it's just your chapter.

one of our most active sisters was cut from every house and joined Phi Mu during informal the following winter.

I would feel honored to receive a COB bid. I kept mixing up the sororities when I had to rank them on my card and had to really think hard, and because the visits were so short, it really was hard to figure out who I liked best, second best and so on. I have no idea how the sororities were able to get a good feel for the 150 or so girls that they had to decide on. You know we all have our off days, so to be honest, I think that the revisits after formal recruitment are really better. I thought I really liked ABC, but after seeing them in "real life", I know now that I would not really fit in.
When the dust settles and everyone is being "real" is when you really know I think!!

Generally speaking, if a house that cut you then turns around and offers you a snap/COB bid later, it's not that they didn't WANT you--you just weren't high enough on the list. I don't think that ANY house would offer a bid to a girl that they didn't want during rush.

What is COB?:confused:

if they care enough to offer you a bid during COB, you obiously stuck out in their mind for one reason or another.

my little was cut during formal recruitment due to a major mess up, and we COB'd (or maybe it was snap bid...) her the night of bid day and she is one of our best sisters!

COB is continuous open bidding... if you dont make quota through bid day and snap bidding, you may continue to "rush" girls until you reach quota. they're usually just like sisterhood events, at least for my chapter, but sisters or new members can bring girls who they think might be good candidates. after they leave, we vote on them and offer them a bid if they meet the criteria. just like regualr recruitment, there are usually rules about what types of events you can have for COB and time limits, etc.

COB stands for Continous Open Bidding. According to Panhellenic, the group that makes rules for many national sororities, if a sorority goes through rush and still doesn't make "quota" -- the most girls the University says the sorority can have that year -- they can COB to make up.

For example, when I was a collegiate I was a Phi Mu at Virginia Commonwealth University. We also had Tri Sigma and AGD, among others.

Let's pretend quota is 50 girls. That means VCU and Panhellenic figure no sorority should have more than 50 girls to make things fair for everyone (otherwise, the other groups don't get a fair chance.)

After formal recruitment, let's pretend Phi Mu has 47 girls, Tri Sigma has 50, and AGD has 48.

Tri Sigma won't COB, because they can't accept any more girls.

Phi Mu will COB, because they can take 3 more. AGD will too, because they can take 2 more.

Now, Phi Mu may have party after party and meet just one girl they want to extend a bid to. They probably won't extend COB, because the parties cost money (renting the room from the school, paying for nametags and snacks and whatever the activity is.)

AGD may have only one party and find 7 girls they want to extend bids too. Unfortunately they still can only extend bids to 2 because 50 is the limit.

anything I left out, ladies?

to add an aside:

our rush is small. I know of instances where the sororities all KNEW a certain girl would suicide one group, so either a) everyone but that group cut her, or b) everyone INCLUDING that group cut her, because that group knew they could pick her up at COB.

The rules kind of change when every group on campus is consistently below quota. Luckily that's different now at VCU, but when I was there, it was a problem.

I think turning down a COB bid implies that it's not as good a bid as a formal rush bid is. That's simply not true (you sisters know that; the potential new members might not.) It's exactly the same. And to tell you the truth, I couldn't tell you which sisters in my chapter were COBd and which came in through formal rush. Nobody remembers; we're just glad we've got everybody.

Thanks for the explanation. I have been thoroughly schooled. :)

too much info?

No not at all. I just meant that I thoroughly understand COB and another aspect of rush for NPC orgs.

Oh...hmm ok, I guess maybe it's a panhel rule then here or something? Who knows really. Last year was our first time ever doing formal rush and we gave out 5 COB bids after bid day and one of them was to a girl who we had dropped during rush and we just didn't realize it. We definately got chewed out for doing that. Luckily the girl dropped before initiation b/c she was a weirdo anyway, but we're careful not to make that mistake anymore! :eek:

Kiki -- at certain schools, generally the Big Greek ones, they follow the unofficial "Cut once, cut always" rule. I think the idea is that if one of your sisters saw something in a girl that made her not want them, you should trust their judgment that she shouldn't be in the house. But especially in bigger, more competitive Greek systems, this rule can backfire -- because there are so many girls who get cut simply for the fact that there are too many great girls going through, or they didn't speak up enough during one party.

Still, it surprises me that your rule is apparently official -- at most schools where it's followed, it's just a guideline and not on the rule books.

I would double-check to see if it is in writing or if it is an "urban" legend. I agree what sometimes you get wonderful sisters through the COB process...whether they went to formal rec. or not.

BTW, I had completely forgotten until last night when a chapter sister reminded me that in the 70's at WGa, the term was "wildcatting". Since the Greek system was only 2.5 years old when I pledged, I have no idea how they came up with that term!!;) :D

Re: Acceting a bid through COB AFTER that group cut you
 

Question - are there girls that joined through COB in your chapter? If so, did you ever view them or treat them any different than if they had joined through formal? Most people on GC will answer with a resounding, "Yes, no, no." It seems to me that people are in general too concerned with status in nearly every area of life. Joining through formal makes you the top of the food chain and all that.
I didn't take it personally when I was cut, and I think that generally you SHOULDN'T. I would however take it personally that I was offered a bid during COB when not all of the superficial factors of formal rush come into play.