dy156

I too was a president of a national fraternity at a big Greek Campus. I'd have to disagree with Skysooner, because if I had it to do again, I would do the same thing all over. While I don't see many people anymore, and only communicate via occasional emails, those were very close friends at the time, and made college a great experience.
Here are some random thoughts on this topic:
Be careful and figure out beforehand the reputation of the group you are thinking about joining. I had a close friend in law school who had gone to my school as an undergrad, and he made an ill-informed decision based on limited exposure to other groups early in his college career and wound up regretting it throughout college.
Some schools just have local fraternities, and some have local and national ones. There are advantages and disadvantages both ways. To my knowledge, locals are more likely to do the heavy hazing associated with fraternities now. There're no guidelines and little if any accountability. You obviously won't have counterparts at other schools for parties at football games, etc.. On the other hand, you won't have to pay "nationals taxes" or deal with nationals reps coming by onc or twice a year to look over your shoulder or getting in trouble with the IFC.

Do not pick a national fraternity based on national reputation or because your friend at some other school went whatever, or anything other than the people involved at your school. Every national fraternity has some good chapters and some bad ones. Every fraternity has some secret rituals where you learn the secret meanings of the letters. None of that matters. What does matter is the people at your school that are in a certain group, and their reputation at your school.

Employers like people that were in fraternities. To them it means someone who has social skills, and even if they don't have alot of employment history, have some experience in seeing a task through to completion or team leading.
Don't let anyone kid you, Greek life is more expensive than not being involved. From dues to T shirts to misc. expenses just because you have more to do socially.

PLedging a fraternity is not conducive to maintaining a girlfriend. You need to know that going in.

Fraternities are a social lubricant, in some ways similar to alcohol. As an example: Just as you might not talk to some girl without a little to drink, you might not ask some girl on a date without a party coming up that you have to have a date for.
Greek life is helpful to some lost souls because they have a place to belong, and a place to be and something to do socially, if they get in. It is also helpful for people that get involved, because they can get interview conversation material, and the experience in leading a group or responsibility. However, it is most helpful to those that just want to have fun, and can afford it.

You're not buying friends, just as you don't buy an education. Yes, you pay money, but they won't give you a diploma unless you complete the classes and hopefully learn something. Similarly, although you pay money in dues, you won't have friends without the shared experiences and parties and hanging out that you do in a fraternity, and making friends like you make grades to get a degree.

Hazing among almost everyone has gone down dramatically in the last several years, and many, if not most chapters, from my understanding, don't just give lip service to a dry pledgeship anymore, but actually do it. There is too much liability otherwise, and people have started to realize this.

Save the "it will halp my grades" for your parents. It won't, but there are plenty of people that make good grades in fraternities. If you do it, do it for fun, not because your girlfriend wants you to, and not to have future connections, but because you find a place where you think you'd fit in, and because you think it will be fun.