George Washington University - GWU Greek Life Reviews

This is from personal experience!

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Dear seniors in high schools: Do not come to GW if you are really craving community and a social, more traditional college experience. It is very hard to find someone who is not only driven and smart, but who likes to socialize and have a good time. You definitely will experience the two extremes, but there aren't many balanced individuals. Majority of the people in top houses are not committed too school and are here because they were snubbed in the college process and it was the top school that they got into (myself included). I do not regret coming to GW because I am more than ready to move onto the real world and leave college behind. However, I wish I didn't settle for such a mediocre university. I would say the education is NOT worth the money, unless you are going into IA/Political Science/ or on the Pre-med track. GW's alumni network is completely out of touch with the University. I think majority of alumni were never excited about going to GW in the first place, so they do not make the effort to give back to the school. These are all things I wish I knew before I came here!! I hope this helps! Also ladies: Definitely not the school where you'll meet your soulmate. (not like that matters too much)

not fun unless you’re a part of Greek life. very very chill, you get the traditional Greek life vibe but it doesn’t overpower your life

GW's never really had "real" greek life like bigger schools. GW tends to attract ambitious, career-oriented kids who are more focused on networking & internships, so people here are often pretty independent. That's prob a big reason why greek life is appealing, bc since people here are v independent, there's not much school spirit or community, esp since we don't even have a football team like most colleges. GW's known for hating greek life & they're way too draconian about it. They'll promote greek life to high schoolers applying here, but everyone here knows they'll sanction houses for the most absurd reasons. Tbh it seems like they're trying to get rid of greek life so they can use the townhouses for other gw buildings, since GW's at times more like a real estate developer than a school. I genuinely love GW, but they really need to cut the bs with greek life because it's gotten ridiculous. We have really tame greek life here anyway, we're not like ohio state or Alabama where they throw crazy parties every week. People that join greek life here just want a group of friends to enjoy college with, the only houses that actually party a lot/at all are kkg & aephi, and everyone knows they recruit a very specific type of girl that's pretty different from the rest of GW. (I don't mean that judgmentally at all, it's just objectively true).

GW Greek life is not like Greek life anywhere else. While this attribute has its pros and cons, it lets members make of it what they want. If you are able to join an organization that you think has members with similar attitudes, interests, etc. and make an effort to be involved, you will usually get more out of it. Because GW has a city campus, housing is limited compared to larger Greek communities. The GW Greek community also has a higher average GPA than non-Greek students.

The university has gotten rid of all the normal fraternities so now theres nowhere for most potential rushees to join because the only houses left are awkward and weird

Since I started at GW, the school has lost 5 fraternities and one sorority. The university made changes to Greek life with the input of faculty, parents, and unaffiliated students rather than actually listen to members of Greek life, and they devalue the importance of alcohol safety and hazing prevention with their overly strict regulations and constant threats to housing and probations. The administration also plays favorites with particular groups, which is clear from Panhellenic and IFC leadership. Overall it's great if you find your niche, but many people are on eggshells.

not that bad, its what you make of it

Even though GW hates Greek life, over 1/3 of the student body is involved and it's still a good time for meeting people and going out.