General Information

Today's fraternities and sororities might surprise you!

National research projects conducted by the Center for Advanced Social Research at the University of Missouri provide data on why membership in a fraternity or sorority may be a beneficial choice.

Following graduation, Greek-affiliated alumni have higher average incomes than non-Greek alumni. Even when accounting for parents' educational levels, graduation year and gender, students who were affiliated with fraternities and sororities have significantly higher average incomes following graduation. Students who join fraternities and sororities are 28 percent more likely to return to school the following year than students who choose not to join.

Here are some interesting facts about Greek Life at Elon University:

There are more than 1,200 members in the 21 Greek-letter organizations at Elon.
Many Greek organization members are employed outside the classroom in order to help finance their education.
Each Greek organization is a self-governing business. With the assistance of alumni advisors, students collectively budget, collect and expend more than $600,000 per year.
There are more than 200 leadership positions in the Greek community alone.
Cumulatively, the Greek community at Elon raised and donated over $26,000 and 7,000 service hours to charitable organizations during the past academic year.

Questions Frequently Asked by Parents

Why should my student join a Greek organization?
At first glance, the university experience can seem overwhelming. The Greek community gives students the chance to have a support network away from home. The individual chapter will become like a family, and friendships will last a lifetime. By choosing to become a member of a Greek organization, your student will meet people who will grow to be close friends, people who will cheer your student on when he/she is successful and who will support him/her when the going gets tough. Greek organizations promote the development of close ties between members through living, studying, working and having fun together. Members also meet new people through community service projects, participating in campus events and chapter events.

How can Greek life help my student succeed academically?
Academic success is an important part of college life. One of the central purposes of fraternities and sororities is to promote academic excellence. Each organization requires a minimum grade point average to remain an active member of the chapter. All chapters emphasize the value of academic success and will help their members achieve this success with scholarship programs, study halls, incentive programs and study buddies. Because the Greek community puts so much emphasis on scholastics, it consistently has a higher cumulative grade point average than the non-affiliated students, and has established the Order of Omega, its own honorary group, to recognize outstanding Greek men and women.

Are Greek students involved on campus?
Greek organizations allow members the opportunity to expand and develop their leadership skills. Members of the Greek community are represented in most campus groups including Elon University Ambassadors, Student Government Association, Orientation Leaders and many more. As a Greek member, your student will have the opportunity to become involved in a variety of Greek organizations outside of his or her chapter including: Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol (GAMMA), Greek Ambassadors (promoters of the Greek community), Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Panhellenic Council.

Do Greeks participate in community service?
Every year Greek students give thousands of hours of service to the community. Members donate time to help with projects such as Habitat for Humanity, reading to underprivileged children, Adopt-A-Highway and the Special Olympics. Greeks also sponsor fund-raising activities for charitable organizations. Each fraternity and sorority chapter has its own national philanthropy, which it supports on an ongoing basis. Chapters have special events to raise money for their particular projects. Some of the projects that chapters are involved with include raising money for children with terminal illnesses, women with breast cancer and victims of domestic violence.

Does being a member of a Greek letter organization have benefits after graduation?
With the job market becoming increasingly competitive, a college degree no longer guarantees a successful career. In today's job market it is not only important what your student knows, but who your student knows. When someone joins a fraternity or sorority, he/she not only becomes friends with the members of that chapter, but also begins building relationships with the families and friends of those members and alumni from all over the country. By joining a Greek letter organization, a person can create an entire network of people, from which could possibly come a future employer, a spouse or a lifelong friend.

Does it cost a lot to be Greek?
Joining a fraternity or sorority does carry a financial commitment. Each chapter is self-supporting through dues paid by their members. When students join a Greek letter organization, they also agree to pay dues and fees while in school to maintain membership. Although chapters may make accommodations for special needs, students should discuss the financial obligations with their parent(s) before deciding to join.