<p>In the past fraternity houses used to use hazing as a method of choosing their members selectively but now it is illegal and no longer used. So what kind of criterias do fraternity houses use in accepting students? What kind of a selectivity do they have? What do you have to be or do in order to get accepted?</p>
<p>PS: I’m specificly talking about SDSU but comments from other universities are welcomed also!</p>
<p>Based on what I know about fraternities, they didn’t use hazing to select their brothers, they used it to create a sense of unity among pledges…people they’d already selected. At my university, fraternities select based on how well your personality meshes with theirs, whether theirs is generally jocks, preps, geeks, punk rocker potheads, metrosexuals, or what have you (note that the personality of any house is probably at least a little more subtle and complex than these labels). They also select based on whether the wanna-be brother gets along with the brothers in the house and whether he has demonstrated interest in the house during Rush.</p>
<p>How about social status? Good looks? The way one dresses? Race and ethnicity?</p>
<p>It varies by university, and within the university, it varies by fraternity. During Rush, you normally look around lots of different houses, then gradually narrow your search down and show more interest in a couple (note: if this is not true at other schools, please chime in, I can only speak for mine). While you’re looking around different houses, look at and talk to the brothers. If they are nearly all of the same ethnicity, or are all good-looking, or all dress similarly, that might tell you something about what that house is looking for. If you’re curious about a particular house, ask upperclassmen at SDSU what that house’s reputation is (though be aware that if you ask people from one house about another house, they may lie).</p>
<p>Also remember that just because hazing is illegal, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. I’m a girl, and I wasn’t interested in the Greek system anyway, but I’ve had some conversations about this with my friends in fraternities, and one of them had an interesting bit of advice for prospective brothers (paraphrased): “Don’t bother asking a brother whether his fraternity hazes. What, you think he’s going to say yes? A better question would be what his fraternity considers to be hazing.” And again, ask people outside the house about its reputation.</p>
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<p>Hazing still goes on, lol. Different houses use different criterea in selecting new members, obviously. Most people can find a house that fits them pretty well.</p>
<p>“How about social status? Good looks? The way one dresses? Race and ethnicity?”</p>
<p>all important at the stuck up houses. not so important at a chill house.</p>
<p>When it comes to fraternities there is no such thing as a correct generalization.</p>
<p>Any personal experiences?</p>
<p>If you pledge, then go with a national fraternity.</p>
<p>Hazing still goes on, so be careful, make sure you and your fellow pledges watch out for each other, and if you have a big brother, makes sure you get in good graces with him.</p>
<p>Fraternities get a really bad rapp, this is only from a select few and rarely does anything serious happen.</p>
<p>Pledging tests you physically, emotionally and psychologically, but in the end, its well worth it.</p>
<p>–Brotherhood forever</p>
<p>If you pledge at a school where it’s a fraternity-council wide rush, chances are very high you’ll get a bid at least SOMEWHERE.</p>
<p>I’m in a fraternity at SDSU, you can email me if you want more information.</p>
<p>yes hazing still exists, but as with all things regarding fraternity life, it varies from campus to campus as far as prevalence. At some places, all the houses will haze and haze hard. At other schools hazing is simply not present, or present in very few houses and not talked about publically. The only thing you can do is ask the rush chairs about it, and then decide if you believe them.</p>
<p>My chapter never hazed in my mind, though by the absolute strictist definitions that could easily be debated b/c the pledges have daily duties to clean a portion of the chapter house, and they must also go to off campus houses the day after a party and clean up there too. To some people that’s hazing, but I and the members of my chapter have never seen it that way. Considering the other hazing stories I’ve heard, the cleaning is a complete non-issue in the grand scope of things. There are much worse ways to be hazed then having to clean the house you live in or the one you dirtied the night before.</p>
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<p>Thanks! Can I have your e-mail address; or msn messenger if you have one?</p>
<p>Some people say those houses are extremely picky…?</p>
<p>if you dont get into a house dont worry about it
it just means you wont get along with them in the long run.</p>
<p>My email is in my profile, drop me a line if you want.</p>
<p>Some frats are desperate for brothers to live in the house, so they may be more lenient to pledges that can afford to pay for room & board.</p>
<p>Thanks savedbythebell7, i did e-mail you.</p>
<p>Best thing you could do during rush is to be yourself, don’t make up an image that you think the brothers of a certain fraternity want to see. If they don’t want you for who you are, then you would not be happy there anyway.</p>