Fraternity reputation before rush

Pike, Cal Phi, and Sig Pi are the three biggest frats known for having the best parties. Pike is known for being your typical “alpha male” frat guys who are very athletic and intense. Cal Phi is similar to pike but more grungey and less of the typical “frat guy” image. Sig Pi has always been known for being the richest frat with the most houses, but a lot of people don’t like the vibe they give off and get bored of them after freshman year. Outside of those three, Sig Chi is the “nice guy” frat that is involved on campus and doesn’t have nearly as hard of a pledge process as any other frat. Girls like them a lot but they don’t have good enough houses/parties to be on the same level as the top three. TKE is known for having more of a laid back stoner type vibe, they don’t have a ton of houses or big parties but they still are a fairly well-respected group with a decent following. ZBT and Kappa Sig are probably the lowest “ranked” frats and definitely have a lot of guys that most think are weird, though if you want the benefits of being in a fraternity but don’t like the “frat boy” image those two are decent options. All the other frats listed on this site have disbanded.

If you want to know how hard it is to pledge each frat, here is an approximate list:

Hardest: Cal Phi, by far
Very hard: Pike, TKE
Somewhat hard: Kappa Sig, Sig Pi
Barely pledging: ZBT, Sig Chi

Both ends of the spectrum have their pluses and minuses so it really depends on what you’re looking for in a fraternity and what role you want it to play in your overall college experience.

I would really say just go check out all the frats during rush week. Find the one that fits you best....you like a lot of the guys and you feel comfortable there. Don’t get too caught up in reputations. Because from what I have heard....most guys really like their fraternity and have met their best friends in them. You will always find an awesome group in every fraternity. Good luck with rush!

Absolutely agree with one pref system is terrible. Hoping the frats will figure that out this year because it is a different kind of year. And also hope the frats will do some online rush too with all the freshman that can’t be on campus.

reputation doesn't really mean anything to anyone other than freshman. No one is going to judge you based off what frat your in or even care for that matter. Every fraternity has mixers and brotherhood events and when they throw parties they're open to everyone anyway. When rushing remember that these are the people your going to spend most of your free time with. They'll become your best friends while your in college and you will more than likely remain friends with most for the rest of your life. Don't rush based of reputation or whos top house. Try and meet as many guys as you can during rush week and rush whoever fits your personality/energy best. Try and find a group you genuinely connect with and go with that.

Like many have said above, there are only 7 fraternities that run the social scene within SCU greek life. Any of them would be just fine. Just keep in mind that each frat gets along with certain sororities more than others. Stick to the group that gave you good impressions.

Good luck!