BeachMom, that's terrific! My cousin is very blessed to have been invited back to 11 houses as well! There are only 2 that she feels she doesn't connect the best with (although she did like the girls!), which she got invited back to. The lone organization that did not invite her back was, in her words, "in the middle of the pack." She was somewhat surprised, but doesn't consider it a huge blow. She is keeping an open mind, although there are 2-3 that she likes a cut above the rest. And, ah, yes, t-shirt day it is! I cannot tell you how excited she seems for it.

In other news, her roommate, who is her best friend from high school, got invited to 9 houses. From what my cousin told me, her friend doesn't seem to have any clear cut favorites, she likes all of the girls/houses she's met.

Hopefully I'll be hearing some good news later on!

we love good news!!! yay and good luck to the uga pnms.

I can't believe they have t-shirts for this round! Never thought that would happen at UGA...not that its a bad thing! I wonder why they chose this round to wear them? I think they would have been great for round 1; take a little pressure off the PNMs for the first parties.

Philanthropy/messy crafts round?

I agree. I remember dressing up everyday. I think it is an icebreaker. Cannot wait to see the pics from this round today. Wishing all the sororities and PNMs much luck. I remember how stressful it was on both ends of the stick. UGA has such a fantastic greek system that no matter where the PNMs get bids they will be part of a great greek family. Keep posting updates.

>>---Peace, Love, Pi Phi--->

I believe today is house tours. And unless something has changed, tomorrow is skit/video day and then Sunday is preference. No one really does crafts, usually because there are so many women. Again, the last time I participated in recruitment there was August 2005, so things could be different.

UGA does not do crafts. Today is house tours, Saturday-skits, Sunday-prefs. Bid day is Monday. From today onward it gets really intense so maybe they wanted to be a little laid back. I think it is a great idea this year.

I'm kind of glad they're not doing crafts - for one, because not all sororities have a craft-accessible philanthropy, but mostly because with nearly 1500 PMNs, that would release toxic levels of glitter into the atmosphere.

I'm so excited for the seventeen sororities - I can't wait to hear the bid day results!!!

lol-brave maroon!

BraveMaroon: ...that would release toxic levels of glitter into the atmosphere.

Laughing my butt off picturing a cloud of glitter hanging over Athens, GA!:)

They have pics posted of the PNMs in their tees. They all had to wear the same tshirt today. Spotted Online Athens is the site. They look more relaxed today.

But aren't they oddly plain t-shirts? Maybe they need to walk into that cloud of glitter or something, but couldn't they spring for 2 color printing at least?

When did they start doing the t-shirt round? Anyone know?

I think that a dressed-down day is a great idea because it really takes the pressure off the girls to wear the "perfect outfit."

T shirts started this year. Daughter's shirt was a v neck with the name of the sorority on it. The girls got shirts in one of two of the sorority colors. I think all the houses did the same but can't say for sure. Maybe the PNM shirts were in the color that was left over??

My cousin had a GREAT time today! She really got to know all the houses/girls better. Her 2-3 favorites still remain in tact and she's hoping that they do not cut her tomorrow. Those 2 houses that she didn't really see herself connecting fully with? Turns out that she had some really deep, meaningful conversations with the girls at both houses. They are still not in her top few, but she has now changed her mindset in that she would totally be content with pledging to either of them, if she is not fortunate to get any more invites. I could tell by talking on the phone with her for a few minutes, that she is very anxious/nervous for tomorrow.

Her friend's day went pretty well too, from what I hear!

Hopefully everything turns out well for them both!

I beginning to feel like a crack addict.....While my daughter had a fabulous day with 11 of 12 events to attend, she was very excited not to have received the middle of the night phone call (as she did last year) to let her know she was "released from recruitment". Her 6:45 a.m. text today told me her list includes 2 events. She is really bummed at the moment and VERY nervous that she could be released after this round. I've given her the Be Strong, Stay Strong talk, etc. and she'll be fine going through today. She's told me she's focusing on today only and not looking to the what ifs of being released. She thoroughly likes the houses for today but is sad to lose her favorite 2. Today is skit day so that means she can sit back a little more and take it all in and not be as focused on the short conversations that Rd 1 and 2 bring. As we heard at the Panhellenic family session, wonderful engaging conversations at a house can sometimes mean that you are still released from that house. It is such a numbers thing and that is unfortunate. That's a hard one to swallow for these girls.
From anyone's experience at UGA, can you shed some light on when/how quota will be determined. With close to 1500 girls participating (and quota at 62(?) last year), will the sororities want to become jumbo size? ....as if there aren't already!

Quota is determined on a variety of factors but is more or less the number of girls attending pref parties divided by the number of chapters. That's not EXACTLY it - they play with the numbers a bit to maximize the number of girls placed - but they don't set, as far as I've ever heard, a maximum amount they feel comfortable with. At Arkansas last year, quota was 100, and you can believe NOBODY was comfortable with that number.

A general rule of thumb you can use is the number of girls at each preference party will be pretty close to the number of girls in a pledge class. Or that's how it's worked in my experience. I can't say for certain it works the same with these whopper chapters.

Does anyone know how many invites the girls can receive for today? I have one young friend going through. She emailed that she went to eight houses yesterday so I am crossing my fingers for today. PS- Thanks for the links to the pictures. It brings back such memories even though I went through in the "olden days"!

This morning a pnm may receive up to six invitations. Tomorrow she may receive up to three invitations.

Round One – During the first two days of Recruitment you will visit each sorority for 20 minutes.

Round Two – These events are 20 minutes long and if invited you may attend up to 12.

Round Three – Events are 40 minutes in length... If invited, you may attend up to six events.

Preferential Round (Prefs) – Events are 50 minutes in length and if invited, you may attend up to three preferential events.

I have heard through the grape vine that quota will be around 75. I hear rush is going very well for all of the sororities. I hope they all make quota and that all the girls going through who have found that they definitely want to be a part of a sorority get a bid. In a perfect world of rush, this would happen.

Thanks! I could not remember for the life of me. And I had thought it was now three for prefs. Years ago it was only two. I am crossing my fingers for my friend. It is not as anxiety ridden as when my own daughters went through but I am nervous for her just the same.

This morning I heard one of the women I know who is at Georgia received six invitations for today. She is thrilled and grateful.

Good News and Bad News. The good news is that my cousin was not released and received 4 invitations. The bad news is that two of her three favorites did not invite her back, including her ultimate favorite. She is really dissapointed and baffled, considering that she built a really strong relationship with the girls there, and one of them personally told her that she hoped to see her tomorrow (today) and again on pref day. Ironically, the 2 houses that she did not feel she had the strongest bond with early on (which, in turn, invited her back yesterday and she became content with them) invited her back. Perhaps they (Cookie Dough and Strawberry) really see something in her and that relationship can be built even stronger. The 4th invite is on behalf of a house (Chocolate) that she really likes, although it was not one of her top 3. She's trying to keep an open mind, but is hoping that things go really well with her new favorite (which was one of her 3 favorite from after day 1). She is now down to: Chocolate, Vanilla (her new favorite which has been in the top 3 all along), Cookie Dough and Strawberry. In other news, her best friends (and roommate), who is keeping an open mind, and has really had no clear-cut favorites, has 3 invites. She has been invited back to: Mint Chocolate Chip, Black Rasberry and Chocolate (the very same as my cousin). It'd be real neat if they ended up in the same place, but my cousin said that it is not a factor what so ever.

Those girls may indeed have meant it when they said they wanted to see her there on pref, but they likely (membership decision processes are private) had to convince the rest of the chapter, and if there were other PNMs who had stronger, louder, more numerous cheerleaders, then that might mean your cousin didn't win a spot on the invite list. Pure speculation - we have NO idea what those houses' membership processes are - but the point is that her not receiving an invite back does not mean that those actives were not sincere about their desire to see your cousin back at pref.

Just tell her to be the best her she can be for the remainder of recruitment, and hopefully one of these houses (all of which are fabulous - I don't even need to know which houses they are to know that - it's UGA!) will be her new home.

That's very true. It's really unfortunate because my cousin is one of the sweetest girls you will ever meet. But she does have options! I'll post later tonight and tomorrow morning (hopefully with good news on behalf of her and her friend).

Extra party added to round 3. Long day for these women.

How can they add a party on the day of the event? Aren't the schedules already printed and out there? Or am I a day ahead of myself?

so many broken hearts today. my heart goes out to all the sisters and pnms.

Bad news so far? My cousin did not tell me when her day was going to end today when I texted her this morning. Is there a schedule on the uga website?

Following the #ugarecruitment hashtag on twitter is pretty interesting to say the least

What are they saying?

I didn't see anything particularly interesting on #ugarecruitment. Just happy active/pnms and one twitter user attempting to be funny/"sratty".

Pnms could go to 6 parties as usual, but each chapter had 7 parties this round, due to the high numbers of pnms.

PNMs who I spoke to were a little sad, but not heartbroken. However, they each told me of at least one friend or acquaintance who was released or dropped out. :( The post-round 2 cuts are the worst, I think.

https://twitter.com/#!/SnarkySorority thats interesting

Oh my.

I don't think she can really be a consultant and tweet like that, even if it is anon

My fave tonight.

I totally said that during recruitment when I went through! Seriously, it would be great :)