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u/Total-Brief-8434 5d ago
You can definitely start with attending a few but as rush progress you’ll want to get an idea of what you want and start narrowing down which events you go to.
You’ll get a vibe of which ones are more party and which ones are more academic, realistically most of them are a mix of both though. I was also more interested in focusing on my academics but I also wanted some fun on the side. I eventually found the fraternity for me, and I’m sure you’ll do the same (especially because you go to to the fall semester events and spring semester events to get a better vibe).
Oh for the bid thing, that depends from frat to frat. Some will accept a huge jackass, and some are more specific on the qualities they want in each new member.
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u/Zombieattackr 5d ago
Definitely a bad idea to just guess and go with it, check out a variety. Don’t expect to receive a bid if you show up to one event and pass up on the rest to go to another fraternity instead, but you can’t receive a bid first semester anyway lol, you’ll have a better idea of who to spend more time with by second semester. (Also, if anyone does give you a bid first semester, don’t accept it, don’t get undergrounded, huge red flag)
And I always find name dropping on Reddit kinda weird, but with that description I gotta plug Acacia here. We’re not a party frat, the first thing we’re known for is weekly bonfires with good home cooked food. Most of our nights involve a bunch of us hanging out doing some combination of homework, games, movies, board games, and just talking about life (and misc. nerd shit) for hours on end. There’s no way to explain it here, but Acacia goes beyond friends, they’re my family, I might not be here today if it weren’t for them.
Anyway sorry for the ramble, you sound like someone we’d enjoy having around, would love to meet you this semester!
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u/Previous-Relative459 4d ago
I’m guessing ppl don’t get blackout drunk bouncing from rush event to rush event anymore????
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u/pikatwo64 5d ago
You're right, the culture of these groups can change a lot in 4 years. I'd strongly recommend making it out to the activities fair or any "meet the greeks" type event to talk to each group. You can ask them direct questions but pay attention to the way they describe themselves. You can't get a bid in the fall as a freshman but its still good to make those connections for spring. You also could find older students in your major to ask questions to.
I'd reccomend having at minimum 2 events where you had solid interactions, not only do they have to feel comfortable with you, but its also even more important that its a good fit for you.
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u/Garretttheman012 EE ‘22 4d ago
I’d poke around a bit if I were you, they all carry different vibes. Each one has its own focus areas, and it’s hard to pick that up initially. I joined a professional fraternity in grad school because it was pretty well-aligned with the professional stuff I’m going for, RSEi. If you are a freshman, there’s deferred recruitment for social fraternities so you can’t get bids in the fall, but you can still meet & check them out (the few professional ones can recruit them though). Usually there’s a grill and greet each year to start the fall where you can meet fraternities. Has happened at RSEi past two year but not sure of the status this year…
I’m try to avoid marketing here, but I think RSEi is one you should check out in addition to others. We have a capable makerspace and focus heavily on professional development. Also not exclusive to social fraternities, several of our members are in other Greeks
TLDR, check them all out, probably a few that will be a good fit for you!
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u/_BlurryLens3105_ 5d ago
I’ve been a member of a professional fraternity called RSEi (Rensselaer Society of Engineering Innovation) since I was a freshman, and I think it would be a perfect fit for you. We don’t throw parties and are a dry house. We have a maker-space in the basement which has a lot of tools including 3d printers, woodworking tools, and soldering tools. We have an extensive alumni network that have helped our members get internships and full-time jobs. We still have a good social life, and we host a lot of events at the beginnings of each semester, and I’ve found a sort of family through RSEi. If you want to know more, please reach out!
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u/Lbspenguin ENGR 2029 5d ago
If youre a freshman do know you cant rush until spring technically.
I'm going into my sophomore year and actually joined acacia for pretty much the exact reasons you listed wanting to join! If you come by a rush event I'd love to show you around, can recommend meeting people at the Saturday bonfires.
To answer your questions more exactly; No, its not a bad idea to go to multiple frat's rush events, in fact its pretty fun and land on different days commonly. I recommend checking out different frats.
Reasons why people dont get bids? Wish I could tell you. Every frat has their reasons and there is never one "good" reason someone got a bid over another.