I’m happy you posted this, IU is not tippy top of D24’s list but pending the outcome of the SSA it could be and I didn’t know this!!
Hi, how likely will your daughter end up at IU? We are from NJ and also went to Red Carpet Day, she said she could see herself there, but concerned about Sorority, too.
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We are interested in learning the same. We just came back from SMU admitted day and we heard there is a ton of pressure for girls re: sororities. The 300-400 who don’t get a bid are left hanging out to dry socially and a lot end up transferring. If this is the same at IU we are really concerned. My daughter absolutely loved Bloomington and the campus but this causes us to think twice. I also don’t know if we are over reacting either.
Greek Life is definitely not required to have an enjoyable social life at IU. In fact, so many fraternities and sororities are on probation at any given time for hazing / drinking violations. For those looking to party, the bars are super restrictive if under 21 and fake ids do not get you in. Parties happen in the dorms and houses (only required to live in dorm freshman year). The football season is fun but they are not usually a great team so that all dies down once the weather turns bad. IU is all about basketball for sports - Assembly Hall is epic place to see a game (although they are having down year this season). There are business fraternities as well which are more social than professional but super competitive to get in as everyone looking to build up resume.
My daughter is a current IU student and from OOS. I can confirm that this is all correct regarding sororities at IU. Having a winter rush is tough on many fronts, but especially if rush doesn’t work out for you and you have to scramble last minute to find housing for the next year. Most people find housing in October/November for the following year.
This does not sound good at all… ugh!
Also learned rush is pretty cutthroat, girls need recs for each house if they hope to continue, and the oos girls may have trouble breaking in. We love everything else about IU, but this…yikes. And I know, lots of kids aren’t Greek yada yada but that’s an experience my d wants.
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Why out of state have trouble?
They don’t have older girl networks ((high school friend etc) looking out for them and pushing for them. I’m sure most are fine, but it is an added concern.
We visited with a couple of girls when we were there last wknd. Neither of them said anything about recs. I know girls who are there, not Greek and absolutely loving it. That said, mine is ABSOLUTELY interested in rushing… I know there were over 2,000 girls rushing this spring-I’ve been warned. My husband said he will be staying far away during rush. 
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This may have been covered already so apologies…does anyone have a feel for average amount of money students have received in the past (if any!) from GSA?
I was a proud fraternity member at URI in the mid 1990’s. But now as a parent I kind of wish that Greek life didn’t exist - or at least wasn’t as prevalent as it appears to be at these large state schools. Creates additional pressure on these kids on top of everything else that they have to deal with in the first year. It was fun though - from what I recall 
Good luck to all of you still waiting on deferral decisions!
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My daughter is a freshman at IU and rushed this spring. They did not need letters of rec, and she doesn’t know anyone who acutally submitted them. The process is brutual…not going to lie. There were well over 2200 girls who pledged, and roughly 1500 received bids. My daughter did receive a bid and is very happy, but it could have easily gone the other way. If joining a sorority is a big deal, then please go in with your eyes wide open. It’s a very stressful process and absolutely no guarantee that you will end up the house that you want.
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It really does seem to be a brutal process. We have a good family friend whose daughter started an IU in Fall 2022. Absolutely beautiful girl. Didn’t get a bid during Spring rush. She immediately dropped out of IU (just weeks into the semester). She took community college classes at home and then transferred to big ACC school for her sophomore year where she was welcomed into a great sorority and is having the time of her life.
For girls for whom the sorority thing is super important, I’d think long and hard about IU.
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Out of curiosity … is it like this for the guys too? Are there way more guys that want to be in a frat than available spots?
If I was a national sorority not already present on campus, I would think about opening a chapter at IU–sounds like there is demand for it!
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I’m also curious about frats - and how many are actually allowed to be active right now on campus? Read about many under Cease and Desist or suspension.
I’m sorry but I have no idea about the fraternity scene! Maybe another commenter can add perspective. I only know about the sorority scene because we were getting real-time updates from a close friend as it was all happening. It was all rather traumatic for her.
And yes - completely agree that IU seems to be a prime location for new sorority chapters. There’s huge demand and apparently hundreds of girls who would be lining up for it.
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