I think it's great that you're all trying to think of ways to make everything better. :)

There are three concerns I have with DeltaBetaBaby's idea:

The first is regarding whether or not PNMs will be hurting themselves through the rankings. How often have we seen a rush thread where Rhonda Rushee disliked ABC in the first round. When she got her invites she wasn't that thrilled to see them on the list. Then, when she goes to their next party, she's wowed by it and realizes how great they are. By using the suggested system, PNMs may hurt themselves by accident. After all, they sometimes make silly decisions, *especially* after the first round when they've only had 10 minutes in each party.

The next concern is about whether or not it's fair for the sororities to have the "inside knowledge." Yes, in a way they would be doing a "mutual selection" - Rhonda Rushee ranks them and then the sororities invite based on whether or not she's interested. HOWEVER, I feel funny about that. Technically, couldn't it be the other way around? Couldn't the PNMs be given a list of how each sorority ranked *them* and then the PNMS could make their selection from that?? See, I just think that this system gives one group (sororities vs. PNMs) slightly more power than the other. How come the PNMs don't get to know whether or not a sorority is "really" interested in them??

I think I prefer the "they rank, I rank and a third party matches us up" system that's currently used. Yes, it's not fun to have to waste time on people who don't want to be there, but there will *always* be people and groups who put on fronts like that.

Finally, with forced rankings, I imagine it gets sticky when a PNM likes several groups equally. For example, say a campus has 7 sororities: SK, AOII, DZ, AXO, ADPi, ZTA, and DPhiE (just randomly grabbing org names!) After the first round she LOVES AXO - it's her favortie. Ok, fine, its #1. However, she really likes ADPi, AOII and ZTA *equally*. She'd be happy to be a sister of either of them. She really can't think of any reason to put any of these three above the other two so she just flips a coin or puts them in alphabetical order. Finally, she's either neutral about or dislikes, DZ, DPhiE and SK. So, her ranking comes out looking like this:

1) AXO
2) ADPi
3) AOII
4) ZTA
5) DZ
6) DPhiE
7) SK

Now, say ZTA really LOVED her. They put her at the top of their list. Using DeltaBetaBaby's suggestion, they'd get a printout of the PNM rankings and would see that she put them 4th out of 7. They might be heartbroken to think that she only thought they were "so so" when in reality they could have just as easily been #2! They may try to invite her back in an attempt to win her over....or, depending on the recruitment situation, they could cut her not wanting to risk it.

Yes, PNMs currently have these forced-rank situations anyway. The difference is that the *sororities don't get to see it*.

Then again, I'm not in an NPC group so I could be completely and totally way off base!

Just my 2¢ (it looks more like $2 worth!)

.....Kelly :)

Okay, how about this...

Five chapters, we will call them A, B, C, D, and E, in descending order of historical return rates.

I think E should be able to invite as many rushees as it wants.

A) That's already the situation at some schools
B) If everyone cuts them or drops out anyway, what difference does it make?

We'll create the perfect rush system yet! :D

original suggestion of ranking chapters
 

When I went through recruitment in 1989 (yes, the stone age) we DID rank each group after each round AND they got to see it. This created MAJOR cross-cutting.

Forget the other rounds and think about pref invtes. We went from 15 to 8 to 4 to 2 (you could go to 3 if you wanted). If you liked 1 group "best" and 3 groups the same and (using prior examples) put those three in alpha order - maybe you only get 2 invites. Even if you get 4 and you go to 3 to maximize your options - those chapters are still remembering where you put them on your last ranking. What if you change your mind? This was a huge thing that caused cross-cuts and my school and is the main reason (that and NPC recommendation) that they stopped doing it.

The best change to the system would be to require everyone to follow their release figures. I have heard that NPC is piloting a new release figure system this year that will make for more releases earlier. If you don't know, release figures have to do with your return rates for the last three years. The theory is that those chapters with higher return rates get to invite fewer women than those with lower return rates. Many campuses use this system, but may not strictly enforce it.

Since it is just a recommendation, unless it is in the Panhellenic Recruitment Rules for your school, they are just a suggested number to be invited. I have found that for the most part, using the release figure cuts down on "padding", because you can't invite anymore than you number.

I am very interested to see how the new system they are piloting works and compares with the current system.

As to "E" being able to invite as many as they want. If they are using release figures and they have the poorest return rates - they will be able to invite as many as they want - in some cases more than are even registered for recruitment.

After this week, ME TOO.

Can I just say how great it is that the PNMs so far on GC have gotten to see their invites before they have to cut the houses they don't want to go back to?

Back in the day when I rushed (now 10 whopping years ago) we cut houses at the end of each day of rush without knowing who was going to cut us/who cut us already. It sucked. Had I known who cut me I would have made some different choices as to who to go back to...as one day I got stuck on day 3 going back to a house that I had ZERO interest in, and quite honestly hadn't had interest in from the 1st day.

Regardless, I still would have ended up an AOII as I do believe that you end up where you are meant to, one way or another, but it would have been neat to get to see the other houses for longer instead of the one I didn't.