University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign Recruitment

[psusue]

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

Wow, I had no idea that Penn State quotas were so small. I assumed they would be huge. The chapters are smaller there than I guessed they would be.

About 800-950 women start recruitment, but last year I believe only about 450 completed it. A LOT of women drop out because they don't get the invites they want; hence quota is smaller than one would expect.

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

So much interesting information in the last few posts! I knew that Penn State didn't have houses for sororities, do the fraternities have houses?

Yep, they do, and sororities used to have houses before WWII, but after that the cost of living rose and space opened up in the new dormitories so that is where they moved.

Originally Posted by 33girl

Yes, they have big, beautiful, gorgeous houses that make me drool just thinking about them. (Although I'm sure there's some shacks that I missed when I was there.) I think Penn State might have the largest number of fraternities of any system, but obviously they are not all the same size.

Most of the prettiest houses downtown are fraternity houses. Some are smaller and maybe less grand, but so many are beautiful in the architecture and proportions. I still remember on my first visit to PSU I kept saying "I like that house, and that one too" and my mom kept saying "they're all fraternity houses". I remember being so mad that I'd never get to live in them, some look really quaint and magical.

I've heard that if four sororities could move off campus at once that we could have off campus housing, however the chances of four houses suitable for sororities to live in being for sale all at once in State College, where housing and land is at a premium, is unlikely. Therefore we're moving toward the Greek Village concept, but again we'll see where it goes.

I think there are about 52 fraternities at Penn State, though I may be making up that number it's definitely more than 50. They range in size like 33girl said but we do have quite a lot.

//back to your regularly scheduled UIUC programming.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by psusue

I've heard that if four sororities could move off campus at once that we could have off campus housing, however the chances of four houses suitable for sororities to live in being for sale all at once in State College, where housing and land is at a premium, is unlikely.

I think Joe Paterno will be wearing an I <3 Pitt shirt before that happens.

While it does kind of suck that Penn State doesn't have sorority houses, I like it in a way because a lot of girls get to be part of Greek life that probably couldn't afford it at other schools.

Originally Posted by pearlalum

I'm relatively new to GC and pledged decades ago in the East Cost. So, please forgive me if this question has already been asked. Why do Illinois and Iowa do their recruitment process over two weekends? It seems like it would add to the stress for the PNMs and certainly for the Moms. Thanks.

I think the thing that adds the stress is postponing when the girls get their invites. IMO it's actually sort of nice to have it spread out so you have some time to think about what's happening and not make rash decisions instead of being (pun intended) rushed.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by 33girl

IMO it's actually sort of nice to have it spread out so you have some time to think about what's happening and not make rash decisions instead of being (pun intended) rushed.

Yes and no. The longer it is drawn out, the more outside influences come into play. I think this works against some chapters.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

Yes and no. The longer it is drawn out, the more outside influences come into play. I think this works against some chapters.

True. But it's my opinion/experience that if girls bow that much to those "outside influences" (tent talk, boyfriends, parents) they're just as likely to bow to them later rather than sooner - i.e. depledge - and then you're stuck halfway through with an open spot.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

There are just too many parties to NOT run it over two weekends. We had weeknight parties back in the day, but it is so tough, and as bad as it is for PNM's, the women IN the chapters have all kinds of prep they have to do, too. Really, it is HARD to be doing a recruitment this big while classes are still going.

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

There are just too many parties to NOT run it over two weekends. We had weeknight parties back in the day, but it is so tough, and as bad as it is for PNM's, the women IN the chapters have all kinds of prep they have to do, too. Really, it is HARD to be doing a recruitment this big while classes are still going.

Has moving recruitment to before school starts ever been considered? or deferred recruitment?

[Zillini]

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

Has moving recruitment to before school starts ever been considered? or deferred recruitment?

Recruitment was the week before school back when I went through in the mid-80's. I'd like to know when it was changed.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by 33girl

True. But it's my opinion/experience that if girls bow that much to those "outside influences" (tent talk, boyfriends, parents) they're just as likely to bow to them later rather than sooner - i.e. depledge - and then you're stuck halfway through with an open spot.

I agree to a certain extent. But the outside influences also include women feeling more settled, making friends in their dorms, and finding other clubs/social outlets. At MSU we're not talking Alabama or Ole Miss environments. Greek life is not the be all and end all that it is at other schools. It doesn't even measure up to some other Big Ten schools in terms of a "must do" activity. So if recruitment gets dragged out, the women start to get settled into their college life, and they are less than greatly enthused about their invites... You start to lose people.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

I agree to a certain extent. But the outside influences also include women feeling more settled, making friends in their dorms, and finding other clubs/social outlets. At MSU we're not talking Alabama or Ole Miss environments. Greek life is not the be all and end all that it is at other schools. It doesn't even measure up to some other Big Ten schools in terms of a "must do" activity. So if recruitment gets dragged out, the women start to get settled into their college life, and they are less than greatly enthused about their invites... You start to lose people.

A woman shouldn't feel she has to choose between those things and Greek life, or that those things are the same as Greek life. If she uses "I didn't like the groups I got and anyway my dorm mates are so much more awesome" as an excuse to drop out, she's not ready to be in a sorority. Maybe she'll come back in a year when she's grown up a little and go through rush again. If not, it's not really any loss to the system IMO.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by 33girl

A woman shouldn't feel she has to choose between those things and Greek life, or that those things are the same as Greek life. If she uses "I didn't like the groups I got and anyway my dorm mates are so much more awesome" as an excuse to drop out, she's not ready to be in a sorority. Maybe she'll come back in a year when she's grown up a little and go through rush again. If not, it's not really any loss to the system IMO.

I don't think it is necessarily a matter of choosing between the two or thinking they are interchangeable. On a less Greek-focused campus like MSU, there are many women who go through rush but are uncertain about whether or not it is what they really want. It's not a campus overflowing with legacies and rich Greek traditions. The majority of Greek women are first generation Greeks. Many sorority members pay their own sorority expenses through working. For many of these women, there has to be a compelling reason to join. At MSU I think it is about friendship, social activities, and finding a place on a large campus. If they are able to meet those needs in other ways, they will take the opportunities that frankly cost a lot less. I don't think it means they wouldn't have been great members. We had many valuable members who were not necessarily gung-ho Greeks-to-be until they got acquainted with other Greek women and discovered it was something they would enjoy. At MSU (and I'm sure other campuses), the sororities have to "rush" the campus as well. They have to prove there is something valuable there that is worth the time and money.