Living in house as new member

[aephi alum]

@carnation, so PNMs weren't advised to sign up for a dorm room just in case they didn't match?

At MIT, all freshmen were advised to go through dorm rush. Yes, we had dorm rush. All frosh got temp rooms within the dorm system. All dorms had events including tours and BBQs and the infamous gravity demonstration, because every dorm (and often every floor/entry within a dorm) had its own unique character. It was highly suggested that frosh should go through dorm rush. Women interested in sororities were pretty much guaranteed to spend at least one year in the dorms, because only one sorority chapter had a house when I rushed. People interested in fraternities and/or ILGs moved in as soon as they signed, but what if they didn't get a bid to a group they liked, or what if they didn't get a bid at all - best to hedge your bets by going through dorm rush and rank-ordering the dorms so you didn't end up scrambling for a spot in the worst dorm on campus.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

@carnation, so PNMs weren't advised to sign up for a dorm room just in case they didn't match?

You couldn't sign up for a dorm room if you were rushing; Housing felt like you would be taking the place of a freshman who really needed the room when you might not. When I look back, it really makes me angry. Here was that line of girls who had been cut going halfway down the block on the most public street on campus. It got longer every day because some groups would keep their parties big just for eye candy.

Then if they got a dorm room, it was in the worst and most far away dorms, whereas they would've gotten the best dorms if they'd signed up when everyone else did.