Indiana University Recruitment

[LadyLonghorn]

I know that some schools limit the number of PNMs allowed to register for recruitment even though there isn't a cap on the number of bids that can be given out and it's still figured out using RFM. Why can't Indiana limit the number of PNMs who are allowed to register for recruitment in the first place (based on total available bids plus a percentage for predicted drops?) It seems self-defeating to have X number maximum spots available but Y number women starting out.

[KSUViolet06]

^^^I've never heard of schools limiting the number of PNMs allowed to register. Do you know which other schools do that?

I have no clue why IU doesn't do it, but it may have to do with the high numbers of drop outs over the break. They know that x% of the PNMs won't even show up to the 2nd day, so the numbers even themselves out?

[33girl]

I never heard of that either.

You could argue that arbitrarily picking a number limit of PNMs is 1) interfering with the sororities' and the PNMs' freedom of association 2) interfering with membership selection.

If you're a dingdong and don't register by so and so date, that's your own fault...but to not be able to rush because someone made it to the GL office 5 minutes before you did and got the last spot? I can't see where that is fair - to sororities or PNMs.

[LadyLonghorn]

I don't remember which school it was but I remember reading it here and looking at the link to the school's page and there it was. If I remember correctly, it was one of those schools that is super competitive that you wouldn't normally think of as being that way ..... maybe USC or Arizona?

[AZ-AlphaXi]

Two years ago Arizona had a statement on their registration web site that registration would be limited to 1200 PNMs.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AZ-AlphaXi

Two years ago Arizona had a statement on their registration web site that registration would be limited to 1200 PNMs.

Do they still? Did it have a point for them to say that (i.e. do they normally get more PNMs than that)?

Like I said this sounds like opening a can of worms that is totally unnecessary. If the chapters are too big for your taste, add another one! But don't deny women the chance to be Greek in the interim.

[IUGreekGirl]

IU Panhellenic just approved extension. So hopefully a year from now there will be (at least) one new chapter!

I don't see a limit on the number of women who can register. We want to get the best possible women for our houses, we wouldn't want to restrict who was able to rush. But we are VERY strict about women who miss the registration date. If you try to register at midnight on the day after you can't. No exceptions.

I'm really excited for recruitment too! Nothing compares to spending the entire weekend with your sisters. And good luck to all the ladies going through 19 party.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

IU Panhellenic just approved extension. So hopefully a year from now there will be (at least) one new chapter!

Wow.

This is HUGE news. Is it public knowledge yet? I wonder why no one reported it in our expansion thread!

[Hoosierxgirl]

I'm not so sure expansion is public knowledge yet. They just approved the extension process a month or so ago and they are going to start interviews and presentations in the Spring! I'm so excited to have another chapter (hopefully) soon!

[33girl]

Is there a place to put comparable housing?

If not, I just don't think any group will want to come there and settle for being what is basically a lower-level sort of GLO.

[IUGreekGirl]

Any new chapter that extends would not get a house.
We thought this would be a problem but we did a survey for women who went through recruitment and did not get a bid-- 66% of women said that they would join a chapter even if it didn't have a house. That's a pretty substantial number (about one thousand people). So we're hoping the survey is a good indication of a potential chapter's success.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

Any new chapter that extends would not get a house.
We thought this would be a problem but we did a survey for women who went through recruitment and did not get a bid-- 66% of women said that they would join a chapter even if it didn't have a house. That's a pretty substantial number (about one thousand people). So we're hoping the survey is a good indication of a potential chapter's success.

Ohhhhhhh man.

You should have done a survey of women BEFORE they even rushed and asked if they would join a sorority without a house. Of course when they've gone through rush and failed they'll say "houses don't matter! I just want to be in a sorority!! I don't care if I have to live in a cardboard box!"

I'm sure when my group came on campus (early 90s when Greek life everywhere was huge) we had a similarly large bunch of women saying the house doesn't matter, only the people, but we never got a house, and surprise surprise, we are no longer there.

Maybe a group like this can sustain a chapter if the national chooses to do so, but like I said, they'll be on a lower level and probably referred to as "you know, that fake sorority without the house."

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Ohhhhhhh man.

You should have done a survey of women BEFORE they even rushed and asked if they would join a sorority without a house. Of course when they've gone through rush and failed they'll say "houses don't matter! I just want to be in a sorority!! I don't care if I have to live in a cardboard box!"

This is exactly what I was thinking! Of COURSE girls are going to say that in a survey after they've been cut by the majority of the chapters/relaeased entirely.

I bet they also said things like "Oh I don't care about any of the reputations either!"

[CookiesNCream]

I think it's great that a new sorority is going to colonize at IU, but I don't know how well it will fare with the student body. I think many girls are attracted to the Greek system at IU because of the fact that all 19 chapters have a house on campus. A lot of girls going through recruitment would probably have a really difficult time ranking a chapter without a house highly.

But as far as 19 party goes, it just finished tonight! I won't give a total recap of my weekend because I don't want to bore you all to tears, but here are just some things about the past 2 days:

- It was so cold! I think it was quite funny/ironic how the first major snowfall of the season occurred literally the night before 19 party. On Saturday we braved snowfall which wasn't too bad, but today was just absolutely freezing. The wind chill didn't really help either! For me, the worst part was standing outside each chapter and just waiting to go inside. Once we got inside, it was all good.

- A lot of girls, myself included, have REALLY similar top 14 lists after this round. I totally went into recruitment thinking that I should go for what are considered "lower" tier chapters, as horrible as that sounds. I'm paranoid because I am not a legacy and I don't have any recommendation letters, and I hear the horror stories about IU recruitment all the time. But I have found that all the houses do an amazing job of recruiting and I just fell in love with so many houses. I know it's hard to really judge an entire chapter based on 30 minutes but I got good vibrations from a lot of chapters. People say this all the time, but now I understand that there really isn't a "bad" chapter at IU.

- I had some really great conversations with girls in different houses. People always say that the best conversations at rush are the ones that go beyond the generic "What's your major?" "What brought you to IU?" ones. Those conversations are what helped me remember houses the best.

- It was a really fun experience overall. I am dead tired and have no energy, but I'm very happy with how things turned out. My biggest fear is being "that girl" who gets back a minuscule number of houses for 14 party but I'm crossing my fingers. I hope that the rest of recruitment goes just as well!

[FSUZeta]

good luck to you!