Admitted to IU? What to See Before You Commit

Admitted to IU? Before you commit, see a residence hall, Greek row, Kirkwood Avenue and the streets where upperclassmen rent, and ask a current student what the first weeks are like. Red Carpet Days run February to April, and the housing and deposit deadlines land in May. Brady Hawk, who leads our private, student-led tours of Bloomington, says he had "no clue how the housing works" when he arrived.

What should admitted students see at IU before committing?

Admitted students should see five things at IU before committing: a residence hall, the neighborhood it sits in, Greek row, Kirkwood Avenue and the streets upperclassmen rent on.

A residence hall room. IU's daily visit days include a sample room at Collins Living Learning Center.
The housing neighborhoods. Freshmen live in Central, Northwest or Southeast, and each has its own dining halls. Our guide to IU dorms for freshmen lists the halls and 2026-27 rates.
Greek row. Brady says "a lot of people come here specifically for a Greek life social scene," and that it's "not for everyone." He also says a tour can show "so many alternatives."
Kirkwood Avenue. "We're not known as a huge bar school," Brady says. "We have really nice bars for juniors and seniors." Younger students still have "so much stuff" to do on Kirkwood, he adds.
Where upperclassmen live. Brady says students decide on housing "when you don't even have friends yet," and most don't have their ideal place figured out until junior year.

All five fit in one trip. Our one-day IU visit plan puts them in walking order.

When are IU's Red Carpet Days for admitted students?

IU's Red Carpet Days for admitted students run on a range of dates in February, March and April, and invitations go to every admitted student starting in January, according to IU's Red Carpet Days page (read October 2026). Your student picks a date from the invitation.

A Red Carpet Day is a full day on campus, by invitation only. IU says admitted students "explore campus, learn about the academic experience, talk with current IU students and faculty, and get important information about your next steps to enroll."

Pick the date early if you're flying. If you choose an April date, avoid Little 500 weekend, April 23 and 24, 2027, when Visit Bloomington says hotels sell out.

What are the deadlines after you're admitted to IU?

The deadlines after you're admitted to IU run in five steps from February to August, per IU Housing's new student page and IU's academic calendar (read October 2026; check both for fall 2027 dates).

Apply for housing once admitted. The application lists February 9 as its opening. Your student doesn't need to accept admission or pay the enrollment deposit first. The fee is $200 and nonrefundable.
Finish the housing application by May 1. IU groups applicants into priority windows by completion date, and May 1 closes the first window. Mutual roommate requests are due the same day.
Pay the $100 enrollment deposit on College Decision Day in May.
Watch the IU email from June. Housing assignments go out on a rolling basis, hall first. Room numbers and roommates come after orientation ends in late July.
Move in before fall classes begin on Monday, August 23, 2027.

Step 2 is the one that matters most. Everyone in a priority window has the same chance at their housing preferences, so finishing in April and finishing in February are treated alike. Finishing after May 1 drops your student into a later window.

What should we ask a current IU student before committing?

Ask a current IU student before committing about the parts of IU that come after move-in: housing after freshman year, the Greek calendar and the first weeks. Brady says that on his own visit he had "no clue how the housing works," and he learned the social scene by watching YouTube tours of it.

When do students sign leases for sophomore year? Bloomington leases almost always run a full year, per IU's off-campus living office, so the timing matters.
Can my son move into his fraternity house before sophomore year? Brady says members can move in the spring of freshman year.
When does sorority recruitment happen, and how do you learn about it? Brady says sororities don't rush until spring, and women hear little about it until it's close.
What do students do on a weekend if they skip Greek life?
What do you wish you'd known before your first week?

Ask these on a Red Carpet Day, at orientation, or on a private tour. For the neighborhoods behind the first question, read where IU students live after freshman year.

What surprises IU freshmen in their first three weeks?

What surprises IU freshmen most in their first three weeks is how much they have to figure out on their own. Brady says the first two or three weeks are confusing, and students who don't already know someone have to work it out themselves.

Three things catch freshmen off guard, in Brady's words:

The housing clock starts early. Students make sophomore housing decisions "when you don't even have friends yet." He calls it "a really weird scene."
The fraternity-house move. Most students don't hear they can move into their house in the spring until about halfway through the first fall. "It just jumps up on you."
Sorority recruitment timing. Sororities don't rush until spring, and women get little information until it's close.

None of these is hard once you know it's coming. Talk through the housing timeline and the Greek calendar before move-in, so your student isn't learning them in week three.

To walk the dorms, Greek row and the rental streets with a current IU student before you commit, book a private tour for $150 for your family.

Frequently asked questions

Can admitted students visit IU without a Red Carpet Day invitation?

Yes, admitted students can visit IU any time without a Red Carpet Day invitation. IU's Office of Admissions runs visits Monday to Saturday, and the IU Visitor Information Center adds an hour-long tour at 1 p.m. on select Sundays. IU says its visit options run all year long. TourCollegeTowns is independent and not affiliated with IU, and our private tours run seven days a week.

How big is IU's freshman class?

IU's freshman class in fall 2025 was 10,127 students at IU Bloomington, out of more than 38,000 undergraduates, according to IU's class profile. About half of that class were Indiana residents, and students came from all 92 Indiana counties and 118 countries. The fall 2026 numbers weren't on the profile as of October 2026.

Do you have to join Greek life to have a social life at IU?

No, you don't have to join Greek life to have a social life at IU, though it is the biggest scene. Brady says Greek life is the biggest social scene for freshmen, sophomores and the first half of junior year, and "there's also so many alternatives." IU counts almost 8,000 students, about 24% of undergraduates, in a sorority or fraternity.

Sources

IU Office of Admissions: Red Carpet Days and plan your visit, read October 2026.
IU Housing: new student applications and assignments, read October 2026.
IU Office of the Registrar: official academic calendar, fall 2027, read October 2026.
IU Admissions: class profile, read September 2026.
IU Student Life: How to Join and off-campus living, read October 2026.