Indiana University Recruitment

[IUGreekGirl]

I guess from my stand point as a collegiate greek, I want to live in with my sisters. You're so much more connected to the chapter.

The point of living together is to foster a welcoming and supporting community. That is completely embodied in living in the house. To have a "quasi-competition" (even if it is fair) would bait people against each other. I would be very resentful if I had a bad semester and then wasn't "qualified" enough to live with my sisters.

And again, we are wary of dumping the bed quota system because we don't want our houses to get any bigger, they're already huge. If your chapter had 200 members you wouldn't know the whole house.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

And again, we are wary of dumping the bed quota system because we don't want our houses to get any bigger, they're already huge. If your chapter had 200 members you wouldn't know the whole house.

This gets said alot on the boards about large chapters, but there ARE Greek ststems with chapters that average at or close to 200 girls (Ole Miss comes to mind) and members of those systems have said that it IS possible to get to know people and form relationships in larger chapters. It just takes time and effort.

I crunched the numbers and at 1600 PNMs, I think quota at IU would be in the low 80s.

[FSUZeta]

many, many chapters of all 26 npc sororities have many different methods for determining who is eligible to live in the house. in the case where there are more members than there are beds, it is considered a privelege to live in. sometimes the executive officers of the house are required to live in, then a point system might be used to determine the remainder of the occupants. some things that might factor into the points are gpa,being in good financial standing, class(senior, junior, sophomore) offices and committee positions within the sorority, being a member of other campus organizations and participation in the sororities activities. if more sisters want to live in than there are beds, once the house is full, seniors have the first option to live out,followed by juniors then sophomores. it works. sure sisters might be disappointed that they are not able to live in, but more often than not, they are able to live in the house at some point in their collegiate career.

i agree with you that living in keeps you in the loop and is a wonderful way to bond with your sisters, but there are other ways. unhoused chapters feel that their sisterhood is just as strong as housed chapters and it is. in addition, unhoused sisters come to lunch and dinner, thus catching up with the housed sisters on a daily basis. hosting sisterhood activities and study hours at the house are just a few of the ways to keep the unhoused sisters involved.

it is scary to consider something different and i am the first one to feel unsettled when change occurs, so i understand your feelings. trust us when we say that having a traditional quota system replace the bed quota could work, might offer membership for more women, thus easing some of the negative feelings the bidless pnms experience.

[IUGreekGirl]

I agree. I think IU should get rid of the bed quota system and add a chapter or two.
Everyone has asked why it is this way so I'm hoping on enlighten on why these decisions have been made.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

I agree. I think IU should get rid of the bed quota system and add a chapter or two.
Everyone has asked why it is this way so I'm hoping on enlighten on why these decisions have been made.

You need to check out some of the threads where people were talking about expansion at SEC schools. Greek life rules there, everyone wants to be in a sorority, the chapters are stellar within their respective orgs - sounds like a no brainer. You'd think every sorority who isn't there would be tripping over themselves to apply, but that wasn't the case. At many of these schools, just the fact that the chapter hasn't been there since 1900 or so or isn't "traditionally southern" is enough to cause it to flounder forever, regardless if it has a gorgeous house or tons of alums from other chapters pumping money into it.

I don't think that kind of thing exists at IU, but I'm pretty darn sure that there's no way ANY sorority is going to come onto that campus without housing equal to or better than the existing chapters. And if there is one group that's struggling WITH a great house, that makes it even less of a place you want to go.

Point being is when a group goes into a "tough" school the entire org has to make sacrifices, down to the collegians at Wassamatta U who don't even know the expansion is happening.

[irishpipes]

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

I agree. I think IU should get rid of the bed quota system and add a chapter or two.

Considering the cost of competitive housing, adding new chapters is not very likely. Having just participated in building a brand new, very large chapter house (at a different campus), I can tell you that it potentially strains the entire international organization to achieve such a feat. My educated guess is that only one NPC not presently at IU would have the resources to even consider this. It is a huge gamble to invest so much into a new, unproven chapter.

[VAgirl18]

I'm not sure how I missed this thread.

I've posted before in previous threads and I'll post my opinions/advice again as an alum of the IU greek system.

To me, its not the quota or system that is failing, its the PNMs going through recruitment that are doing it to themselves.

Many have commented on adding a house or getting rid of the bed quota. I don't think that's the right solution at all. The biggest issues are with PNMs not presenting themselves in the best light or giving up because they only got invited back to one or two houses each round. If people only took the advice of some of the women on this board and would read recruitment stories about how opinions of houses change each party, then maybe some would stick around long enough to explore the houses that they did get invited back to.

Many PNMs take the process seriously and are respectful to all houses, but some aren't and are just flat out rude. In fact, having been on multiple sides of recruitment, the attitudes of women have just gotten increasingly worse over the years. Rumors fly or they think they have bids easily to houses, only to get discouraged. Having friends or being a legacy does NOT guarantee you a bid. Being wealthy or skinny doesn't mean you'll get into a house. PERSONALITY is what does it.

Some houses are in high demand and have no issues with quota. Others are struggling now or barely miss quota but have no problems making it up with snap bids or COR. Eliminating the bed quota would just increase numbers to houses already bursting at the seams. The unique aspect of the IU system is that houses are just the right size for a big campus, not so large where you barely know anyone in your pledge class. The idea is to have all houses full -- eliminating the quota would surely squash all chances of that happening. Also, grade drops are another high number that few girls take into account. Here's where word of mouth gets people trying to do the popular thing -- a friend may not continue with recruitment saying the process is dumb or they don't want to go Greek when they actually didn't make grades. The person's excuse gets another girl thinking and they end up dropping. It actually happens a lot more than people think.

Almost all women have the potential to get placed, its just that many choose not to continue with recruitment or suicide during pref. The approx 150 without bids will suicide a house instead of maybe receiving a bid from a house they didn't love. Everyone should at least give one house a try. Who knows, it may be completely different when you're actually going through your new membership period and see the women in a different light than you did during rush. It happened to me and many others.

The greek system is a huge deal at IU and I agree that many are bitter about not getting bids, but mostly for the wrong reasons.

Hope this makes sense. Its ridiculously late, but I couldn't go to bed without clearing up some of the "advice" that some so-called experts are giving. Yes, times have changed in the few years that I've left IU, but the basics are still the same and I've still been around rush lately.

[IUHoosiergirl88]

I really have no opinion on the bed versus quota debate, I think there are advantages to each, and if we went to quota...quite frankly I think we'd have no choice but to add another chapter due to the number of girls that have to be placed.

VAgirl leaves out one crucial group though: the sophomore rush group, which I was a part of last year. I saw girls get cut from all houses after the first round, all but one, or all but two, and they were the one or two that they wanted to cut because they didn't click with them. As a sophomore, unless you ARE that girl with the friends/money/looks/etc, it's a very very tough road, often full of tears. I was in half-sophomore half freshman rho gamma group (so ~10-12 sophomores), and of the sophomores...only 2 of them got bids, 3 if you count my COB later. One actually was rushing for a second time because she wanted to go greek that bad, got cut again, and transferred out of IU. She's now a member of a house at an SEC school (don't ask me how, I have no idea, haha).

I just think that IU's system does have some flaws, and I'm saying that as a current member. We change the party structure this year, but I really don't necessarily see that helping much. It gives a chance for houses to invite back girls that they are borderline on, but does that translate to bids? I really don't think so.

[VAgirl18]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

I really have no opinion on the bed versus quota debate, I think there are advantages to each, and if we went to quota...quite frankly I think we'd have no choice but to add another chapter due to the number of girls that have to be placed.

VAgirl leaves out one crucial group though: the sophomore rush group, which I was a part of last year. I saw girls get cut from all houses after the first round, all but one, or all but two, and they were the one or two that they wanted to cut because they didn't click with them. As a sophomore, unless you ARE that girl with the friends/money/looks/etc, it's a very very tough road, often full of tears. I was in half-sophomore half freshman rho gamma group (so ~10-12 sophomores), and of the sophomores...only 2 of them got bids, 3 if you count my COB later. One actually was rushing for a second time because she wanted to go greek that bad, got cut again, and transferred out of IU. She's now a member of a house at an SEC school (don't ask me how, I have no idea, haha).

I just think that IU's system does have some flaws, and I'm saying that as a current member. We change the party structure this year, but I really don't necessarily see that helping much. It gives a chance for houses to invite back girls that they are borderline on, but does that translate to bids? I really don't think so.

You can't add another house when there are houses that still have space. It will never happen. Before that, a house would have to close and would most likely be given the chance to recolonize a few years later. They would probably form an agreement with a closing house so that no other houses will open during their dormancy.

Being a sophomore seriously isn't much of an issue. The problem stems from many women going through the process for a second time. Though people deserve second chances, many women acted horribly immature to the point of being remembered the next year and automatically getting cut. Another huge faux pas is getting invited to a few homes and then deciding not to continue with rush. They're most likely going to get those houses back during their second time through and why would a house want someone who didn't even have the respect to attend the party they were invited to the year before? THAT'S where the cuts stem from. That and if you're a sophomore, more people know you from seeing you around campus or being around class. Remember to be nice to everyone. If we hear you talking about people during class or being less than classy at frats, chances are you're getting cut for that reason.

The fact is that not all people are meant to be in houses and just because one wants to be in a house doesn't mean they are a good fit for any of the houses on campus. Its unfortunate that they can't find a fit, but they're naive to think that they automatically deserve a spot because they participated.

The other think I think is going to backfire is increasing the number of invites. Its already a daunting task to go from 12, 6, and 3 parties in a few days. Adding more parties is just going to increase fatigue. People may not be putting their best foot forward just for the simple fact that they're tired. Another flaw is that people think just because they only got 3 houses instead of invited back for 12 that they're not sorority material. Obviously someone thought something of you to invite you back. There are no houses that automatically invite everyone back, contrary to popular belief.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

Just a note. A lot of our chapters are pretty big already. The bigger chapters can sleep close to 100 girls in the house and still have seniors that live out. If we let more people in our chapters a chapter could have so many girls you wouldn't know all your sister.

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

Chapters at IU are HUGE. Like IUGreekGirl said, there are bigger chapters that house 100+ girls and have live-outs, and I know several girls in other chapters that honestly do not know everyone in their house.

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

I guess from my stand point as a collegiate greek, I want to live in with my sisters. You're so much more connected to the chapter.

The point of living together is to foster a welcoming and supporting community. That is completely embodied in living in the house. To have a "quasi-competition" (even if it is fair) would bait people against each other. I would be very resentful if I had a bad semester and then wasn't "qualified" enough to live with my sisters.

And again, we are wary of dumping the bed quota system because we don't want our houses to get any bigger, they're already huge. If your chapter had 200 members you wouldn't know the whole house.

I think this all comes down to the North and the South are different. Not better or worse...just different. The girls from IU are saying 100 is getting too huge...meanwhile there are chapters in the SEC that have 200+ and have for a while and no one bats an eye.

It's the same thing at Penn State...they have 19 chapters, but in terms of numbers, there are probably more women in sororities at Ole Miss, even though they only have 9 chapters.

This is the way women up here want it. Period. Compare Greek systems in the North and South and at schools of all sizes, you will probably see more chapters in the North for schools of comparative sizes. If the chapters at IU did change to a normal total/quota system and got to be huger than they are, I have a feeling that a lot of people who are in it wouldn't want to be part of it. I personally would have been wary of pledging a chapter of 100 and 200 I wouldn't have even rushed.

It's just a regional difference and you can't legislate it away.

[IUGreekGirl]

That's a really good point 33girl and something I never would have thought of. But it definitely would be difficult to compare IU to an Ole Miss

[sassygal]

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

I guess from my stand point as a collegiate greek, I want to live in with my sisters. You're so much more connected to the chapter.

The point of living together is to foster a welcoming and supporting community. That is completely embodied in living in the house. To have a "quasi-competition" (even if it is fair) would bait people against each other. I would be very resentful if I had a bad semester and then wasn't "qualified" enough to live with my sisters.

And again, we are wary of dumping the bed quota system because we don't want our houses to get any bigger, they're already huge. If your chapter had 200 members you wouldn't know the whole house.

IUGirl, I agree that living in does make you bond more with your sisters. Usually most girls are ready to move on in their senior year to an apartment- at least that was how it was when I was in the house.

If there are 1600 women going through and 19 Chapters that would be a quota of 84, but you have to take into account girls that drop out because they are not interested in being Greek or get cut. So with a 75% placement rate that would put quota at somewhere around 63. Is there a total set for IU and I would be curious to see how many Seniors on average graduate each year. I would think that with girls doing semesters abroad, dropping out of school and quiting the sorority it would all balance out and make recruitment a lot more enjoyable for your new members.

Any way, I wish you guys the best of luck. Maybe some changes will come with some time.