Indiana University 2014 Recruitment

[Iu mom]

Originally Posted by hopeful mom

My daughter also did not get a bid, she has a very similar past, she was in the honor society , volunteered everyday with special needs all thru high school instead of taking study hall, has done mission work in Africa and The Dominican Republic. Etc. 3 houses for pref. round and got no bid.

I spoke with my daughter this morning and she is going to interview with DphiE, I think it will be an exciting experience for the girls. Have you spoken to your daughter about the DphiE option? They are starting recruitment today!!!
Hopefully she will give them a shot, it sounds like she would make a great addition!!

She's not sure sadly and yet excitedly this is also the week of the department dance auditions for their spring show- this is a mandatory requirement if her major and it's during the interview slot times
We are processing all the info but in the end it's her choice - I can suggest and listen but being 12 hours away that's all I can do

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by Iu mom

Sorry for what may be a long first post....my daughter was a casualty of yesterday's bid day... In high school she was Homecoming court and prom princess as well as varsity dance captain and class secretary- and with a friend from home created an foundation that single handedly raised a quarter of a million dollars for a cancer family center after her friends dad passed from a brain tumor... She got a 3.5 gpa first semester at IU and participated at several campus philanthropic events- here's the thing ..she's a kinesiology AND dance major- as a dance major she was in a show during 12 party so prior to even 21 party she had to indicate that she had one major rehearsal for the show and the actual Saturday show...conflict forms and she Hoped not to be penalized but in reading here and her ONLY other friend that did NOT get a bid was a dancer too- so? What am I to think as her mom?
She was told at a house during 3 she was a perfect fit. During 12 another house said she felt like she was a sister already and get this she's a legacy at another house and wasn't asked to 3 party. My daughter had an open mind and comes from a family that is still involved in their greek organizations - she is registered for informal but I know it's not going to happen because no house will have not have met quota. She would love to get a "snap" bid but said how would they know she exists to want to give her one... We knew the process was a tough one which is why she worked her butt off to get a great gpa and be involved on campus in the fall. If any of you are in houses and have a snap bid to give - she's an awesome candidate. She has spent her life developing and working with philanthropies in fact her life goal is dance therapy to help girls who have to deal with emotional and physical issues. But the dancer thing still doesn't seem to make sense .... Thanks for listening and congrats to all those that were successful!

Mom, it sounds like all the chapters missed out on an exceptional young woman. After discounting the wacko way recruitment is done at IU, there are some factors that might have occurred that kept your daughter from receiving a bid. First would probably be the parties that she missed. Being excused from those parties did not mean that she would get a pass on to the next round of parties, especially if the next round is prefs. Being excused only meant that she would not be automatically dismissed from recruitment, like someone would who had overslept and missed a party. In my experience as an advisor, missing those parties, missing that opportunity to wow the sorority members, can really hurt a PNM.

Another factor is what I call the Russian roulette factor. While the sororities are whittling down their invitation lists, the PNMs are too. Sometimes there is smooth sailing, and the chapters the PNM is invited to return to match perfectly with her list. Often times it doesn't work out as well. Then you have a PNM who may have a full list of invitations, but only really likes one or two out of her returns. Then too, she might not have received the maximum number of invitations,and that reduces her choices going in to the next round.
The position the PNM appears on the chapter's invitation list, or when the chapter chooses not to invite her back, factors in to what invitations she receives. Her placement of the sororities she would like to return to, also factors in. The computer is trying to match the PNMs top choices with the sorority's list. If the PNM placed ABC sorority as her first choice, but ABC either didn't invite her back, or she was at the bottom of the list, she will not be going back to ABC. The computer would then go to her #2 choice and the same process would happen all over again. Hopefully she would be high on the list of #2 so there would be a match. If not, the computer continues on until it does have as many matches as it can give the PNM.

One more thing I can think of off the top of my head is knowing girls in the sororities. Even if she was each of her hostesses rush crush, if there were PNMs that were BFFs with a chapter member, those chapter members are going to be pushing for their hometown friend/schoolmate to be asked back. BFF might have spent several weekends at the sorority house with her sorority member friend.I am sure that the members who told your daughter that they just loved her and that they could really see her as an ABC were sincere. They probably truly felt what they were saying. But they have an entire chapter to convince and that is often difficult if few people know her. Then too, I would imagine that some majors that take up an extraordinary amount of non-class time, might have few women receiving bids, because the sorority members understand that those majors will be missing many sorority events.

I would urge your daughter to go find out what Delta Phi Epsilon has to offer. Hopefully there would be some time that she could schedule an interview. Ordinarily a colonizing sorority has many, many time slots to accommodate everyones busy schedules.

[Iu mom]

We knew all these factors going into rush at IU- but doesn't make it easier. Not only did all her IU friends get bids but her non IU ones too. She may just pray for a good sophomore rush next year and stay active in other organizations this year.

[AOII Angel]

It's also a wealth of riches problem. These chapters have so many wonderful candidates to choose from that they have become so complacent with letting excellent women's go bidless. It's not THEIR problem.

[TennisMom]

Apologies for the long post.

A few days ago I posted an excerpt of an email that I sent to the IU Board of Trustees sharing my disappointment with the IU sorority recruitment process. I thought the forum would be interested in the BOD's reply (excerpt below). Using 1600 as the number of women who made the grade cut, the placement rate for this year is 63%. Still far off the 90% placement stat I've heard about at other schools. So, my advice to prospective IU female students - if sorority life is something you might desire BEWARE. My daughter is a sophomore and has been disappointed twice. I'm encouraging her to explore Delta Phi Epsilon but with reservation - I'm not sure she can take a 3rd rejection.
My daughter did everything advised on this forum - campus involvement (floor philanthropy director, IU Student Foundation member, Conduct Board member), established good friendships with sorority members, has a sky high GPA and yet did not receive a bid even though she was invited to two for the final round. I am very happy for the girls who received bids and my daughter will survive this. I am sharing this post as a warning to prospective IU moms because I wish I knew then what I know now. My daughter is getting a great education at IU but she had options to go to other great schools where the sorority recruitment process would likely have turned out differently.

Increased interest in joining the Indiana University sorority community is a positive moment to celebrate, but not without growing pains. The 2014 formal recruitment process has placed a record number of women (1011) in 21 chapters. However, the number of women wanting to join is outpacing the number of sororities we have here at Indiana University.

To help mitigate this challenge the undergraduate leadership of the PanHellenic Association (PHA) has added a 3 new sorority chapters in the last four years. It is their hope that this will increase the opportunity for all women interested in joining a chapter. The newest sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon, will be starting their recruitment on Wednesday, January 21, 2014. Interested women may contact DPE at www.bedphie.com. PHA will also be having conversations soon about the possibility of adding yet another sorority to campus in the near future.

IU is working towards your suggestion of increasing opportunities for women to participate in Greek life. As PHA does every year, they will continue to assess the outcomes of the 2014 recruitment program in order to improve the process.

[Xidelt]

Originally Posted by Iu mom

She's not sure sadly and yet excitedly this is also the week of the department dance auditions for their spring show- this is a mandatory requirement if her major and it's during the interview slot times
We are processing all the info but in the end it's her choice - I can suggest and listen but being 12 hours away that's all I can do

Have your daughter talk to some of the DPhiE reps when they are tabling. They may be able to work with her schedule to find an interview time.

[Xidelt]

Originally Posted by TennisMom

Apologies for the long post.

A few days ago I posted an excerpt of an email that I sent to the IU Board of Trustees sharing my disappointment with the IU sorority recruitment process. I thought the forum would be interested in the BOD's reply (excerpt below). Using 1600 as the number of women who made the grade cut, the placement rate for this year is 63%. Still far off the 90% placement stat I've heard about at other schools. So, my advice to prospective IU female students - if sorority life is something you might desire BEWARE. My daughter is a sophomore and has been disappointed twice. I'm encouraging her to explore Delta Phi Epsilon but with reservation - I'm not sure she can take a 3rd rejection.
My daughter did everything advised on this forum - campus involvement (floor philanthropy director, IU Student Foundation member, Conduct Board member), established good friendships with sorority members, has a sky high GPA and yet did not receive a bid even though she was invited to two for the final round. I am very happy for the girls who received bids and my daughter will survive this. I am sharing this post as a warning to prospective IU moms because I wish I knew then what I know now. My daughter is getting a great education at IU but she had options to go to other great schools where the sorority recruitment process would likely have turned out differently.

Increased interest in joining the Indiana University sorority community is a positive moment to celebrate, but not without growing pains. The 2014 formal recruitment process has placed a record number of women (1011) in 21 chapters. However, the number of women wanting to join is outpacing the number of sororities we have here at Indiana University.

To help mitigate this challenge the undergraduate leadership of the PanHellenic Association (PHA) has added a 3 new sorority chapters in the last four years. It is their hope that this will increase the opportunity for all women interested in joining a chapter. The newest sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon, will be starting their recruitment on Wednesday, January 21, 2014. Interested women may contact DPE at www.bedphie.com. PHA will also be having conversations soon about the possibility of adding yet another sorority to campus in the near future.

IU is working towards your suggestion of increasing opportunities for women to participate in Greek life. As PHA does every year, they will continue to assess the outcomes of the 2014 recruitment program in order to improve the process.

No, interest is not outpacing growth. It's the stupid ass recruitment model IU uses. And adding more sororities isn't the answer. While I am super excited for the new chapters and the new DPhiE colony, I really think having a bunch of housed sororities where everyone lives in and having several unhoused sororities may lead to a two-tier Greek system.

[Iu mom]

I agree a other rejection this close to yesterday may be the straw the broke the camels back for my daughter. Need some space maybe - I'll remind her and ask her to at least go to the union (is that where she goes) to check it out. Otherwise we will wait it out til next year.

[FSUZeta]

TennisMom, I commend you for contacting the IU Trustees. In your letter to them, did you give them any suggestions on how changes might be made, i.e., that a campus-wide total be set, that bed rush be replaced with RFM, etc.?

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by Iu mom

We knew all these factors going into rush at IU- but doesn't make it easier. Not only did all her IU friends get bids but her non IU ones too. She may just pray for a good sophomore rush next year and stay active in other organizations this year.

Her IU friends who are new members can invite her to the sorority house for lunch or dinner. They can introduce her to their new pledge sisters as well as initiated sisters. They can invite her to participate with their chapters in open activities. She has the perfect opportunity to network through her friends.

[Iu mom]

That's her plan for gearing up for next year! Thanks

[Lalucas]

paper resume vs personalities

I concur with FSUZETA above... you are all thinking like mom's in a rationale way...thinking that the rush process is about credentials like philanthropic activities instead of social aspects.

“In high school she was Homecoming court and prom princess as well as varsity dance captain and class secretary- and with a friend from home created an foundation that single handedly raised a quarter of a million dollars for a cancer family center after her friends dad passed from a brain tumor... She got a 3.5 gpa first semester at IU and participated at several campus philanthropic events-“
“did not get a bid, she has a very similar past, she was in the honor society , volunteered everyday with special needs all thru high school instead of taking study hall, has done mission work in Africa and The Dominican Republic.”


instead of like girls looking for future roommates and new sisters that will attract the "hot frats" to choose your house for homecoming. When girls are voting/discussing the PNM's would they even know the resume or GPA of your daughter? doubtful. Do you think it is a blind vote? the current members aren't looking at it that way...

What I"m trying to say is that it is unfortunate that the valuable contributitions that your daughters have already or will contribute to an adult society are not what is of value during recruitment. Philo events are not the main focus of IU sorority girls life... but parties and boys and drinking are. School work and intensive career choices like dance majors are not the emphasis for the sorority life that I see from my daughter and her friends who are all in various sororities at IU.

that said.. Dance Marathon is a big event in the fall where contacts and relationships can be made...that said word on the street is that many people join those committees for their resumes and the parties related to it. oh yeah there is that one weekend too.

[TennisMom]

FSUZeta - I encouraged them to seek out ways to provide more sorority housing (to minimize the 2-tier system that another poster warned about) and change current recruitment processes. Since I was not in a sorority so I didn't use specific terms because I don't trust myself to use them correctly

However, based on this forum I think IU knows what the elephant in the room is but change is slow to come. Look at the math - 1011 placements divided by 21 sororities equals 48 bids per sorority. We've already read about some taking 70...so that means some are taking much less than 48. Bumping up bids by 15 or 20 per sorority would reduce the heartache but lessen the "selectivity". Based upon what I've read on this forum there are plenty of great schools where sororities thrive with larger pledge classes so it's best to avoid IU if sorority life is something your daughter really wants. Sadly, my daughter and I learned that lesson too late

[Lalucas]

Can someone explain how transfer in works?

I know of several girls who did that at IU and became part of a house as sophomores that probably wouldn't have been chosen into as a freshman. are there policies etc? They probably don't have to take you but maybe they usually do....sisterhood and all.

for any future PNM thinking of IU and wanting to increase the odds of getting into an IU sorority... what about going somewhere else and joining a sorority there

[Iu mom]

Originally Posted by Lalucas

paper resume vs personalities

I concur with FSUZETA above... you are all thinking like mom's in a rationale way...thinking that the rush process is about credentials like philanthropic activities instead of social aspects.

“In high school she was Homecoming court and prom princess as well as varsity dance captain and class secretary- and with a friend from home created an foundation that single handedly raised a quarter of a million dollars for a cancer family center after her friends dad passed from a brain tumor... She got a 3.5 gpa first semester at IU and participated at several campus philanthropic events-“
“did not get a bid, she has a very similar past, she was in the honor society , volunteered everyday with special needs all thru high school instead of taking study hall, has done mission work in Africa and The Dominican Republic.”


instead of like girls looking for future roommates and new sisters that will attract the "hot frats" to choose your house for homecoming. When girls are voting/discussing the PNM's would they even know the resume or GPA of your daughter? doubtful. Do you think it is a blind vote? the current members aren't looking at it that way...

What I"m trying to say is that it is unfortunate that the valuable contributitions that your daughters have already or will contribute to an adult society are not what is of value during recruitment. Philo events are not the main focus of IU sorority girls life... but parties and boys and drinking are. School work and intensive career choices like dance majors are not the emphasis for the sorority life that I see from my daughter and her friends who are all in various sororities at IU.

that said.. Dance Marathon is a big event in the fall where contacts and relationships can be made...that said word on the street is that many people join those committees for their resumes and the parties related to it. oh yeah there is that one weekend too.

That is kind of sad my daughter was very social this fall not just participating in philanthropic events. Tailgating and such with all her friends who did get bids--- she made all her social media private because her rho gam suggested they do hat - maybe with those traits as ones they were looming for she should have kept them open for actives to see that while dedicated to her career choice of he long others - through kinesiology she still knew how to have a good Hoosier time- and what you are saying makes me hunk that YES in fact the two dance girls my daughter included that didn't get bids were in fact penalized for their chosen path and requirement to put in a conflict sheet for them perform during 12 party and rehearse during 21. It ended up she had a break during 21 when her rehearsal was but that conflict form was still in the hands of the houses prior to choosing for 12.
She will probably return to the process next year and once again attend all the events she did- she will also try to spend as much time as an independent with her friends who are now pledges at little 5... Shame it has come to her displaying her party side to get a bid to a house. So much for demure lol