I am an incoming freshman and am looking into rushing a frat. I have been searching for an answer on when the rush for frats is and how to rush. If anyone could just spell it out for me that would be great. Thank you.
Ok, I am going to give you the good, the bad, and the ugly. This is based on my kids and his friend’s experience. And this assumes nothing changes next year, which is a big assumption.
IU has two rush periods. Fall, at the end of September and Spring at the end of January. Rush starts with an orientation session, and then followed by rush tables and several days of open houses. Half the houses hold events on Monday/Wednesday and half on Tuesday/Thursday. You basically pick the houses you’re interested in and put yourself out there – meet them at their tables, attend their open houses. etc. After that, they’ll have closed events and start handing out bids. It lasts about a week.
The key is to do your research beforehand. You can find grades and disciplinary records on the IU website. If you know anyone in the houses, that can be helpful. You’ll want to narrow down your choices pretty quickly. The first nights (Monday/Tuesday), get to as many on your list as you can so you can cut them in or out. The second night, you’ll want to focus on your top two. If you don’t get a bid in the fall, rush again in the spring where it is a little less competitive.
Now the real question is – are you sure? The IU administration is trying to get rid of Greek life. I can basically guarantee that any house you join with either be suspended or face significant discipline during your years there. Three chapters have been suspended just this year and 2 more are on deferred suspension. Pretty much everyone else is on probation or just got off probation. It sucks to go thru pledgeship and then not be able to reap the benefits. A friend of ours had his chapter suspended within a few months after he was initiated. Others have their houses put on cease and desist while they are being “investigated” and they can’t do anything. And you never know who’s next. In many cases, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.
Good luck.
Adding to what previous post suggested…be sure you check out alternate housing options. If you plan to live in the fraternity house the sophomore year and they get into trouble, that can jeopardize your housing option. Be sure you always have Plan B as sometimes those disciplinary actions come with very little warning and then you are scrambling for where to live. Not sure if the chapter gets into trouble if each member shares a portion of the legal fees if needed, but another financial piece to consider in membership goals.
Getting the chapter house closed after an issue maybe a thing of the past. Btown had a zoning ordinance requiring Greek orgs to be recognized by the University to maintain the housing option. That ordinance has recently been ruled unconstitutional. Thus, chapter members could possibly stay in the house. The ruling is on appeal, so we’ll see.