To rush or not to rush...
 

Hi! I'm a college freshman interested in possibly participating in rush at IU Bloomington this year.

I'm really interested in Sigma Delta Tau, but I know that I can't exactly pick and choose where I'll end up.

I never really considered myself a "sorority girl": I take care of myself through working out, dressing well, and good hygiene, but beyond that I'm very down-to-earth and studious, and most of my friends are guys; I guess I don't fit the "mold" of the stereotypical sorority girl depicted by our media and entertainment industries.

Anyway, I'm here to get REAL information, opinions, and advice and avoid all the stereotypes and false information.

Have a great day everybody!! :o

-kmb

And herein lies your problem. Step away from the Lifetime movies and go sign up for recruitment. What do you have to lose, really?

And unless SDT is the only sorority on campus, you need to be open to other groups and possibilities.

Agreed, but it is pretty common for Jewish women going through recruitment to want Jewish (or non-denominational) chapters. However, IU has at least two of those.

She actually addressed that in her OP

KMB, go through the whole recruitment. If you like SDT and they like you, then great! You may find a perfect match there. AEPhi is the other historically Jewish sorority I'm aware of and they're both at IU.

But you may find 5 or 6 houses you'd also feel comfortable in. Go in with an open mind, realize that although no sororities are anti-any religion (any more), many do have Christian elements so if this is a big deal to you, focusing on the ones who are clearly Jewish or nonsectarian might be more comfortable for you. I don't know exactly how you can ask the question "so.... do you guys pray to Jesus, or devil worship or anything else I need to know about?" HA! I think you get the point. It's definitely not day 1 conversation. But maybe you can figure it out if you do some reading on the sororities and their histories, if it's important to you.

The only two nonsectarian sororities I know of are Phi Sigma Sigma and Delta Phi Epsilon, but neither are represented at IU.

"I guess I don't fit the "mold" of the stereotypical sorority girl depicted by our media and entertainment industries."
Anddd neither did I. But you know what? There are so, so many reasons for joining a sorority, and I have found women within my chapter that I respect for both their social grace and their academic accomplishments (a girl in my "family" is a Microbiology major, pre-med, still heavily involved in the chapter, and a very down-to-earth person to talk to. She's not the only one either! We have a neurobiology major with a 4.0 and 3 years of research with the same lab. Off the top of my head, I believe we also have an aerospace engineering major, a mechanical engineering major, and several Informational Specialist double-majors in my chapter. But, now I'm just bragging. :p
I am finding ladies that I aspire to be within my own chapter, and each and every day I try to represent my organization to the best of my ability. I wear my letters out nearly all the time so I can keep myself in line and make sure that I'm out on-campus (and in the world) following our creed that permits us to live to a higher standard as much as possible.
In conclusion, find a sorority that:
1) Likes you (mutual selection process, etc)
2) Is more academically focused
3) Has women in it that you could see yourself being like one day
You are sure to find that in each and every house, and it is what you make of it! Some are just more academically-focused, more socially-focused, or in the middle. Sometimes, too, you'll begin to find your niche in a chapter not reknowned for its academic prowess. So, give it a go, take the process (Rush) with a grain of salt, and have a great time! PM me if you have any questions (I'm a Freshman that went through Fall Recruitment).
Take care!

Thanks so much ladies! I really appreciate all the feedback so far.

Does anyone at IU/familiar with IU's rush process know what a good starting point would be (i.e. who to contact, what kinds of events to go to)?

Also, I know that being a sister is a large time commitment. I recently applied to be a residence assistant in the dorms next year. If I were to pledge, say, this year or next year and live in a dorm, could I be an R.A. in the dorm or are these two responsibilities incompatible?

I'm sure that the answer depends on the college, I was just wondering if maybe anyone knew of dorm R.A.s in the Greek system.

Thanks for all your help and feedback so far! I'll take all of it I can get!

kmb

From what people have said on here about IU, a BIG part of the sorority experience is living in the house, much more so than many other campuses.

You most likely could be excused from the live-in requirements at the house if you got an RA job, but even if you were, you might be missing out on a large part of sorority life. I would ask the Greek life advisor and women you know in sororities if it's honestly a doable thing.

http://www.iubpha.com/
It looks like you still have some time to get registered, but not tons, so I'd be getting on your questions right away. Or better, register now and THEN get your answers. That way you're covered and won't miss out.