Illinois State University NPC Recruitment?

[navane]

Hi! My cousin's daughter (I'll call her my "little cousin", LC) has just graduated high school and is headed to Illinois State University this fall. They have 11 sororities listed on their Panhellenic Council; but, I don't know how CERES fits into the scheme of things.


Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Gamma Delta
CERES
Chi Omega
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Zeta
Gamma Phi Beta
Phi Sigma Sigma
Pi Beta Phi
Sigma Sigma Sigma
Zeta Tau Alpha


At any rate, LC has expressed an interest in recruitment and I would be thrilled to welcome her as a Gamma Phi Beta of course; but, I honestly would be happy to see her with a bid to any of these GLOs.


I spent quite some time searching GC for ISU information and I see that most all chapters reach quote (40-ish) and that all are expected to be housed come fall 2014. My questions are:

1) How "competitive" is this campus?

2) How crucial are recs? I'm writing her a rec for GPhiB regardless, but I want to make sure she's prepared with as many of the others as possible.

3) Any more intel on the possible extension that may be coming?

4) Any other tips and hints that may be particular to this campus? (Example: the dress code is far more casual than one expects or attending some "optional" club open house prior to recruitment is a make or break event, etc)


I have no children and this is the first time any of my cousins' kids have been old enough to go to college. So, I'm like a new mom over here. LOL

ISU help? Thanks!

[EtaPhiZTA]

It has been many years since I was a student on campus, but I have kept up with recruitment trends over the years.

I would say that ISU is not a very competitive recruitment. If the PNM keeps an open mind, I would say she will likely have a successful recruitment.

Recs were very rare when I attended ISU, and I would say that they still tend to be few and far between.

My time at ISU was wonderful, and I hope that your cousin's daughter has a wonderful recruitment.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

My ISU info is also pretty out of date, but I don't think the women there tend to prepare a ton in advance for recruitment, and recs are probably not essential.

[bevinpiphi]

I graduated in 2010, but I'm currently an alumna advisor for my group on campus, so I'm pretty up to date, as well.

1) How "competitive" is this campus? Nothing compared to Southern campuses. It's rare to see a woman who has maximized her options (went to all recruitment parties invited to and put down as many options as available to her on her bid card) not receive a bid. For those who don't, there are always snap bids. There were VERY few women this year who did not receive a bid after maximizing options. Women who dropped out or chose to single intentional preference, are another story. I was a recruitment counselor in fall 2009, and of my group of 14 women (6 upperclassman), 2 dropped out of recruitment and the other 12 received bids.
Speaking as an alum advisor, I could think of very positive things about each chapter on campus (I could go back in to my recruitment counselor mode and start listing all the positive things the greek community has done, but that would be overkill).

2) How crucial are recs? I'm writing her a rec for GPhiB regardless, but I want to make sure she's prepared with as many of the others as possible. I agree with EtaPhiZeta...recs aren't essential. We get between 5 and 10 each year, mostly legacy recs, and from talking to other friends who advise, they get about the same. Some years they get more, especially if a legacy and her friends are going through recruitment. I know my aunt wrote recs for all of my brother's female friends when they went through recruitment.

3) Any more intel on the possible extension that may be coming? They've only just opened for extension, and anything I've heard is hearsay at best. It wouldn't impact this fall.

4) Any other tips and hints that may be particular to this campus? (Example: the dress code is far more casual than one expects or attending some "optional" club open house prior to recruitment is a make or break event, etc)
CERES is an agricultural sorority, and will sometimes do house tours, but haven't done full formal recruitment since at least Fall 2007.
Dress code is pretty casual. Don't remember the exact breakdown for rounds this year, but for welcome rounds, potential new members wear what I would qualify as classy going out clothes (ranging from jeans and tops to casual dresses), sorority members wear letters and nice looking bottoms - skirts, colored bottoms, jeans. For one of the rounds, PNM's and sorority members wear provided t-shirts (usually in colors that look cute together). For preference, PNM's wear a nicer dress (afternoon wedding, church on Easter Sunday) and sorority members wear a solid colored nicer dress (black, red, blue, and I think white would be colors to avoid).
The recruitment team will have info meetings where they'll present example outfits, and will generally post photo examples on the facebook recruitment group or event. They also go over format and expectations. If I recall correctly, recruitment is over Labor Day weekend again this year.

[navane]

Thank you all for the helpful replies! It puts my mind at ease and I will let you all know if she does decide to go through recruitment!

[navane]

My Little Cousin has decided not to go through recruitment. Oh well! That's ok! There are plenty of activities on campus and I know she'll have fun being a Redbird.