By Nancy Lauren Mucciarone > Junior > Syracuse University

To pledge or not to pledge? That is the question that millions of college students face each semester. With fraternity paraphernalia, rush posters and Greek letters on display all around campus, it is hard to ignore the organizations that captivate so many students across the country. While some students are dying to get a hold of their pledge pins, others are completely against the idea of paying dues to be part of a group of friends. So, is a fraternity the right choice for you?

According to Brendan Moss, a sophomore at Lake Forest College, the decision depends on the type of person you are. “An athlete, on one hand, will already have a close group of friends with their fellow teammates, while the average student still needs to find their clique and space where they fit in,” he says. A fraternity can help students make friends that they fit in with, and while this is a good thing for the most part, it can have some drawbacks. “It can also cramp one’s individuality when they have to remain loyal to whatever their frat is doing,” Moss says.

Joining a fraternity helps you branch out and become involved in many different activities on campus. “A fraternity just shows you a whole different side of school that you never knew existed as a freshman,” says Matan Cafri, a junior in Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Syracuse University. “Socially, you have totally new friends, both guys and girls, you learn a lot about the community, participate in a lot of philanthropy events that can be so much fun, and there’s always a place to go and something to do.” A fraternity gives you an entire network of people to go out with instead of just a small group of friends from your dorm.

To some people, while the idea of a fraternity is a great idea, the actual execution of it is not so positive. Mike Gennaro, a junior on the crew team at Syracuse University, believes that over the years, the reputation of the entire Greek system has gone downhill. “I don’t like the whole alpha male appearance and attitude that goes along with being in a frat,” he says. “The other day, I actually saw a frat guy in his front yard chugging a beer, and when he finished, another brother shot him in the chest with a BB gun and then they chest bumped.” These stereotypical frat activities aren’t actually a problem until it affects people that aren’t in their house. “They stand on their porches and scream, ‘Keep walking, it’s a closed party!’ and I’m just thinking, ‘Yeah, like I actually wanted to come inside your party,’” Gennaro says.

The shotguns and high fives may not be for everyone, but the networking opportunities definitely make joining a frat worthwhile. There are so many people that are in each fraternity, so upon graduating, there is an entire network of alumni that can help you find a job in the field you are interested in. “Joining a fraternity has opened up so many doors for me, especially with networking,” says Zach Fisher, a brother in Sigma Chi fraternity. “So many people end up getting jobs through their fraternity.”

At the end of the day, the decision of whether or not to rush or pledge is up to you and what you want to get out of your college career. And if it helps your decision at all, just remember that Brad Pitt was a Sigma Chi.