Rush at IU

abcdefg · #1 10-10-2000, 06:50 PM

Is there anyone here from Indiana University? Their sorority rush is the most competitive in the country. Does anyone know anything about rush there or what the sororities are like?

imsohappythatiama · #2 12-15-2000, 04:38 PM

I am a KKG alumna from Indiana University; I graduated in 1997.

What, in particular, would you like to know about IU's rush?

You should feel free to email me at:
hawkeyehoosier@hotmail.com

------------------
Oh, Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma,
I'm so happy that I am a
Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma,
Nobody knows . . . how
happy I am!

#3 04-16-2001, 02:17 PM

Just jumping this topic to the top to help DBPM04 who had a comment re: IU & the greek system. Hope this helps you out! Sue

------------------
I'd rather be lovable than popular and democratic than exclusive!

DBPM04 · #4 04-17-2001, 07:13 PM

I talked to one of my sisters at UI and this is what they had ot say about it...basically they get over 1700 girls in for rush every year...obviously with only 19 sororities all those girls cannot be placed...she said on average about 50% of them make it in a house. One of the reasons this happens is because they allow sucide pref...which isn't allowed at a lot of schools...but if you make it in...it is sooo worth it...the whole system there struck me as being awesome and huge (come on..the AOPi house has a PARKING GARAGE under it). It's all new and all clean (for the most part) and just beautiful!

------------------
Smile Pep Charm Style that's what we have...but most of all you'll love our laugh (whooaa)

imsohappythatiama · #5 04-19-2001, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DBPM04:
I talked to one of my sisters at UI and this is what they had ot say about it...basically they get over 1700 girls in for rush every year...obviously with only 19 sororities all those girls cannot be placed...she said on average about 50% of them make it in a house. One of the reasons this happens is because they allow sucide pref...which isn't allowed at a lot of schools...but if you make it in...it is sooo worth it...the whole system there struck me as being awesome and huge (come on..the AOPi house has a PARKING GARAGE under it). It's all new and all clean (for the most part) and just beautiful!

...Not sure if you are talking about Indiana University (IU, NOT UI), but if you are talking about IU, some of what you wrote it untrue (unintentionally, I'm sure!)

...The rate of acceptance is slightly higher than 50% ... we do allow suicide pref, but it is not recommended, and steps have been taken to discourage suicide prefing ... also, the AOPi house does not have a parking garage under it--not sure where that one came from. (Actually, AOPi was kicked of campus a few years back, and they are just now getting started up again...I think they are currently unhoused.) The Pi Beta Phi house does have a parking garage BEHIND it, but the garage is owned by the University, and PiPhi has no special priviledges in the garage.

I think that IU's rush (like LSUs and SMUs, etc) sometimes gets a bad rap... just wanted to keep to the facts.

For more info, visit the IU Greek Life home at: http://www.indiana.edu/%7Esao/greek/greek-home.html

------------------
Oh, Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma,
I'm so happy that I am a
Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma,
Nobody knows . . . how
happy I am!

DBPM04 · #6 04-19-2001, 03:59 PM

When we were there and looking at the new AOPi house one of the things they told us was that it had the underground garage it's just now being finished...hmmm...maybe they were mistaken...but I thought they were in the house...how much above 50%? Sucide pref is hard to get rid of...

------------------
Smile Pep Charm Style that's what we have...but most of all you'll love our laugh (whooaa)

imsohappythatiama · #7 04-19-2001, 05:30 PM

If AOPi is getting a brand new house, then you may well be 100% correct! I didn't know they were getting a new house, and I haven't been back to the campus in 6 months... if they are building a new one, then good for them! Their old house was very nice (right next to Beta Theta Pi on 10th street), I wonder why they didn't move back into that one?

Here is the scoop on the acceptance rates during IU Rush--between 1,500 and 2,500 women go through Formal Fall Rush every year. It is semi-delayed... you start rushing in Sept./Nov. but you don't sign your pref cards/get your results until January...it is a long and drawn-out process, but it helps everyone involved make the right decisions, I think.

So, let's say that 1,500 women sign up for Formal Rush in August/September (that's a modest estimate). They all go to the first round of rush functions. But they don't have their grades yet. So, when the grades come in in November/December, about 30-40% of those 1,500 women will be cut for grades by Panhellenic. They won't even be allowed to come back to participate in Rush. Another 5-10% will drop out "just because." So that leaves about 900 women left who "really" go through Rush.

This is still a problem, though. If you get the number of Rushees down to 900, you still have to fit 900 women into 19 houses. Each houses' quota varies from year to year, of course, but quotas range right around 45 in a pledge class... you can do the math... 45 times 19 is only 855, so some girls get left out.... it happens every year.... in fact, it happened to me my first year through Rush, so I know how hard it is (especially since I didn't get cut by a single house my freshman year, and then got NOTHING on bid day--so bizzare!)

That's just the nature of things in Rush at IU. When I was a freshman, there were 23 houses... then my sophomore year, there were 21 houses... then by my senior year, there were only 19.... the stronger houses get stronger, and the weaker houses get weaker. (shrugging shoulders) What can be done about this? I wish I knew!!!

aopirose · #8 04-19-2001, 05:58 PM

A simplified reason is New Chapter - New House. The AOII house is pretty impressive. It is a three-story brick colonial. The house has a two-story entry foyer with a curved monumental stair, dining room with seating for over 140, a full kitchen, exercise room and a large living room. A total of 104 members will reside in over 25 suites in groupings of one to six girls. The house is fully wired for access to the IU computer network. Members can access the network system from their rooms or one of the multiple studies or lounges.

Quote:

Originally posted by imsohappythatiama:
If AOPi is getting a brand new house, then you may well be 100% correct! I didn't know they were getting a new house, and I haven't been back to the campus in 6 months... if they are building a new one, then good for them! Their old house was very nice (right next to Beta Theta Pi on 10th street), I wonder why they didn't move back into that one?

imsohappythatiama · #9 04-20-2001, 10:12 AM

Hey aopirose:

That's wonderful news!!! I am so happy for the AOPi chapter at IU!!!

Where is the new house located (what street, what's it near, etc.)? Also, how did AOPi get around IU's moratorium on new fraternity/sorority building?

I wish your chapter the BEST of luck. I was so proud of the way AOPi Nationals handled itself when trying to get things restarted, and I am sure with guidance like that, you will flourish!

Love In the Panhellenic Spirit,
Kristen

------------------
Oh, Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma,
I'm so happy that I am a
Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma,
Nobody knows . . . how
happy I am!

aopirose · #10 04-20-2001, 02:59 PM

imsohappythatiama,

Thanks for your kind words. Lots of Roses to the AOII alumnae and collegians in Indiana. They worked very hard to make the recolonization happen. AOII was rewarded with the reinstallation of the Beta Phi chapter with over 160 initiates.

The house is on Jordan Avenue. I have never been to IU so I can't say what it is near. However, I do know that it does not have an underground garage. I asked an international properties board member about it and she nearly died laughing. She said that if they had thought to build one, it would have added an extra million to the cost of the house.

Quote:

Originally posted by imsohappythatiama:
Hey aopirose:

That's wonderful news!!! I am so happy for the AOPi chapter at IU!!!

Where is the new house located (what street, what's it near, etc.)? Also, how did AOPi get around IU's moratorium on new fraternity/sorority building?

I wish your chapter the BEST of luck. I was so proud of the way AOPi Nationals handled itself when trying to get things restarted, and I am sure with guidance like that, you will flourish!

Love In the Panhellenic Spirit,
Kristen

33girl · #11 04-20-2001, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by imsohappythatiama:
That's just the nature of things in Rush at IU. When I was a freshman, there were 23 houses... then my sophomore year, there were 21 houses... then by my senior year, there were only 19.... the stronger houses get stronger, and the weaker houses get weaker. (shrugging shoulders) What can be done about this? I wish I knew!!!

****DANGER: VENT AHEAD****

The smaller sororities need to get together, pool their resources, and expand onto the large campuses as a unified front. And the ridiculous Panhel rule about "everything must be equal" needs to go. I would rather be in an unhoused sorority, than no sorority at all.

imsohappythatiama · #12 04-21-2001, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 33girl:
****DANGER: VENT AHEAD****

The smaller sororities need to get together, pool their resources, and expand onto the large campuses as a unified front. And the ridiculous Panhel rule about "everything must be equal" needs to go. I would rather be in an unhoused sorority, than no sorority at all.

I agree with you 100%, 33girl. This is something that I'd like to see Panhell (everywhere, not just at IU) work on.

lindsay_iu · #13 04-29-2001, 05:03 PM

I'll be a sophomore in the fall, and I've decided that I'm going to rush. I was wondering if it would be better for me to go through informal rush in the fall, instead of formal rush. Would I have a better chance of getting a bid? I don't know anyone in any of the sororities, but I'm afraid that I might get lost in the crowd at formal rush.

PenguinTrax · #14 04-30-2001, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lindsay_iu:
I'll be a sophomore in the fall, and I've decided that I'm going to rush. I was wondering if it would be better for me to go through informal rush in the fall, instead of formal rush. Would I have a better chance of getting a bid? I don't know anyone in any of the sororities, but I'm afraid that I might get lost in the crowd at formal rush.

Lindsay,
I don't know if there is even an informal recruitment at IU because the houses are quite large and I believe every house makes quota. In those cases, only the houses that aren't at chapter total would be eligible for Rush. If the houses are all quite large, making quota during Formal Recruitment would mean no houses are eligible to take members during Informal Recruitment.

I would contact the Panhellenic office on the campus and find out the Recruitment statistics - they will tell you if Informal Recruitment is held at all and by which houses. It could be that out of 20 houses on campus, only 1 house holds Informal Recruitment events. In that case, if you didn't click with that one house, you'd have to wait an entire semester to try Informal Recruitment again, assuming any houses had openings.

Barbara

IUSoror · #15 04-30-2001, 02:39 PM

I go to IU and I really don't reccomend going through informal recruitment with the houses that do that. My advice for sophomores going through formal recruitment is to be involved in outside activities and be able to talk about them. It's a little hard to get a bid being a sophomore, but it's pretty easy to make up for it.