^^^ no big deal. I myself am more than a little confused by the whole RFM/recruitment/Green Book business.

No one here can tell you what your chances of receiving a bid will be. We don't know. Just go thru rush again in the fall, keep ALL your options open, and see how it goes.

"I couldn't afford it" may not cut it, but "I wasn't prepared for such a sum to be due immediately after pledging, so I took the opportunity to make certain I was ready" may do so.

Call the Greek Life office for your university to clarify whether or not you can rush.

So informal recruitment is referred to as COB ??

Generally, yes - Continuous Open Bidding

Or COR - continuous open recruitment

Not necessarily. COB/COR is when sororities hand out bids with no party structure coordinated by college Panhellenic. Informal rush or partially structured rush involves a schedule set up by Panhellenic so parties don't overlap but rushees are not compelled to attend all events to which they may be invited.

It can mean both.