Vice president of finance for the Interfraternity Council and finance sophomore Michael LaBelle was curious about fraternities at MSU before enrolling as a freshman. LaBelle surfed the web researching different greek organizations and ended up on the website GreekRank.
GreekRank allows people to post articles and discussions about greek life and also rank sororities and fraternities in any college or university in the U.S.
“I think (GreekRank) is a place where some people voice their opinion of a certain house,” LaBelle said. “Whether it’s right or wrong, it’s a freedom of speech thing.”
The website tells the viewer how many people ranked a certain house, and shows an average of the results with a percentage and five star rating system. Rankings of fraternities and sororities are based on seven categories — overall, looks, popularity, classiness, involvement, fun and brotherhood or sisterhood.
“I think that’s what modern society looks upon,” LaBelle said. “People judge others no matter who you are, where your standing is, but at the end of the day (GreekRank) doesn’t really represent a house at all.”
Some greek life members discredit the accuracy of GreekRank.
“It could be random people that know one person in that house and they have some horrible thing that went down, so they want to give that house a bad rank,” Paige Bruno, advertising sophomore and president of Gamma Phi Beta, said. “Or it could be people trying to get themselves way higher.”
The majority of the sororities and fraternities received grades between 60 and 70 percent.
Emily Navoy, supply chain management sophomore and recruitment chair of Gamma Phi Beta said she would rank houses higher.
“MSU has an amazing greek community,” Navoy said. She said she would rank the sororities between 90 and 100 percent.
Gamma Phi Beta ranked just 68 percent, earning them three out of five stars, and the sorority was ranked by 120 people.
LaBelle said rankings on this website did not affect his perception of any houses before rushing. LaBelle is a member of Sigma Chi, which received a three-star rating of 72 percent by 141 people.
“Some of those things might entice people, like parties or reputation, but at end of day you stay for those stronger bonds and reasons that go way beyond those,” LaBelle said.
Megan Ellis, microbiology junior and recruitment chair of Alpha Omicron Pi said GreekRank is not accurate in portraying the quality of a house.
“I don’t think you understand your house until you’re really a part of it,” said Ellis. “No matter what house you’re in, I think that’s the best house to be on.”
Alpha Omicron Pi was ranked at 63 percent, a three star ranking, by 151 people.
“I don’t think it’s accurate because I know I would give my house 100 percent,” Ellis said.
