Although fewer students joined coed fraternities this year compared to last fall, Ponto said she does not believe there is a specific trend of membership.
"Although last year was an anomaly, rush this year has been pretty consistent with most years," she said. "Generally, coeducational houses have small, tight brotherhoods, and everyone is really connected to everyone's house."
Each of the five houses offers a different rush process, which in turn contributes to each house's character, according to Ponto.
"The process of rush spans from a completely informal open membership policy at Amarna to a more traditional set of rush nights at Alpha Theta," she said. "However, rush at every coed house is a lot more open and transparent than either the fraternities or sororities."
At Tabard, the membership selection process is not referred to as "rush," which creates a more inclusive environment, and anyone wanting to join Tabard may do so at one of its weekly Wednesday meetings, according to Tabard's member educator Alison Helzer '14.
"The Tabard is completely non-selective," she said. "Any eligible undergraduate who chooses to join will be welcomed into our house."
Zachary Myslinski '15, who recently joined Tabard, said he appreciated the open rush policy.
"I really felt like I was choosing my own house and community, rather than trying to conform to the houses considering me," he said.
Phi Tau follows a rolling rush policy, according to Phi Tau President Pavel Bacovsky '13. After writing his or her name in the house's rush book, an interested student will be considered for membership. The house will offer a bid to any willing student who is friendly and respectful, according to Bacovsky.
"Our motto is, Unity in Diversity,'" he said. "We don't have a preconceived notion of what or who a Phi Tau brother is. We have no pre-set image."
Alternatively, Alpha Theta has a rush process more similar to those of Inter-Fraternity Council fraternities. Two formal nights of rush are held each term. Members of the house serve dinner to perspective new members and give a tour of the house, and interested students have time to socialize with Alpha Theta members. After each event, potential members can write their names down in a rush book and, afterward, current members extend bids to students who they believe fit the house, Alpha Theta President Casey Bradshaw '13 said.
"We find that our rush process is largely self-selective," she said. "Because Alpha Theta is such a niche social environment, most people who decide to rush tend to be good fits for the house."
Eight out of the 11 students who rushed Alpha Theta this fall received bids to join the coed fraternity.
At Amarna, any student can walk into the house and join throughout the year, according to Amarna President Christine Garcia '13. From that point forward, the student is a full member, Garcia said.
"Amarna was founded on the ideas of inclusivity and openness, so we accept absolutely anyone who wants to be a member," she said. "Even though Amarna is non-Greek, we're not anti-Greek. Plenty of our members are double affiliated with another Greek or coed organization."
Amarna's largest increase in membership usually happens after its biggest event, Wine and Cheese, which happens during Homecoming weekend.
Similarly, Panarchy does not have any sort of rush process. Weekly meetings are open to campus, and if students like the environment, they can come back each week, Panarchy member Sophia Archibald '13 said. Students become Panarchy members as soon as they begin to pay house dues, according to Archibald.
"[The rush process] is an organic flow of building a relationship with the other people in the house," she said. "There's never pressure to do anything you don't want to do or be anyone you don't want to be."
Archibald is a member of The Dartmouth Staff.
