Frequently Asked Questions

How do I contact the house?

For those of you who've not been to Troy in (quite) a while, the house address is no longer 4 Sunset Terrace. The house hasn't moved, but Troy decided to renumber things up behind the Field House. The new mailing address is as follows:

Acacia Fraternity
145 Sunset Terrace
Troy, NY 12180

Why is your name Acacia instead of phi this or sigma that?

We are the only international social fraternity that uses a Greek word as its name. Our founders felt there must be reason for anything done within a fraternity. They chose the word Acacia for its meaning in Greek: distinctiveness and leadership among mankind.

What can Acacia do for me that I can't do for myself?

Acacia can help academically. We have tests from previous semesters for almost every subject in every major. While your tests certainly won't be the same, they will be similar. These test files are updated each semester by our Scholarship Chairman.

Acacia can help you socially. Not knowing anyone on a campus with thousands of people can be an overwhelming experience. Becoming part of Acacia means that there will be 30 to 40 friendly faces you know right away on campus. That is just the beginning though, because you will meet many others at social functions such as formal dinners and parties.

Can being in Acacia help me get a job?

Acacia maintains a computerized database of all alumni that have graduated along with their company and major. This database can serve as an excellent starting point for job hunting.

Acacia is an organization that you join for a lifetime, not just four years. Many alumni are willing to help a diligent student from a top engineering and science school such as Rensselaer find a job at their company.

What exactly is rush?

Rush is a time for us to get to know each other. You get a chance to ask all the questions you would like answered by us about studies, fraternity, and what we can do for you. But at the same time, hopefully we'll make a few good friends and so will you!

What is a bid?

A bid is an invitation to pledge the fraternity. What does it mean? It means that you made a very favorable first impression on all the members of the fraternity. It means that the fraternity sees you as a potential brother.

What exactly is a pledge?

You become a pledge when you sign a bid, showing your intention to become a full member of the fraternity. As a pledge you have the opportunity to examine the members and decide whether the fraternity feels right to you. During this period you will be expected to fulfill a minimum number of study hours each week, maintain at least a 2.5 GPA, learn a little of the history of both the local and international fraternity, along with other requirements to be completed together with the brothers.

How long will I be a pledge?

The pledge period varies. The requirements of pledging must be met by you and the rest of your pledge brothers. These requirements include:

1. A GPA above that required for initiation
2. mastery of a certain amount of basic knowledge about Rensselaer, the Rensselaer Chapter of Acacia, and Acacia International
3. you must demonstrate an ability to take an active part in chapter affairs.

So, in effect, the pledge period is determined by you and your pledge brothers