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<p>That’s not actually true. I wasn’t in a frat and had a great enjoyable time at Duke without much difficulty. And I was in Pratt. I had many friends in the Greek system, though, and they enjoyed it greatly. And some friends not in the Greek system - it didn’t really matter, everybody hung out. I’ll say that the majority of organized parties/etc are through the Greek system simply because they are larger organizations that can pull off such events. But there are plenty of other social avenues on and off campus and it’s not difficult to find them/find people to partake in them. </p>
<p>In regards to athletics, you’d be shocked at how many people don’t go to a single basketball game in their four years. I was. I personally enjoy sports and going to games gives me a sense of community as well as being really fun, which I find fairly unique to Duke (sense of unity among the student body that is developed by sports), but you’ll have plenty of classmates at Duke who don’t care. The student section seats about 1,500 and there are more than 6,000 undergrads, so a full 75% of students don’t attend a given game.</p>
<p>I think people above understand your concerns, they were just a bit offended by the tone of your original post. You shouldn’t dismiss people as ridiculous or non-academic simply because they are into athletics or because they enjoy the benefits a fraternity gives them. You’ll be missing out on a sizable contingent of individuals that can make your experience more enriching. Duke is a diverse community and really anybody can find their niche, but you’ll grow more as an individual in four years (and have more fun) if you keep an open mind to all sorts of people. Good luck.</p>