Maybe you've already made the decision to join a Greek organization or just curious about them. No matter your motivation, you've come to the right place!
Being Greek means more than just wearing Greek letters, attending meetings, and going to parties. Being in a fraternity/sorority is about making friendships that will last far beyond your college years while enhancing your personal development by committing to ideals of scholarship, leadership, and service. It is being respected for your individuality while being part of a brotherhood & sisterhood with individuals who share the same goals and values. Your brothers/sisters are there to support you, making your transition to college easy and fun.
Being Greek may also mean choosing to live with your closest friends in the Chapter house. While not all groups have housing, eleven fraternities and four sororities have a house on NC State's Greek Court, while several groups have facilities off campus. The live-in experience is a great personal development opportunity where you can learn important skills such as shared responsibility, positive communication and compromise. Living in your chapter house also helps you to establish closer friendships and stronger bonds with other chapter members and provides you with opportunities for academic improvement and social activities.
Want to know more? The following information and links answer some of the most common questions about Greek Life.
- What is a Greek organization?
- What are the Pillars of Greek Life?
- What are the "councils"? (i.e. Panhellenic, IFC, NPHC, CGC)?
- What are the benefits of joining a Greek organization?
- What are the requirements for joining a Greek organization?
- Glossary of Greek Terms
- How do I Join a Greek organization?
- Interesting Facts About Greeks
- What do all those Greek letters mean?
Still have questions? Please contact us or stop by 1104 Pullen Hall.
What is a Greek Organization?
A Greek organization is a group of individuals with similar interests bonded together by common goals, aspirations, and shared experiences. These bonds are created through rituals in which all members participate. Rituals are based on common principals such as honor, leadership, friendship, and service, just to name a few. Each group works to instill these ideals in their members through their everyday activities.
Since the founding of the first college fraternity in 1776 and the first sorority in 1851, these organizations have thrived and multiplied into hundreds of national organizations while making a positive and tremendous impact on the service and social structure of higher education systems throughout the United States and Canada. These organizations are referred to as "Greek" because their names consist of Greek letters that serve as a reminder of the group’s values. The term "fraternity" is a name generally applied to all Greek organizations, both male and female, but usually refer specifically to men’s groups while "sorority" refers to women’s Greek organizations.
The Pillars of Greek Life
Four pillars guide fraternities and sororities at North Carolina State University: Brotherhood & Sisterhood, Scholarship, Leadership, and Service. These fraternal values provide a strong foundation to support a student's personal development during the undergraduate years.
Brotherhood & Sisterhood
Scholarship
Leadership
Service
What are the requirements for joining a Greek organization?
Although the university does not currently set minimum requirements for men and women interested in joining fraternities and sororities many Greek organizations do have inter/national standards for potential new members. These inter/national standards typically require that interested students have a GPA above 2.0. Additionally the Department of Greek Life encourages chapters to only offer bid to students that are enrolled as a full-time student (12+ hours of course work) and admitted into a degree granting program at NC State.
What do all those Greek letters mean?
