Do adcoms look down upon being in a frat

[Thewrongstuff]

Hey im just wondering if anybody has anything to say about this. I am thinking about joining a frat and I have this thing stuck in my head that adcoms will look down upon it due to the party life style associated w/being in a greek frat. I study a plenty, participate in sports, volunteer, hang out, but I also want to have some more fun in college...

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[notdeadyet]

Some adcoms will look on frat association favorably. Some, lets face it, will not. But at the end of the day if you're worried about adcoms looking down on frats, don't include it in your AMCAS app. No biggie.

Incidentally, you don't need to join a frat to have fun in college. True story.

 

[lord_jeebus]

No

 

[dontwakeme]

Some adcoms will look on frat association favorably. Some, lets face it, will not. But at the end of the day if you're worried about adcoms looking down on frats, don't include it in your AMCAS app. No biggie.

Incidentally, you don't need to join a frat to have fun in college. True story.

It would be odd not to include your fraternity on your application. For most people, their fraternity/sorority is what defined their college experience.

 

[jr doctor in sd]

Hey im just wondering if anybody has anything to say about this. I am thinking about joining a frat and I have this thing stuck in my head that adcoms will look down upon it due to the party life style associated w/being in a greek frat. I study a plenty, participate in sports, volunteer, hang out, but I also want to have some more fun in college...

I heard from a guy i know who's a med student admissions interviewer whatever you call it that it's not looked down upon...but if there's any weakness in the application they can look at your frat and say oh he was probably too busy partying and drinking so thats why his gpa is low...or why his MCAT isnt higher than ___ or etc. Then again, that was a book-loving library-living guy. Id say its bad just because of the negative connotation of frats.

 

[Bacchus]

Hold an officer position and I'd think you'd have no problems. It can go either way. Try the secret fraternity handshake with your interviewer and see what happens 😉.

 

[Perrotfish]

Fraternity, not frat, fraternity.

Would you call you country a ****?

 

[AlexMorph]

Fraternity, not frat, fraternity.

Would you call you country a ****?

The abbreviation nazi is in town.

While adcoms won't generally look down upon frats, you might have individual biases affecting your app. What if one of the student interviewers got beat up by frat members? Silly example but it's still possible.

 

[whateva07]

Just put it down, but in your description add in volunteer type activites...as long as u can show your frat gave back to the community, and I think most do that.

 

[UofM527]

I agree with many of the other posts...I think it can definitely be a positive if the organization you join does some community work...and a huge positive if you take leadership positions within the fraternity b/c then you have something you can talk about at interviews...it is certainly not an across the board negative since I was a member of a social fraternity, put it on my app, and have still been accepted...

 

[Jolie South]

I think as long as you held a leadership position or did community service activities it would be ok to list in AMCAS. Remember you're looking to describe activities that helped develop you into a person that would be a great physician.

If it was purely a social thing, I wouldn't put it. As a non-greek, you wouldn't create an activity listing for "hanging out with friends and going to parties." It doesn't make sense if there's no "skill" or "trait" that you gained as a result.

 

[patekpremed]

I was in a fraternity and it definitely has its ups and downs.

Ups: Chance for community service, leadership positions, and NETWORKING

Downs: obviously the cliche social fraternity is Animal House with everyone involved being somewhat worthless; however, if you maintain stellar grades and do well on the MCAT, it is hard to argue against joining one if thats what you want to do.


From my personal experience, joining a fraternity was the best part of my life in college. It definitely lowered my GPA a bit, but I wouldn't trade the time I had there for a 4.0 and a 45 on the MCAT. You are only in college for 4 years (hopefully), and its a time that you will never forget and never have again, so make it good.....

That's my personal advice. I'm sure plenty of people dislike fraternities for whatever reason, but I would say that if you want to do it and feel like you can maintain the grades, go for it!!

 

[not me]

There are a ton of people in my class that were in fraternity's and sororities in college. Personally (I interview potential med students at my school) I look at it as a positive because it shows that someone has a life outside of school. This is considering that you still have pretty decent MCAT/GPA. I tend to think that almost anyone can get good grades if they have no life and live in the library, I am impressed when someone has lots of EC's (no matter what they are) and can still be a high achiever.

 

[searun]

I am a first year med student. I belonged to a fraternity in college. I moved out of the frat house after my sophomore year. The frat was ok but if I had to do it again, I would not join one. I won some awards, i.e. top academic record in my house, and went to the occasional friday night beer fest. But it really was not worth my time and I chose not to mention it on my med school application.

I guess that frats are just not my thing, although I was persuaded to join one as a naive freshman.

 

[Lshapley]

I wouldn't worry about what other people think. If you plan all of your life's activities based on what future admission's committees, employers, etc. might want then you will end up having lived a very miserable life. Just make sure that you keep up your grades, do well on the mcat, and pursue character building experiences that interest you and you will have a good shot at med school.

 

[howdy2u]

I am a first year med student. I belonged to a fraternity in college. I moved out of the frat house after my sophomore year. The frat was ok but if I had to do it again, I would not join one. I won some awards, i.e. top academic record in my house, and went to the occasional friday night beer fest. But it really was not worth my time and I chose not to mention it on my med school application.

I guess that frats are just not my thing, although I was persuaded to join one as a naive freshman.

How can you become a member of a fraternity without it being your "thing"...didn't you have to go through the worst months (of f*%^ing Hell) to pledge and become a member?!?

Also, we were taught on day one that we were NEVER to refer to our brotherhood as a "frat"...I'm with Perrotfish on this one!

 

[QofQuimica]

Hey im just wondering if anybody has anything to say about this. I am thinking about joining a frat and I have this thing stuck in my head that adcoms will look down upon it due to the party life style associated w/being in a greek frat. I study a plenty, participate in sports, volunteer, hang out, but I also want to have some more fun in college...

As long as you pull the grades and have an all around strong app, it won't matter. It's your free time and your money, so spend them both how you wish (just try not to do things that are illegal or morally suspect!) You don't have to be best friends with adcoms who think that frats are a waste; you just have to show you have what it takes to make it through med school.

 

[lemon tree]

EVERYONE looks down on being in a frat. even people in frats.

 

[ScarletK1901]

Yea, but people in Fraternities value their experiences...

When you think back about college, are you going to find yourself nostalgic over the philosophy class you took Junior year, or walking into a house of 50 of your brothers every day.

 

[SnoPearl]

I was at an info session with a Harvard admissions staff, who mentioned that greek life is looked down upon in medical school applications, regardless of the fact that many groups perform a great deal of community service, and regardless of leadership roles taken. Obviously it's not going to apply for every single adcom, but I always make sure to share this information with people who are thinking about joining a fraternity or sorority. In fact, this talk was given at my school, where the greek life is relatively tame.

Also, just be sure to consider how much time commitment joining will require. Every single person I have seen joining greek life had all their time sucked away by it... it really does make doing all your other things just that much tougher. If you just want to make friends, I'm sure it can be done without greek life too.

 

[lemon tree]

Yea, but people in Fraternities value their experiences...

When you think back about college, are you going to find yourself nostalgic over the philosophy class you took Junior year, or walking into a house of 50 of your brothers every day.

the philosophy class, i hope.

a house with 50 "brother" sounds scary, creepy to me. really.

 

[dontwakeme]

the philosophy class, i hope.

a house with 50 "brother" sounds scary, creepy to me. really.

Yeah, getting to live and party with 50 of your best buddies is sooooo creepy and horrible.

 

[lemon tree]

Yeah, getting to live and party with 50 of your best buddies is sooooo creepy and horrible.

they are your "best buddies" because of a selection process that judges people on qualities that are, inevitably, superficial and, sometimes, cruel.

most people choose their "best buddies" by meeting people, spending time with them, sharing a friendship. Not because a bunch of seniors chose them to be my "best buddies."

i am sure that frat life can be fun, but it is an artificially created world designed to keep some people in and everyone else out. and focused on partying.

No wonder adcoms look down their noses at it. it is elitist in an anti-intellectual way. if adcoms want elitists, they can choose Ivy grads and get intellectual snobs, not beer buddy snobs.

 

[patekpremed]

they are your "best buddies" because of a selection process that judges people on qualities that are, inevitably, superficial and, sometimes, cruel.

most people choose their "best buddies" by meeting people, spending time with them, sharing a friendship. Not because a bunch of seniors chose them to be my "best buddies."

i am sure that frat life can be fun, but it is an artificially created world designed to keep some people in and everyone else out. and focused on partying.

No wonder adcoms look down their noses at it. it is elitist in an anti-intellectual way. if adcoms want elitists, they can choose Ivy grads and get intellectual snobs, not beer buddy snobs.

Lemon Tree,

I hate to tell you, but this is the most ridiculous argument that I hear all the time from people not in fraternities. "You have to buy your friends, etc. Everyone is superficial, etc."

This is just not true. Yes, there are superficial people, but that is true everywhere. The people that I pledged with are my best friends in the world and being in a fraternity helped me meet them. If you weren't in a fraternity, it is kind of hard to say whats bad about them. Generalize all you want, but their negative stereotypes are much less true than you would think.

 

[Davjc2009]

Fraternity, not frat, fraternity.

Would you call you country a ****?

I love this quote. Where I come from there is a few more f words though.

 

[dontwakeme]

You've shown that you know next to nothing about how greek life works. People choose their fraternities just as much as the fraternities choose them. You get to look at all the houses, get to know all the brothers and only then do you choose to rush a fraternity.

And, not all fraternities are filled with "beer buddy snobs." Talk about narrow-minded.

 

[Davjc2009]

The abbreviation nazi is in town.

While adcoms won't generally look down upon frats, you might have individual biases affecting your app. What if one of the student interviewers got beat up by frat members? Silly example but it's still possible.

Missed the point entirely. Fraternities don't like being called frats. Hence the quote. It's a fraternity not a frat, would you call your country a (expletive that rhymes with bunt)?

 

[lemon tree]

You've shown that you know next to nothing about how greek life works. People choose their fraternities just as much as the fraternities choose them. You get to look at all the houses, get to know all the brothers and only then do you choose to rush a fraternity.

And, not all fraternities are filled with "beer buddy snobs." Talk about narrow-minded.

i don't know where you went to school but, at most schools, people do NOT choose their fraternities just as much as they choose them.

look, i am sure it is fun, but it looks bad from the outside, that's all i'm saying. the original OP question was: will adcoms look down on fraternity stuff?

answer: YES!!

 

[UFGatorMed]

they are your "best buddies" because of a selection process that judges people on qualities that are, inevitably, superficial and, sometimes, cruel.

most people choose their "best buddies" by meeting people, spending time with them, sharing a friendship. Not because a bunch of seniors chose them to be my "best buddies."

i am sure that frat life can be fun, but it is an artificially created world designed to keep some people in and everyone else out. and focused on partying.

No wonder adcoms look down their noses at it. it is elitist in an anti-intellectual way. if adcoms want elitists, they can choose Ivy grads and get intellectual snobs, not beer buddy snobs.

You should try to be a little less of a *****. Your statements are obviously biased by your personal bad experience/experiences with fraternities. I'm in a fraternity and I will tell you that my group of best friends ARE NOT IN IT. A fraternity is simply an organization aimed at giving back to the community and making everyone in the organization a better person. Fraternities make leaders and plenty of successful people. There are superficial men and women in all organizations... Not just Greek ones.

I have talked to many people in medical school admissions (specifically at the Florida and California schools) and all of them said that if you can get a good GPA and high MCAT while being in a fraternity than it doesn't matter. Also, you will probably be seen as a person with stronger ECs. In life you take the good with the bad. There is no perfect decision. There is no doubt that joining a fraternity may indeed lower your GPA a little, but you will also have a lot of fun. You make the call. If you get good scores chances are you will kill the interview (you are forced to be disgustingly social). There are many people in my fraternity that are Pre-Med (they are Juniors and Seniors), and they have 3.8s and 3.9s. You don't have to go crazy in a fraternity...

Oh and if you do rush your pledge educator will surely explain the difference between the words "frat" and "fraternity" to you.

GOOD LUCK.

 

[lemon tree]

You should try to be a little less of a *****. Your statements are obviously biased by your personal bad experience/experiences with fraternities. I'm in a fraternity and I will tell you that my group of best friends ARE NOT IN IT. A fraternity is simply an organization aimed at giving back to the community and making everyone in the organization a better person. Fraternities make leaders and plenty of successful people. There are superficial men and women in all organizations... Not just Greek ones.

I have talked to many people in medical school admissions (specifically at the Florida and California schools) and all of them said that if you can get a good GPA and high MCAT while being in a fraternity than it doesn't matter. Also, you will probably be seen as a person with stronger ECs. In life you take the good with the bad. There is no perfect decision. There is no doubt that joining a fraternity may indeed lower your GPA a little, but you will also have a lot of fun. You make the call. If you get good scores chances are you will kill the interview (you are forced to be disgustingly social). There are many people in my fraternity that are Pre-Med (they are Juniors and Seniors), and they have 3.8s and 3.9s. You don't have to go crazy in a fraternity...

Oh and if you do rush your pledge educator will surely explain the difference between the words "frat" and "fraternity" to you.

GOOD LUCK.

hey, the OP used the word "frat." sorry if i offended you fraternity boys. no personal bad experiences, just heard of a bunch of pretty awful stories. agree that the community service is great at some/most fraternities.

did you watch the MTV shows "Sorority Life" and "Fraternity Life??" And you wonder why there are negative stereotypes out there? cmon, be serious.

i am just echoing the word on the street about fraternities by people who are not in them. take it for what it is worth. i strongly doubt that it would be considered a "plus" on a ned school app.

 

[dontwakeme]

hey, the OP used the word "frat." sorry if i offended you fraternity boys. no personal bad experiences, just heard of a bunch of pretty awful stories. agree that the community service is great at some/most fraternities.

did you watch the MTV shows "Sorority Life" and "Fraternity Life??" And you wonder why there are negative stereotypes out there? cmon, be serious.

i am just echoing the word on the street about fraternities by people who are not in them. take it for what it is worth. i strongly doubt that it would be considered a "plus" on a ned school app.

Exactly.

 

[cubsrule1004]

Here are a few facts that would suggest that greek life is not all that bad:
There are 64 fraternities with 10,000 chapters on more than 805 campuses in the U.S. and Canada include 400,000 undergraduates and a membership of 6.0 million people.
All but two U.S. Presidents since 1825 have been members of fraternities.
Sixteen Vice Presidents have been members of fraternities.
~67% of U.S. President's Cabinet since 1900 have been members of fraternities.
~76% of U.S. Senators and Representatives have been members of fraternities.
~85% of U.S. Supreme Court Justices since 1910 have been members of fraternities.
Of the nation's 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by fraternity members

Also, this debate will forever continue on SDN. People in fraternities will defend them, most people will be indifferent, and a few will be strongly opposed. As far as adcoms go I am sure they are all very well educated people and do not judge greek life as a giant "party." In fact, most Greeks who want to be succesful at their university do. There is usually someone in each fraterinty that is already active and leading any other extracurricular. This has provieded me and many others opportunities that I may not otherwise have had. That being said, I am sure that their are adcoms who will have been in a fraternity and loved it and others who had not been given a bid and now have a dislike for fraternity life.

 

[Thewrongstuff]

Thanks guys, its a personal choice and a slight risk so I am gonna weigh the pros and cons...you've been a great help. 😎

 

[notdeadyet]

I have talked to many people in medical school admissions (specifically at the Florida and California schools) and all of them said that if you can get a good GPA and high MCAT while being in a fraternity than it doesn't matter.

Good advice here. A greek with substandard numbers will quite possibly be written off as a stereotype of the fraternity/sorority system. If your numbers are as strong as the next guys, you probably won't be.

Also, you will probably be seen as a person with stronger ECs.

Most greeks I've met have more ECs than your average college student, but I haven't met any whose association with a fraternity/sorority gave them any kind of leg up on ECs of most premeds. If anything, I found most have felt that the fraternity/sorority occupied more of their free time than anything. Makes for lots of fun, but cuts into meaningful medical volunteering time.

Oh and if you do rush your pledge educator will surely explain the difference between the words "frat" and "fraternity" to you.

Until a good few years after folks in fraternities stop using the term "frat" in casual conversation, I don't think you'll find john q. public will abandon it. The pooh-poohing of the term "frat" is recent and most folks in frats haven't exactly stopped using the term.

 

[notdeadyet]

All but two U.S. Presidents since 1825 have been members of fraternities.
Sixteen Vice Presidents have been members of fraternities.
~67% of U.S. President's Cabinet since 1900 have been members of fraternities.
~76% of U.S. Senators and Representatives have been members of fraternities.
~85% of U.S. Supreme Court Justices since 1910 have been members of fraternities.
Of the nation's 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by fraternity members

This stat indicates that most politicians, political appointees, and corporate suit types came from the fraternity system. I don't think this will suprise anyone. I don't think it says as much about leadership or vision as it does about networking. Which is useful, but not something necessarily for admiration.

I'd be much more curious about the percentage of doctors who came from the fraternity system. I'd bet it's a regional thing, but from schools I know out west it seems that folks who come from the fraternity/sorority system are in the minority.

That being said, I am sure that their are adcoms who will have been in a fraternity and loved it and others who had not been given a bid and now have a dislike for fraternity life.

There are many admirable things about some fraternities, and folks should keep an open mind. On the other hand, there are a lot of negative things about fraternities and those in them need to keep an open mind too.

You can have a healthy distaste for fraternities that doesn't come from being turned down by one. That's a bit self-serving, no?

 

[notdeadyet]

Thanks guys, its a personal choice and a slight risk so I am gonna weigh the pros and cons...you've been a great help. 😎

Do weigh the pros and cons in deciding whether to join a fraternity. But don't sweat it from a med school perspective.

Joining one won't give you any advantage for getting in to medical school. But joining one won't close any doors to you either. If you want to join a fraternity, do so. If you are worried what adcoms think about it, there's no law that says you have to mention it on AMCAS. Not to worry.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Only time Greek may be a problem is when it dominates your entire life. A acquaintance of mine asked me to lover over he med school applications. Every SINGLE prompt she talked about her sorority.

 

[lemon tree]

Here are a few facts that would suggest that greek life is not all that bad:
There are 64 fraternities with 10,000 chapters on more than 805 campuses in the U.S. and Canada include 400,000 undergraduates and a membership of 6.0 million people.
All but two U.S. Presidents since 1825 have been members of fraternities.
Sixteen Vice Presidents have been members of fraternities.
~67% of U.S. President's Cabinet since 1900 have been members of fraternities.
~76% of U.S. Senators and Representatives have been members of fraternities.
~85% of U.S. Supreme Court Justices since 1910 have been members of fraternities.
Of the nation's 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by fraternity members

Also, this debate will forever continue on SDN. People in fraternities will defend them, most people will be indifferent, and a few will be strongly opposed. As far as adcoms go I am sure they are all very well educated people and do not judge greek life as a giant "party." In fact, most Greeks who want to be succesful at their university do. There is usually someone in each fraterinty that is already active and leading any other extracurricular. This has provieded me and many others opportunities that I may not otherwise have had. That being said, I am sure that their are adcoms who will have been in a fraternity and loved it and others who had not been given a bid and now have a dislike for fraternity life.

dude, it's 2008. all of your stats are from previous centuries. plus, that's a quote from the ABC Family show "GREEK" which i highly recommend.

 

[Lshapley]

Here are a few facts that would suggest that greek life is not all that bad:
There are 64 fraternities with 10,000 chapters on more than 805 campuses in the U.S. and Canada include 400,000 undergraduates and a membership of 6.0 million people.
All but two U.S. Presidents since 1825 have been members of fraternities.
Sixteen Vice Presidents have been members of fraternities.
~67% of U.S. President's Cabinet since 1900 have been members of fraternities.
~76% of U.S. Senators and Representatives have been members of fraternities.
~85% of U.S. Supreme Court Justices since 1910 have been members of fraternities.
Of the nation's 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by fraternity members

Also, this debate will forever continue on SDN. People in fraternities will defend them, most people will be indifferent, and a few will be strongly opposed. As far as adcoms go I am sure they are all very well educated people and do not judge greek life as a giant "party." In fact, most Greeks who want to be succesful at their university do. There is usually someone in each fraterinty that is already active and leading any other extracurricular. This has provieded me and many others opportunities that I may not otherwise have had. That being said, I am sure that their are adcoms who will have been in a fraternity and loved it and others who had not been given a bid and now have a dislike for fraternity life.

I'm trying to stay on the sidelines for this one, but your citations here just scream "old white boys club."

To give some support to the other side now...I was doing some google research and it seems that there is a fraternity for medical students. Assuming that is a legitimate fraternity, than the affiliation must not be frowned upon entirely.

 

[searun]

What is up with the frat boys and the politically correct language. Fraternity indeed. All of the frat boys I hung out with at the frat referred to our frat as the frat. It is what it is and what it is is a frat. And what you are is a frat boy. Hey, I was a frat boy, but like I said, I kept that fact hidden on my med school application. Which, as a frat boy, seemed sensible, discretion being the better part of valor, as they say.

 

[lemon tree]

What is up with the frat boys and the politically correct language. Fraternity indeed. All of the frat boys I hung out with at the frat referred to our frat as the frat. It is what it is and what it is is a frat. And what you are is a frat boy. Hey, I was a frat boy, but like I said, I kept that fact hidden on my med school application. Which, as a frat boy, seemed sensible, discretion being the better part of valor, as they say.

well said, searun!! i would leave out the frat and list all the community service you (supposedly) did while in the frat without attributing it to the frat.

bottom line: frat on the app knocks 4 points off the MCAT!!!

 

[Perrotfish]

bottom line: frat on the app knocks 4 points off the MCAT!!!

Do you have any basis whatsoever for this bottom line? Are you on an ADCOM, or even a medical student? I've all talked to both premedical advisors and many ADCOM members (including several who were members of my fraternity) and they all agree that being in a fraternity is not looked down upon in medical school admissoins. We've also all seen the demographics for incoming medical school classes, and we know that the percentage of fraternity/sorority students accepted is representative of the populations their pulling from. They all put their experience with Greek life on the application. Please don't make up admissions advice.

 

[ScarletK1901]

The word frat and fraternity are not synonymous.

There are some frats out there that ruin it for the majority, but most Greek chapters are true fraternities.

It depends where you go....and if your Greek life is not about the student picking his fraternity as much as the fraternity picking him, then that is a matter of school culture, and I am sorry you won't be able to experience what I have...just don't bring your own elitist anti-Greek attitude to this forum.

Be open-minded.

 

[VoiceofReason]

Now, I'm sure the experience varies from region to region, but where I went to school frats and sororities were downright shameful organizations. One pledge died from alcohol consumption, another whole fraternity lost its charter for refusing to do any community service and sending people to the hospital almost regularly for alcohol and alcohol related injuries, yet another had their house condemned and taken away after refusing to fix dangerous defects in the flooring among other things (someone fell through the floor and into the basement). I know almost no frat brother that had any ambition other than to drink themselves to death before they turned 30. I remember a couple of them volunteered their sexual habits to me: like proclaiming their abstinence from condom use and propensity to "hit it raw" and "pull out and shoot it gangsta." They were surprised that I used condoms... pretty much nobody they knew ever did. The only one that I know of that did happen to "make something of himself" got accepted to Penn's dentistry program, and he constantly told me how great it was going to be because he would barely work, make scads of money, and could get away with a lot more negligence and illegality in dentistry than in medicine. He gave me a few examples of illegal things that went on undetected in his father's dentistry practice but I can't remember them any more.

I could go on, and these are just the frats. The sororities just seemed to me to be social clubs that relished being able to exclude people. I dated, or I guess I should say I was just "involved" with, a sorority sister so I know how little these organizations do anything meaningful and how often they just drink and screw. I met this girl freshman year, before she joined a sorority, and she was much more normal. Once she joined she literally became an alcoholic that could barely pass a general education requirement. I'm not sure if she was always insane and just hid it better, but the sorority brought it out of her in full bloom.

I'll say it again: I know that this probably isn't the same at every school. But I have a hard time believing it's a lot better anywhere else. I never joined a frat, I just befriended people from my classes that I liked talking to and hanging out with.

The stereotype is spot on where I went to school.

 

[Jolie South]

Now, I'm sure the experience varies from region to region, but where I went to school frats and sororities were downright shameful organizations. One pledge died from alcohol consumption, another lost its charter for refusing to do any community service and sending people to the hospital almost regularly for alcohol and alcohol related injuries, yet another had their house condemned and taken away after refusing to fix dangerous defects in the flooring among other things (someone fell through the floor and into the basement). I know almost no frat brother that had any ambition other than to drink themselves to death before they turned 30. I remember a couple of them volunteered their sexual habits to me: like proclaiming their abstinence from condom use and propensity to "hit it raw" and "pull out and shoot it gangsta." They were surprised that I used condoms... pretty much nobody they knew ever did. The only one that I know of that did happen to "make something of himself" got accepted to Penn's dentistry program, and he constantly told me how great it was going to be because he would barely work, make scads of money, and could get away with a lot more negligence and illegality in dentistry than in medicine. He gave me a few examples of illegal things that went on undetected in his father's dentistry practice but I can't remember them any more.

I could go on, and these are just the frats. The sororities just seemed to me to be social clubs that relished being able to exclude people. I dated, or I guess I should say I was just "involved" with, a sorority sister so I know how little these organizations do anything meaningful and how often they just drink and screw. I met this girl freshman year, before she joined a sorority, and she was much more normal. Once she joined she literally became an alcoholic that could barely pass a general education requirement. I'm not sure if she was always insane and just hid it better, but the sorority brought it out of her in full bloom.

I'll say it again: I know that this probably isn't the same at every school. But I have a hard time believing it's a lot better anywhere else. I never joined a frat, I just befriended people from my classes that I liked talking to and hanging out with.

The stereotype is spot on where I went to school.

This was the experience that I had in a very large southern public school.

 

[Flaxmoore]

Here are a few facts that would suggest that greek life is not all that bad:
There are 64 fraternities with 10,000 chapters on more than 805 campuses in the U.S. and Canada include 400,000 undergraduates and a membership of 6.0 million people.
All but two U.S. Presidents since 1825 have been members of fraternities.

Prove it. Unless you're counting fraternal organizations (Masons, Elks, Lions, etc.), this is impossible. There were more than two of those who didn't attend college at all.

 

[Thewrongstuff]

Lol. Skull and bones society...

 

[lemon tree]

The word frat and fraternity are not synonymous.

There are some frats out there that ruin it for the majority, but most Greek chapters are true fraternities.

It depends where you go....and if your Greek life is not about the student picking his fraternity as much as the fraternity picking him, then that is a matter of school culture, and I am sorry you won't be able to experience what I have...just don't bring your own elitist anti-Greek attitude to this forum.

Be open-minded.

i don't wanna be open-minded. frats suck and everyone knows it.

DO NOT PUT IT ON YOUR APPLICATION TO MEDICAL SCHOOL!!! when i read an mdapps and they list frat stuff, i immediately turn off. do you want to risk that
any member of an adcom will have that reaction???!

even if you believe that view is wrong and unfair, many/most people can't help having that reaction. you want to put in your PS, "please be open-minded about my fraternity experience."

good luck with that.

 

[notdeadyet]

I've all talked to both premedical advisors and many ADCOM members (including several who were members of my fraternity) and they all agree that being in a fraternity is not looked down upon in medical school admissoins.

Woah. The folks you've spoken to were either relating their own views or are guilty of making false blanket statements.

Whether fraternity membership will help/hurt an applicant depends on the medical school and, more importantly, it depends on the individual adcom member. There's no truism here.

Again, folks who want to join fraternities should go ahead and do so. If you're worried about it hurting admissions chances, don't mention it on your amcas. Simple stuff.

But look at this thread. There are very mixed impressions of the value of fraternities and the sorts of people it attracts.

And it's important to keep this in mind: right now is the time at which fraternities have put their best foot forward to blow away the stereotypes. Right now is about as good an image as fraternities have had in a long time. Most adcoms with the pull in admissions come from a time when fraternities had a much stronger stereotype. As contentious as it may seem to folks in fraternities right now, trust me, things were a lot worse in the 90's and 80's. Fraternities have come a long way.

For folks putting their fraternities down on their amcas, it's not a kiss of death. In some instances, it will help you. You may run across a frat brother or someone who just plain likes the greek system. But in some instances, it will hurt you. There are plenty of people out there who do not have time for fraternities and have had negative experiences.

 

[lemon tree]

Woah. The folks you've spoken to were either relating their own views or are guilty of making false blanket statements.

Whether fraternity membership will help/hurt an applicant depends on the medical school and, more importantly, it depends on the individual adcom member. There's no truism here.

Again, folks who want to join fraternities should go ahead and do so. If you're worried about it hurting admissions chances, don't mention it on your amcas. Simple stuff.

But look at this thread. There are very mixed impressions of the value of fraternities and the sorts of people it attracts.

And it's important to keep this in mind: right now is the time at which fraternities have put their best foot forward to blow away the stereotypes. Right now is about as good an image as fraternities have had in a long time. Most adcoms with the pull in admissions come from a time when fraternities had a much stronger stereotype. As contentious as it may seem to folks in fraternities right now, trust me, things were a lot worse in the 90's and 80's. Fraternities have come a long way.

For folks putting their fraternities down on their amcas, it's not a kiss of death. In some instances, it will help you. You may run across a frat brother or someone who just plain likes the greek system. But in some instances, it will hurt you. There are plenty of people out there who do not have time for fraternities and have had negative experiences.

exactly.

given all that, which cannot be disputed, WHY risk putting it on the AMCAS if there is ANY risk it will be a turnoff?

unfortunately, what we are dealing with here are people who already have applied and are now upset that they wish they had not put this on their application. i'm sorry, guys, but the truth is the truth: some/many people look down on frat/sorority membership. ergo, bad to highlight on an application to ANYTHING, otherr than another exclusive club!!!

i am sure the local country club will find it appealing!!!!