<p>I am mostly interested in schools in the southeast, but not limiting the search only to those. Actually, it is Smith College that peaked my interest with their house system, rather than dorms or sororities. I’d love to learn more about other colleges or universities that have a strong sense of community, either because of the housing set up, or a school within a school type feel, etc. I think a supportive social environment will be an important factor in our search.</p>
<p>Harvard and Yale also have residential college systems, although I’m not sure if they have strong sense of communities.</p>
<p>Other small women’s LACs may give you that feel, too - Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, Bryn Mawr.</p>
<p>I know that Penn State has a strong sense of identity with the university - I know quite a few Penn State alumni and they are crazy devoted to their school.</p>
<p>I know that Notre Dame also has a house system, a strong community, and no Greek life. I also agree with the poster above, if you liked Smith, you should also look at the other women’s colleges. In addition to the schools listed above, I think (not sure) that Vassar, Bowdin, Franklin and Marshall and UChicago use a house system – I know F&M has Greek life but I’m not sure about the other schools. I’d google it and see what you come up with.</p>
<p>Rice is an obvious suggestion. No Greek life, a residential college system, and not too far outside the south. </p>
<p>If you want a sense of community but don’t care if the college has Greek life, you’d have many more options. WUStL does a great job at fostering a sense of community. Duke is attempting to implement a residential house system, and if memory serves, Vanderbilt is as well; both have strong Greek systems, however. There may be other current/future residential college systems in the southeast. Several LACs in the southeast don’t have Greek life, but they tend to be either single-sex or a bit quirky (e.g. NCF, Warren Wilson, Guilford, Agnes Scott). </p>
<p>An alternative to consider is themed housing, which some LACs and many universities offer. For example, Reed offers a fantasy dorm, a co-op, a science dorm, a Japanese culture dorm, an outdoors dorm, an art dorm, a circus dorm, etc. </p>
<p>Luckily a sense of community can be found at both LACs and universities and at colleges both with and without Greek life, so you have many options.</p>
<p>Most LACs have a strong sense of community (goes with being small) and most LACs outside of the south do not have Greek affiliation.</p>
<p>I can vouch for Yale’s residential college system producing a strong sense of community. JE sux.</p>
<p>I second Rice. Also Swarthmmore.</p>
<p>Hendrix College is in Conway, Arkansas and doesn’t have a greek system. It has a lower cost of attendance than many other schools on this list and gives pretty nice merit aid.</p>
<p>Claremont McKenna has no Greek system, but the student culture is very tight, and it has work-hard-play-hard atmosphere. Also, the other contiguous 5Cs (Pomona, Scripps, Harvey Mudd & Pitzer) together with CMC comprise an Oxbridge-like college system, with sharing between the 5Cs and a strong community within each “college.”</p>
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<p>I’m curious.
What does “a strong sense of community” mean?
And what does it have to do with Greekdom?
The two actually seem to be direct opposites.
If one is an active member affiliated with a small tight-knit insular organization, there would usually be by definition *less * interaction and fellowship with the greater community at large.
Thanks.</p>
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<p>I think that the “community” idea here means the entire school. Greekdom can fracture the total community into closed and competing microcosms. Also of course those who have not pledged can be left out of all kinds of circles and activities. My LAC had no Greek system and I think that the more open fellowship and parties led to a stronger sense of a school-wide community. Of course there were groups and perhaps cliques but they weren’t sanctioned and institutionalized.</p>
<p>The smaller the school, the less need there is to break into smaller groups. With a class size of 300, it becomes silly to have a Greek system. There are however some schools that are better than others at building community. Those that do are often intentional about it. Quaker schools (Earlham, Guilford etc) would be on that list, as would Warren Wilson. As mentioned above, the schools are likely to be somewhat quirky, granola, utopian… They tend to build a cooperative rather than competitive academic atmosphere. They tend to produce graduates who are looking to help others rather than end up highest on the ladder. </p>
<p>A lot depends on what you are looking for. If you have a specific religious preference, you might find a small school that maintains that religious affiliation to be exactly what you are looking for.</p>
<p>Many small LACs are not on the Greek system. Perhaps because of its insular location Williams has a close knit and nurturing environment. Under the entry system about 20 to 25 first years live together in specified dorms, specified dorms, supported by two junior advisers. This arrangement provides an instantaneous social group and a good transition to all aspects of the campus community. After first year, students live in loosely constructed housing “neighborhoods” which organize social events.</p>
<p>I appreciate the feedback. It’s interesting to get the different perspectives on what creates a sense of community. When I read about the house system at Smith, it made me think of a sort of automatic sorority, where those in the house would be likely to become friends, or at least be supportive of one another…having lived and worked closely together. I understand that this can happen within a sorority or fraternity, but like the idea of that close knit feeling happening without having to join a sorority. Ideally we will find a school where lifelong friendships are likely ( although, of course, never guaranteed). It sounds like at some smaller lacs, that sense of community may encompass the entire school or graduating class, but at a larger school, I wonder if that sort of sense of family/ community may be hard to come by unless one does join the Greek system, but I have heard that some big unis may have a sort of school within a school feel which may offer some of what I am talking about, but I don’t know to what degree that actually exists.</p>
<p>I’m always puzzled when people post seeking a list of schools which have a strong sense of community and no greek system, as if one has anything to do with the other. It always seems that posters with no personal experience of the greek system think that the non-affiliated students on campuses with relatively strong greek systems are downtrodden, shunned and basically excluded from all meaningful activity. In fact, IME with large schools with significant greek life this is totally untrue.</p>
<p>I can imagine that it may be possible in a very small, geographically isolated LAC with a strong greek presence, some non-affiliated students MAY feel excluded from greek activities (well, of course they are) but unless greeks comprise more than 50% of the student body, there still have to be more social opportunities outside the system than in it.</p>
<p>I really think that the ability to form life-long relationships has much more to do with the individual student than whatever the perceived campus culture is.</p>
<p>Notre Dame, Holy Cross.</p>