At the start of their first year, many MIT undergraduates join one of the Institute’s 44 fraternities, sororities, or independent living groups (FSILGs), which are spread across Cambridge, Boston, and Brookline. The school hosts 30 fraternities, nine sororities and five independent living groups, and roughly 37% of undergraduates become members. FSILGs provide more than housing, meals and social venues; they serve as platforms for friendships, mentorship of younger students, collaboration with alumni and MIT administrators, fundraising for local charities, and leadership development. While each organization has its own values, traditions and recruitment process, they all aim to help students grow personally and professionally inside and outside the classroom.
FSILG Alumni Programs Director Anya Kattef ’98 says the extraordinary community she found in Alpha Phi gave her confidence to thrive in MIT’s demanding academics and allowed her to develop leadership through roles such as athletic chair, house manager and president. Guidance from upper‑classmen helped her secure her first summer internship, choose courses, and discover opportunities she might otherwise have missed. The friendships forged in Alpha Phi have become lifelong bonds.
Service is a common thread across all groups. MIT FSILG Associate Dean Liz Jason notes that many national organizations partner with causes ranging from heart‑health research and children’s hospitals to literacy initiatives, while local chapters collaborate with Boston nonprofits such as Rosie's Place, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, and animal‑welfare groups. Chapters often host signature fundraising events or year‑round volunteer activities, like cleaning Back Bay alleys. Culturally based fraternities and sororities place a particularly strong emphasis on service, sometimes requiring prospective members to complete volunteer hours before joining, or mandating at least one semester of academic success prior to admission.
Leadership in an FSILG goes beyond organizing socials; leaders manage organizations that function like small businesses, overseeing budgets, recruitment, mentorship, educational programming, and often dedicating ten or more hours per week. They practice conflict resolution, delegation, prioritization, and time management, while communicating with alumni volunteers and senior Institute leaders. For members living in chapter houses, responsibilities expand to managing multimillion‑dollar properties, coordinating maintenance, vendor relations, safety inspections, and daily chores. Pi Beta Phi chapter president Tea Picconatto says her role sharpened her communication, leadership and conflict‑resolution skills and provided a compelling story of responsibility for future employers. She highlights that Greek life offers a unique sense of identity, community, and a nationwide alumni network that endures long after graduation.
Alpha Delta Phi Society is a gender‑inclusive member of MIT’s Interfraternity Council. President Gabriel Tian, originally from Toronto, felt an immediate sense of belonging while studying late at the ADPhi house library. He quickly took on roles such as academic chair, vice‑president, and even updated the chapter’s website. Tian explains that leadership taught him how to make tough decisions, hold difficult conversations, run a living community with an executive board, and connect with every member. In just two years he has made lifelong friends, and the chapter’s network creates connections that would otherwise never exist at MIT.
After graduation, many alumni continue to volunteer with their chapters, serve on house corporations, mentor students, and preserve traditions. Some families span multiple generations within the same FSILG, and a few even meet lifelong partners through their chapters. Cecilia Warpinski Stuopis ’90, chief health officer at MIT Health, recalls joining Alpha Chi Omega as an “instant group of peers.” She remains close with many sisters, re‑engaged as an alum volunteer and advisory board member, and attended her daughter’s initiation when she pledged the same sorority. Stuopis emphasizes that MIT fraternities and sororities are not the caricatures seen in movies; they are grounded in friendship, support, and the success of their members during college and beyond.
Students interested in joining an FSILG can find more information on the MIT website.
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