Our fraternities and sororities practice a deferred recruitment, which takes place in January, to give new students a chance to get settled, make new friends and adjust academically before making a life-long commitment to an organization. Why should you join our fraternal community? There are a lot of reasons. But no matter what you decide, the benefits of fraternity and sorority life are clear:
Leadership
Want to become a leader? When you join Furman’s fraternal community, you’ll have plenty of opportunities. Not only can you hold a leadership position within your chapter or on a national level, but you’ll also find your brothers or sisters encouraging you to take leadership roles in other students organizations at Furman.
Scholarship
If you think joining a fraternity or sorority might hurt you academically, think again. You must have at least a 2.25 cumulative GPA to participate in fraternity recruitment. While there is not a minimum requirement to participate in sorority recruitment, each chapter has its own GPA standards, and all chapters have at least a minimum of 2.5. Once you’re a member, you’re expected to maintain that requirement. Some organizations even voluntarily increase their GPA requirements for their members. The results are clear. When you combine the grade point averages for all the women in a sorority, the number is consistently higher than average for all the women on campus—and the same is true for fraternity men.
Service
Giving back is an important aspect of life at Furman and our fraternity and sorority students are no different. Each chapter has one or more designated philanthropies that their organization supports nation-wide, as well as a collection of local charities. Throughout the year, they donate hundreds of volunteer hours and raise thousands of dollars for these organizations. You can find students working on campus-wide service projects, like the Poinsett Project, Relay for Life, or the Special Olympics.
Social Life
The Fraternal community is a great way to make new friends. Not only will you have the chance to meet students with a variety of interests, majors, and backgrounds, you’ll find yourself forming life-long friendships with them. There’s never a dull moment in fraternity and sorority life. Throughout the year, you can find chapters hosting formal dances, sporting events, theme parties, and brotherhood and sisterhood functions.
Alumni Networking
When you join a fraternity or sorority, you’re not just connecting with other students. You’re making a connection with all of the alumni who passed through your chapter. You’ll meet them at homecoming and fundraising events. They’ll be there to help mentor you or provide career networking.
