52% typically get bids with 19 houses? That seems awfully low. How many women do you have go through recruitment and what is the average chapter size?

According to my Rho Gamma, 1523 signed up for recruitment, which is a a few hundred less than in years past. I'm not sure how many dropped before 19 Party. We use bed quotas at IU, so the average chapter PC ranges anywhere from 30-50 girls, obviously some go a little above and some go a little below. A lot of girls get cut for not making the GPA requirements, though, after final grades come out over winter break. I had heard somewhere that out of the PNM's who make it to Pref Day, 87% end up receiving a bid. I'm not sure how accurate that is though.

Ok. I have heard of schools using bed quotas, but I am unfamiliar with how that works because schools in my area do not use them to my knowledge. I am still just amazed that only 52% get bids. Not that that is a bad thing; it is just so different from what I am used to. Good luck with your recruitment!

Yeah, bed quotas are pretty tricky...basically, IU sororities require that you live in the your house sophomore, junior, and senior years. Some chapters have optional live-out policies senior year. But because everyone lives in the house, there are literally only so many beds available. So if there is a very small number of girls leaving the house the follow year, a house will be able to accept a smaller number of girls for their new pledge class. Conversely, if a large senior class is leaving, they can take a larger number of girls. It's all really tricky and kind of a bad system, but it's unique to IU and it probably won't change for quite some time. Thanks for your well wishes!

Forgive the newbie question. IU has recruitment during finals? How does that work?

As a side note, I think the bed quota system is interesting. I can't imagine being one of 1500 girls going all the way through recruitment and not being one of the 87%. How heartbreaking.

No worries! It's not actually during finals. Rush was this past weekend, and this week we still have classes. It's "dead week," but next week kicks off final exams. However, a lot of professors weren't exactly forgiving with girls involved in rush, whether they're PNM's or women in chapters, and there was a LOT of work due this week for everyone. I had four papers due this week, two down, two to go...but obviously I'm on GC procrastinating :D

They have a weekend or so of it before finals at the end of fall semester and then the rest of it is (I believe) the week before school starts again or the week of. With 19 chapters... it gets a little crazy.

I met some sisters from IU at an alumnae event a month or two ago and admitted to them that IU's bed quota system is incredibly intimidating and I wouldn't have been able to make it through. Maybe this was because they all had a happy ending but they said that it was one of the things they loved about their greek system most.

Perhaps the concept of a university large enough to host 19 chapters is lost on me, but I don't understand why recruitment would be broken up over winter break. Why not have a complete recruitment period at the start of the spring semester or just before finals?


I can see how living with your closest friends would be a blast. There was a thread around here about hilarious house stories that I really enjoyed. I'll be honest, I am kinda jealous :D

What would drive me crazy would be the wait over the holidays!! :)

It would kill me to get all psyched about recruitment during the 19 party weekend, then know that nothing would be happening for weeks! I'm impatient, and a nervous Nelly, so I'd be imagining all kinds of scenarios and outcomes - I'd rather have it all over with!!

Good Luck in January, and let us know how it goes!

You're preaching to the choir! God it's only been, what, three days since 19 Party and I'm already practically pulling my hair out! I'm dying to know what the list I get back will look like. Ahh it's seriously so nerve-wracking. I'm glad that I'll be going home for break though - it'll be easier to forget when all my friends aren't talking about it constantly!

I like the bed quota/senior live in policy. It keeps the girls involved.

I can imagine it's the same way for all of the PNMs, but with 19 houses, I think I'd prefer this system. Knowing that I could come back, after a few weeks off, and have a condensed list of houses to focus on would probably be better.

Just think about how many parties that is... 19! Imagine having to go to even another 12 the next day. I would definitely prefer breaking things up a little.

But maybe that's just me :p

It isn't just you- I was thinking the same thing. My first thought was "Crap that's a long time, I'd die of impatience." But then I realized it gives both the PNMs and actives a fresh look at the smaller scale- all in all, that's probably not such a bad idea. It would drive me absolutely nuts, but I think it makes sense to help keep people and chapters from blending together. And theoretically, that would lead to more informed decisions by both parties!

We only had three chapters on my campus, though, so I'm purely hypothesizing. At the time, 3 felt like a lot!

I love your code names! Nice choice :cool:
I know it probably doesn't help, I had to wait less than 24 hours, but good luck! You can totally power through this break!
I hope you find your new home, this is one of my favourite recruitment stories that I've read here!