to all upcoming freshman boys...

So. This is it. You're gonna be a freshman where more than 60% of girls roam this school, the food is great and the people are friendly. You made the best decision in your life. Congrats.
You are also a freshman guy who wants to join a fraternity. I imagine you would be interested in rushing since you are in this site in the first place. Good for you. Here is some advice before you go further:

When rushing a fraternity don't believe the rankings/discussion here. Everyone has different opinions in each fraternity and sorority. Some had better experiences in one while others had worse ones. Don't take them as facts. You learn about the fraternity once you interact with the brothers of said fraternity.

When rushing a fraternity, don't rush because you find them to have the best parties. Parties here are kick ass as a whole, you're covered. Rush a fraternity because you are genuinely interested in becoming a brother of that fraternity, meaning you find the guys to be a good fit for you. Do not pledge a fraternity because they are socially well known but you don't find them to be fun to be with. You will regret it.

Pledging. Pledging depends of the fraternity. Some fraternities haze harder than others. If you find pledging to not be worth it, no one is stopping you from dropping. However, just because pledging sucks doesn't mean you should quit. The rewards are greater than you know when you finish. I guarantee it.