he gets involved with a fraternity, he should participate in some other things as well.
Speaking of one part of the state gravitating towards one fraternity.
Are most of the E's from the Delta like they were 30 yrs ago?
Damn, I can't believe I just typed the number 30.
30 years ago I was there and remember all the delta boys seemed to flock to SAE. It seemed to be the closest frat to the "Animal House" culture. I remember the shirts they printed up that said, "Make your mother proud, sleep with an E".
The nicest frat guys I met then were in Farmhouse.
This is actually a metric now, at least some places. I'm not sure about State, but I help out with the chapter of my fraternity at USCe and the Office of Fraternity and Soroity Life there tracks participation in non-Greek organizations.
Iota Nu Delta.
Least expensive, allows for plenty of socializing since you choose who your friends are, and by far the least number of rules to follow.
Have your son look into it.
Least expensive, allows for plenty of socializing since you choose who your friends are, and by far the least number of rules to follow.
Have your son look into it.
It really depends on where you were coming from. I was an out-of-state student, and felt very out of place at the Sigma Chi and Kappa Sig houses. I really enjoyed the Phi Delta Theta, Sig Ep, and FIJI houses. I ended up going Sig Ep, and definitely didn't regret it. Still very close to a lot of my fraternity brothers. I think going through formal rush is very good advice. You don't want to do with all of your friends are doing just because you may not fit in well with the other guys as well as somewhere else.
My FR son is waiting until Spring to rush. I told him to concentrate on grades the first semester. Is this good advice? Serious question, I was not in a frat.
I just graduated in May of 2016 and was a member of a fraternity and was very involved in IFC can honestly say the bad ones have been weeded out over the years. They are all pretty solid right now. Rush has been pushed back until September this year so I would advise him to go reach out to fraternities and go over there on the weekends. See what they're like when they are not in "rush bs mode." Don't get caught up in the moment and accept the first early bid. Go through the process and if he wants to, go through formal rush. Most fraternities hold their bid through formal rush.
This is true. Get involved across campus. He'll create a bigger network and he'll get to work with different types of people than just greeks
Having recently paid for plenty of greek dues at MSU, I can tell you what mine thought: Pike - in the process of cleaning up their act(necessarily) and trying to recruit "better" guys, actually kicked some folks; SAE - reputation for heavy drug use (not saying everyone, just more that other frats); The others, reputation wise, seem about even so rush and see what the fits.
Disclaimer: all second hand knowledge based on a specific college kid's perception. when I was there a long time ago SAE was rumored to be druggies and the folks I knew who were in it fit that stereotype (my apologies to the poster who mentioned in this thread being an SAE)
It's an old stereotype. No offense taken. It is a stereotype though and not true. I think in the 90s it was a problem.
The alumni ran a tight ship when I was there. I lived in the house for 2 years. Zero tolerance policy was enforced I can promise you that.
The alumni ran a tight ship when I was there. I lived in the house for 2 years. Zero tolerance policy was enforced I can promise you that.
I was a Pike but your son should go through formal rush to see how he fits...
my parents had moved to Pennsylvania, so I was 1200 miles from home... it would have been hard to survive with no family nearby...
my daughter won't believe me when i told her that her college friends are your friends for life...not so much high school, unless you move home...
If you or he are very cynical, then avoid frats and go GNI...sorry, i don't like cynical...
my parents had moved to Pennsylvania, so I was 1200 miles from home... it would have been hard to survive with no family nearby...
my daughter won't believe me when i told her that her college friends are your friends for life...not so much high school, unless you move home...
If you or he are very cynical, then avoid frats and go GNI...sorry, i don't like cynical...
Absolutely nothing wrong with waiting until spring. Gives him a chance to get a good perspective of what the houses really are about.
Tell him to go through rush all the way to the end of formal rush. Don't go by first impressions or by what other people say.
I would tell him to do Fall rush if he can. He'll be fine balancing classes and his pledging duties. SAE we had study hall for those who were under a certain GPA, couldn't go to parties unless they were driving, etc...so, he'll be fine.
If he wouldn't be fine, he's probably not ready to be shipped off to college.
If he goes through Spring rush, he'll have less pledge brothers to share the burden with.
If he wouldn't be fine, he's probably not ready to be shipped off to college.
If he goes through Spring rush, he'll have less pledge brothers to share the burden with.
I'd agree.
I waited until Spring as well and that was about 20 years ago. It wasn't perfect the first semester, but I think that waiting a semester helped me make a better choice for myself.
I almost took an early bid from another frat, and am REALLY glad I stuck w/ my decision to wait, because that would have been a mistake (details omitted).
Another idea is to go thru Rush but not join immediately... No fraternity will withdraw a bid just because you don't want to pledge before the semester starts.
Funny story and being an independent for a semester... I was at the SAE house (dont remember how or why) and a pretty hot girl started talking to me and dancing w/ me. She asked what room was mine, and I told her that I was in fact NOT an SAE but just visiting the party. She walked away so fast, I don't think she even said goodbye. Apparently she was looking for somebody else...
Being from out of state (I'm assuming he's from TX as well), he will actually have a fairly unique advantage. He won't have as much "hometown pressure" to join a fraternity he may not fit in with, just because his high school buddies were joining there. I know for in-state students, if you were from a certain area/town in the state, you pretty much pledged that same couple of fraternities as everyone from your hometown/area. I know when I was there (late 2000's), my fraternity (KA) had several Delta-area dudes and then a large Jackson-area contingent. On the other hand, 9 out of 10 buddies from home (Vicksburg) were Kappa Sigs, with a few more scattered at Sigma Chi or Pike. I had family in KA, but if I wouldn't have had that, I would have probably felt some pressure to join my HS buddies at Kappa Sig, even if I wouldn't have fit in there. Regardless, it seemed as if the membership to alot of the frats was geographically linked back then. Your son won't have that and may have an easier time really seeing which one he fits into, since I assume there's not a bunch of his high school friends at State with him.
I was also an SAE and I think you're right about the stereotype coming about in the 90's. I always heard that it was pretty bad then. But the drug use while I was there ('03-'088)) was about like any of the other fraternities. There was a small group of guys that smoked pot, took Xanax, etc. regularly, and then there were some guys that would occasionally partake. And I can vouch for the zero tolerance policy........drugs in the house were not tolerated (that's not to say that people never risked it, but they knew if they got caught they would be in deep ****).
That said, it's been almost 10 years since I graduated, so for all I know the SAE's could be complete crackheads now.
Just tell your kid to go through rush....he'll meet a bunch of people and he will be making a more informed decision.
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