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Just wanted to throw my two cents in here...My heart goes out to all the PNMs, the families, the actives, and alums going through this process. It's hard to believe I wrote my own IU recruitment story over 5 years ago - I lived it and I totally get all of your frustrations. Recruitment for me was absolutely heart-breaking in the end, or so I thought at the time. I had a wonderful experience up until 3 Party when I was dropped by all of my favorite chapters. I still ended up with a bid but it took me a while to warm up to my house and to my sisters (which makes me sound like an entitled brat, I know).
Then I experienced recruitment as an active. Then as a Rho Gamma. Then as a recruitment party chair. I experienced IU recruitment in so many different roles that I could write a book about it. I watched girls that our whole house loved not return for the next round (they dropped out, didn't rank us, etc.). I watched women in my Rho Gamma group pref my own chapter and not receive a bid. From any angle, this process is painful. It's not fair and it needs to change. I don't have the answers but I do know it's going to take some adjustment. I think the senior live-out policy change is HUGE (granted, my chapter already allowed seniors to live out which I really enjoyed).
Obviously the women have already filled out their pref rankings at this point but I hope that the moms and daughters out there will take this advice. Even if Bid Day doesn't turn out the way you had hoped, make the best of it. If your daughter received a bid to a house they might not have connected with, tell her to go check it out. This year makes this true more than ever - these woman barely got a glimpse of the chapters. It took me weeks to feel comfortable in my chapter and now I could never imagine being anywhere else - they knew me better than I knew myself. If your daughter does not get a bid, there are options. IU is an amazing place that has so many opportunities beyond Greek Life! Some of the women in my Rho Gamma group didn't received bids (far too many) and they went on to have an amazing time in college - I can't believe they are seniors now! I wish everyone the best of luck and know that I'm thinking about you!
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