It is, and its based on my school, Dartmouth. I'm a sophomore and am rushing now since i wasn't taking classes in the fall. At dartmouth you can't rush your freshman year, which i think really lets you get a good view of all the different places and you don't make decisions too quickly. I'll share my experiences with frats.Â
First off, I guess frats are a bit different here. They are the basis of a ton of social life here, but from what i hear of frats at other colleges, they are completely different here. Going into school, i really didn't want to rush anywhere. I had heard all the frat guy stereotypes, and thye sounded lame. I still think the stereotype is lame, so chances are i wouldn't rush if i went somewhere else. I've met some really cool, REALLY smart people who are all brothers. Personally, I'm probably going to be a double major with environmental studies and spanish, and I'm also a member of the varsity track team. My activities are like nothing compared to some frat guys i know. Also, the frats here are open to everybody as long as you aren't a high school student. If you have a dartmouth ID, you get let in, no questions asked. I think its ridiculous that some schools dont let guys in. I would hate that. Also, my house isn't national, its a local frat (we are the only branch), so we don't have any bullshit dues that go to national and we kind of do our own thing. Its fun.
The pledge term here completely depends on the house. It ranges from barely anything to hanging out 4 nights a week to 3 am, meetings, and having to wear the same thing everyday. My rush term is pretty low key since I'm not drinking because im in season right now with track and my classes are a buttload of work. I still hang out, and a bunch of the guys would be my friends if i were or were not a brother. I have friends at basically every other house on campus, and i still am and will remain good freinds with them for the next 2.5 years. I hang out at other frats sometimes and its no big deal. Everybody is welcoming.
So this post isn't very focused, but the point is that frats really aren't the same everywhere. For me, its a chance to have a place to live, where i can always hang out, and it opens a new social window. I've met a ton of new, really smart, really cool guys. My frat does not define me, I'm still the same person i was before. I really think people should stop generalizing so much about it. I'm a very independent person, and so are most of the guys in the house. Everybody has a ton of differnet activities, with the house being one of them.Â
If anybody really cares that much, theres even a wikipedia aritcle! My house (AXA) is the first house pictured.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmouth_College_Greek_organizations