Waiting to hear from DD! I hate the waiting.....

IU Momma, last night at one house my daughter was double rushed by a Senior and Sophomore. Another house only one girl touched base with her.

Herd back from DD, said she had a great day! Very tired. Felt she had good conversations with many. Felt that some girls where lacking on enthusiasm in certain houses and she was able to tell. Let her know they may be just as tired as her.

She took my advise on boots and all worked out:)

IUMomma, tell your daughter not to be too disheartened by the 2 PNM vs. 1 Active situation. It does happen occasionally in smaller houses or when there are more PNMs in a group than actives at a given party. Tell her not to read too much into it. This first round is really hard because there are SO many houses and so many girls going through. It gets better and better as the rounds go on. I remember hearing stories like this last year - every house does things differently and it is very confusing to the PNM at times.

Thanks so much for the feedback! Once she was back in her room and I was able to talk to her I think she's feeling a little better. We will see what happens tomorrow when they get their first invite list!

It is COLD in BTown this morning! The windchill was -2 when she left her dorm. Insane.

the recruitment groups are of varing size (some have 57 women and another had over 90). Double recruiting is just the nature of recruitment. It is not anything personal to be double recruited.

Is there transportation between houses that are far away from each other? (IU Buses) My daughter was late to a party and now looking at a map she has another long walk to get to another party tonight and then back to the next party. Just curious...

I don't know and don't know if anyone who does will see this but her Recruitment Counselor should be able to handle this question.

Assuming this year is like last year, then YES. They have a bus that circles constantly between all the houses.

They do have busses, but when my DD tried to get one today to go WAY across campus, they were all full. Such a disappointment! She had to walk the whole way and was late. She did text her rho gam though and she was able to let the chapter know DD would be late.

Great to hear another IU mom (SJG). DD said, many cuts and some girls have dropped already. Even a few have gone home. She is happy with her list. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

My DD said the same. She got back a full list of 16 and was thankful! She lost a couple that she felt were good, but nothing that was in her top 5, so she's good.

Almost done with the day! And it was a LONG ONE!

girls drop every year. it is so sad. they would probably get bids if they would just give houses a chance. but they go in wanting only certain houses, and then they drop out if they don't get them back. the sororities get a bad rap for low overall placement rates, but some of it has to be on the PNMs that drop so early in the process.

I echo this sentiment 100%. As someone who had friends in so many other chapters, I know I could have easily been happy in the majority of the chapters in addition to my own. PNMs get their heart set on a chapter for really silly reasons (I like their colors, my orientation guide was an XYZ, my best friend is an ABC at another school, etc.) and don't give the rest of the groups a chance. I honestly believe that most of the PNMs at IU would make friends and find a home in about every one of the chapters at IU. Each chapter there has something good to offer.

Another POV
 

Forever, I think your point is valid, and there are definitely women out there who think that way, but as an IU parent of a member of an lower tiered chapter, I think some of the blame needs to go to the Greek Life community. My daughter has made some really good friends in her sorority - her 3 besties especially, and her sorority has some really socially active, smart, creative, beautiful girls, but the Greek community does promote the idea that they are one of the "red headed step children" of the system. I hope women stick with it and join wherever they end up, because there are many good experiences to be had, but I do get why they drop. Some PNMs are able to ignore this and not let it bother them, but others maybe are not so confident and for a multitude of reasons they can't handle the disrespect or aren't prepared to be the target of it. We have to remember that we are adults with years of experience and they are 18 year olds trying to figure out who they are. And IU doesn't help themselves by still setting an artificial quota of 55 (better than when my daughter went through and some chapters took <40 but I wish they'd use RFM throughout and set a true quota, which would probably be 70-80) As an greek alum of a different university who has helped with many recruitments over the years and with a greek daughter at a different large university, I can say I have major reservations about IU's Greek Life. Still lots of good things, but much more based on social tiers and status than most universities I have worked with and that disappoints me. I encourage SL&L/Panhel/IFC to continue to work on creating a more cooperative, supportive community.

You have raised a confident, but ndependent, powerful woman TLynn. You must be so proud of her. Hopefully IU will continue to move forward and soon will use RFM.

IU does use RFM, it just does not use quota total to determine chapter quota.

Talked to DD she is exhausted! Have to wait and see for Friday, by then she will have caught up on her sleep.( hopefully)
Good Luck to ALL the PNM!

Can you explain, RFM if all houses are taking a minimum of 55 girls.

RFM is more than just the number of New Members. It drives the percentages that you can invite to every round, based on your history, in order to make quota- whatever number than may be.

I was having this discussion with a few of my actives last night. And MY personal biggest issue with the IU sorority system is the fact that fraternities are the ones that seem to determine the "tiers". Certain fraternities will refuse to "pair" with some of the sororities. And if the sorority ticks off the fraternity in some way, they will threaten to stop "pairing" with them. It is ridiculous.
The women were shocked when I told them how at my school, greek week pairs were a random draw- so you had to pair with whomever you were assigned or you didn't participate. I believe that is how my alma mater does homecoming pairs now as well.

Spot on comment with the fraternities having the power to make or break the sororities. :( I like the idea of a random draw. I think many of the sororities and fraternities would be surprised by each other. IU sororities need to take that power back. That's a big reason less secure women drop.

I do understand IU using RFM for invitations (my post was unclear) - but I would like to see quota total as (almost?) every other Greek life community uses. IU Panhel has done "just enough" to end the majority of the criticism they were facing even just 2 years ago, but I hope they keep moving forward with recruitment and community.

Thank you FSUZeta. I am very proud of the young woman she has become ;)

Sounds more like the good ole boys club to me:( I thought Indiana University had a lot more vision. Apparently in this area, I have been clueless

This 5 days off between Recruitment weekends may push me right over the edge! I clearly need more to do in my life, and DD goes from freaking out, to ignoring the whole thing. Ugh. Is it Friday yet?

Wine. It is the answer to everything. A little calms you down, a lot makes you forget everything. :-)

At my university, Student Life had (and still has) a set rotation for pairings for homecoming and other similar activities. You pair with whom you are assigned, and it's different each year for every activity. Better yet, they include all the student housing units, so a dorm or the apartment village will also be grouped with a fraternity and sorority. It really helps foster community spirit and inclusion and helps get rid of some of the stupid "rankings."

Looks like I picked a bad couple of weeks to quit drinking wine:(

Yeah - New Year's Resolutions need to wait when you have PNM going thru.

^Exactly.

Good luck to everyone involved as the second weekend starts in a little under 30 minutes!

Yes! DD was upset her two favorites did not ask her back. I told her to focus on the ones who did, keep an open mind. Be HAPPY Be POSITIVE!! They saw something in you and want to get to know you better. It only takes one.............:)

Some girls on her floor have decided to DROP because none of the ones they liked are listed. I'm heart broken- to know come preference many girls could be dropped from Recruitment and end up bid less. My DD included!

I just don't get the exclusivity. Sorry, just had to say what was on my mind. I do hope in the coming years IU can make,going through this process not so brutal. Everyone deserves a home.

Good advice. :-) Hope she has a great time tonight and tomorrow!!

So do I! Thanks, for the positive notes.

You are a wise mom. I hope she takes your advice.

This is unfortunate. I think every girl who is lucky enough to get a bid should take it and run. Sororities offer so many lifetime benefits to their members and most sorority experiences on the same campus are so much more similar than freshmen realize.

This is not worth focusing on right now. It's only going to stress you out to think about this.

I went to the only school in the country where everyone gets a home at the end of recruitment if they follow the rules, and it's not all it's cracked up to be--it's a system where a houses are forced to take some girls they absolutely do not want.

I think all schools should use the standard system, but I don't see that changing at IU (based on what I have read and what some IU alumnae who are my sorority sisters told me) or at my alma mater.

There is no such thing as cross cut, it meant that a woman was not high enough on any of the chapters' bid lists to match before they closed their pledge classes. That was pre-RFM. Now there there is RFM, if a PMN maximizes her options she will be offered a bid. It may or may not be her first choice, but she will be offered at bid.

Well said IndianaSigKap. There is no such thing as cross cut-a myth perpetuated year in and out by campus gossip.

A PNM attends 3 pref parties:A, B, and C. She lists them on her bid card in that order of preference. She ends up with a bid from C. She thinks she has been cross cut. What has happened is that she was on the bid lists of all three sororities. The computer runs her choices trying to match her to her first choice A, but she is number 101 on their list and they fill to quota when they hit 50. The computer then tries to match her with her second choice, but she is 51 on their list and they match to all 50 girls before her, so the computer goes to her third choice C. She is 9th on their list so she matches with them and is a new member of C. Sorority C will have no idea they were not her first choice, unless she arrives in tears and let's them know in her actions that she doesn't want to be there.

I thought cross-cutting could still happen at Indiana because of the artificially low quota set by each house prior to recruitment. Say a PNM goes to three chapters where quota has already been set at 55 and is not high enough on any chapters' list to receive a bid, is she still placed as a quota addition despite the pre-set quota?

Nope. If a PNM ranks all of her chapters, she will get a bid. It might not be her first choice, but she will be placed as a QA. Last year the only PNMs who did not match on bid day, did not maximize their options.

Sent you a PM about a particular. :)

Preference day today! List comes out at 10:00 am. Praying that all goes well!