From the dorms/apts to the house

[alum]

The sororities at my school had 16-bed townhouses. Even though our chapters were tiny since ceiling was 50, it wasn't that hard to fill the house and I don't recall anyone being "forced" to live in. At CMU, the Greek Housing was owned by the university, However, you couldn't go through the dorm room draw if you were living in the house.

The sororities at D's school can house about 30. The pledge classes themselves are about 30-40 so girls who want the "house" experience live in sophomore year. Again, the school owns the houses but you can do the dorm roomhousing draw even if you are living in the sorority house.

[Sister Havana]

At IU, formal rush is in spring and women generally moved into the sorority houses the following fall. Not sure how it worked for the men.

[dgdramadawg]

At UGA, sororities requires girls to live in the house for one "year" (fall/spring semesters). Most girls do this during their sophomore years or second years in the chapter so they can live out their current leases or dorm contracts before moving in.

When I was an undergrad, we had a girl move into the house second semester and she was not penalized for breaking her dorm contract, but that wasn't the norm and was based on extenuating roommate circumstances, so I don't know that they'd approve it for a NM who just randomly wanted to move out of the dorms.

[FSUZeta]

most often, the sorority houses are full before the next school year begins, because contracts are signed some time during the early part of the spring semester and filling the house is key. the house cannot function in a deficit situation.

at fsu, new members would be locked in for the school year to wherever they had arranged to live-apartments or dorms, but that is good because the houses are full. the chapters at fsu are so big now that there is a lottery of sorts to determine who will get to live in the house. it is based on gpa, if the girl is an officer or chairman, points, class, etc. some girls might not ever get to live in, or they might choose not to. i think that you miss out on a lot if you don't live in the house. you are right in the thick of everything, have three square meals a day-well, okay not on the weekends,(although some houses had sunday dinner around 1 pm) but you get my drift.

in my chapter, back in the day, all executive officers were required to live in the house. next required were sophomores, then juniors and if all the spaces were filled , seniors could live out, then juniors, then sophomores. i lived in the house sophomore, junior and senior years(I was on exec. jr. and sr. years), and practically lived there my freshman year unofficially because my dorm roommate and i did not get along very well.

my daughter was so excited when she learned that she would be able to live in her house in the fall. some of her pledge sisters were not as lucky. her house holds over 100, but her chapter is about 150, so obviously everyone won't get to live in.

same with my friends daughter who is a zeta at u of florida. she was sweating whether or not she would be able to live in this coming year, but it did work out for her and she will be in the house.

living in the house is fun. i hope that everyone who has the opportunity to do so, will do so!