On a college campus of nearly 36,000 students, it’s easy to get lost in the mix. Getting involved in greek life is just one way that around 5,000 Iowa State students make campus feel a little smaller through a establishing a sense of community.

Roughly 16.5 percent of ISU undergraduate students are involved in one of the 64 chapters available on campus that are looking for more people to join.

The Office of Greek Affairs is the center for everything greek at ISU. Through this office, campus rules are established, which are to be followed by the four greek councils: the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, the Multicultural Greek Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

For anyone looking to join one of the 17 sororities recognized by the Panhellenic Council, there are two simple ways to get involved. The first way, how a majority of girls join, is through the process of primary recruitment. This involves an online signup process and attending recruiting events a week before fall classes begin.

In one week, girls are able to see all the chapters and meet the girls who makeup their sisterhood. By the end of the week, after following the mutual selection process, girls are able to find the house that’s right for them.

Secondary sorority recruitment is also offered following primary recruitment. This is an informal process that allows girls to reach out to specific chapters they are interested in. Potential new members can attend events held by the chapter to really get to know the other girls before joining.

There are 31 fraternities on campus recognized by the Interfraternity Council with recruitment held in the fall, within the first couple weeks of the fall semester, and again in the summer, beginning with June orientation and continuing throughout the summer months.

Similar to secondary sorority recruitment, fraternity recruitment involves each chapter holding events with their large event being held in the fall. Open to all Iowa State students looking to get involved in fraternity life, fall recruitment allows for potential new members to meet with chapter leaders and other men in the house.

The fraternities and sororities recognized under both the Multicultural Greek Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council have their own requirements and processes for their Membership Intake. Most organizations require new members to have already completed at least one semester at ISU as to establish a GPA.

Although most require a GPA of 2.5 or higher as well as member involvement in clubs and community service, specifics for each chapter are explained at Meet the Greeks, a general informational session where potential new members can have any of their questions regarding the organizations answered.  

No matter a student’s race, gender, religion or interests, the Greek community at ISU offers an amazing variety of organizations that can provide a sense of home. College provides students with the opportunity to try new things and the Greek community is a great way to gain those experiences while making life-long friends in the process.