Sorority Pledges Living in the House?

[MollyMoon]

Originally Posted by Jen

The University of Washington requires pledges to move into the house immediately after recruitment.

Campus housing guarantees on campus housing placement for any women who don't accept or get bids, so anyone going through recruitment can't apply for on campus housing (unless they drop/don't get a bid).

Most freshman are put in temporary housing before recruitment begins.

As a University of Washington sorority alumna, I love this aspect about UW's greek life! It's really a crazy, overwhelming, awesome experience opening your bid card and hauling all of your belongings to the chapter house only a half an hour or so later (with your new sisters' help of course). Funny thing is, a lot of people at UW assume that it is this way everywhere else.

And, while I'm gushing about how I love greek life at UW, I just wanted to show everyone how beautiful the houses are and why it is so special to move in right away. Here are some highlights:

Here is Chi Omega's house- I believe it is the largest fraternal structure west of the Mississippi
http://www.uwpanhellenic.com/profiles/chiomega.php
Sigma Kappa's house is a national historic landmark
http://www.uwpanhellenic.com/profiles/sigmakappa.php
Pi Beta Phi
http://www.uwpanhellenic.com/profiles/pibetaphi.php
Delta Zeta
http://www.uwpanhellenic.com/profiles/deltazeta.php

[33girl]

OK, I have to be Debbie Downer. What happens if someone depledges? Can you get back into a dorm or are you screwed?

[MollyMoon]

Originally Posted by 33girl

OK, I have to be Debbie Downer. What happens if someone depledges? Can you get back into a dorm or are you screwed?

From what I have seen, usually new members don't depledge. Usually it is all or nothing- they decide to move in, or they don't accept their bid when they receive it and don't move in at all. But, I suppose it happens every now and then, and like girls who drop out of recruitment, don't get a bid or are released, the woman can get temporary housing until a room opens up in the dorms.

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by 33girl

OK, I have to be Debbie Downer. What happens if someone depledges? Can you get back into a dorm or are you screwed?

Back in the day, if a freshman depledged or deaffiliated from a fraternity or independent living group, s/he was guaranteed a place in the dorms. You might get the crappiest bed in the crappiest room in the crappiest dorm, but you'd get a bed. (Now, of course, this is a non-issue as all freshmen must live in the dorm system.)

If a sophomore/junior/senior living in the house deaffiliated, s/he could apply for dorm housing, but there were no guarantees.

[IUHoosiergirl88]

At Indiana, all freshmen are required to live in the dorms that first year. Granted, we have very deferred rush (December/January), so moving in immediately after receiving a bid would be strange.

I know in my house, if an active deactivates during the school year, we're contractually obligated to provide her housing until the end of that semester or school year, whichever comes first. It's happened before, and it's awkward, but you get over it pretty quick. Dorms are at a premium at IU (they put kids in the lounges at the beginning of the year), and off campus housing is as well.