I'm guessing the projected quota is so the groups can order bid day favors, t-shirts, catering and such. Considering their #s keep going up, if they went by last year's #s some new girls would go topless! :p

You know, I have to say, I do not think I've ever fully appreciated what an endurance test pulling off a competitive, Southern rush must be like for all parties involved until now. Maybe it's because I've never been around on GC for the beginning of the year, but dang...my heart goes out to those girls, both PNMs and actives. And those numbers sound like some kind of logistical nightmare. In all seriousness, how much sleep do actives get during this whole process with these kinds of numbers involved?

That's exactly it, to make sure the Chapters have a ball park figure for planning purposes and make sure everyone has enough of everything: t-shirts, gifts, name tags, food, etc. If you haven't ordered/bought enough stuff already this gives you time to fix that. Quota won't be set until after Pref/Serious Night.

That just brought back memories of Bid Day for me! I remember getting our Bid Day t-shirts and thinking to myself that I was probably a loser for wanting to wear my t-shirt the next day...but then all the actives encouraged us all to wear the shirts around campus and that they would be wearing them too! Sure enough, the next day the campus was dotted with girls in t-shirts of bright colors and you could tell who was in what group by the color shirt they had on...even though I didn't have class that day! I just wore my shirt to go pick up my football tickets from Stegeman Coliseum. Ah, memories.

Update for UA rush/recruitment (whatever):

Over 1400 women registered.

Convocation is tomorrow night at 7:00.

Weather for the week:

Monday - High 103, 48%humidity

Tuesday - High 105 45%humidity

Wednesday - High 105 44%humidity

Thursday - High 105 53%humidity

Friday - High 97 61%humidity

Saturday - High 99 57%humidity

The heat index is supposed to reach its peak on Tuesday and feel like its around 108 until Friday.

And of course...Sunny everyday!

Parties are between 10-6 everyday with a two hour lunch break. Not all the days are that long but all of them are in that time frame.

i'm sure all the cold drinks will help once they arrive.....






btw, my first post was an attempt to be funny......as is this one

A friend just moved her daughter into the dorm at Bama. Said 3000 girls signed up for recruitment. Is this true?!?

:rolleyes:

SO funny!!! Check an earlier post in this thread (it's on the page before this one). I believe it's more like 1,450, or a little more.

Any word on the heat in Ttown?
Final number of PNM? Or was the 1400+ number the final?

Thanks!

I didn't see this thread before and created a new one - my daughter is going through recruitment but isn't doing a very good job of keeping me informed - I'm stressing!

for BamaMAMA
 

Hi BamaMama,

I was in a sorority at a smaller school about ten years ago and also served as a Rho Chi. My first cousin rushed at Bama two years ago. I should have taken the week off we were all so nervous for her. She actually didn't have a real good GPA and didn't know many active at all. So we were really anxious for her. She did secure recs to all houses and was a legacy to two houses. But, she ended up pledging something different (and in my opinion one of the best houses on campus).

Having said that, tonight the sororities will probably do grade cuts for the most part. They can at least get their numbers down this way. Some sororities have strict grade requirements, others are real flexbile (thank goodness). Anyway, I believe she'll get her list early in the morning. She might have a full schedule, she might not. Don't stress.

Believe it or not my faith in UA's rush system was renewed after my cousin had not only a bid to an incredible house, but a wonderful rush. She knew what she was up against, we coached her some but she did it! She has a great personality, told the houses she liked she liked them, etc.

If she will keep an open mind, she should do fine. Also, there were not many "bad ones" my cousin encountered. She truly would have been happy in most of them which speaks a lot for the girls.

Hope this helps. I'll be happy to answer whatever you need me to. Keep us posted!

PNM Stressing!
 

My daughter called twice today. She was very disappointed that she had only received 6 invites back - 3 were to her top three, two were from "elite" sororities I can't imagine her joining, and one was from a sorority she simply has no interest in. She just finished a visit at her #1 choice - she felt very at ease and at home during her first visit, but today the member she was paired with was "awkward", making no attempt at conversation or getting to know her. My daughter feels she may be cut from her #1 choice now, and is already heartbroken and stressed even though she is still very interested in two other sororities, and she hasn't been cut yet! Any words of wisdom? Can one person influence cuts so much? (I didn't rush, so I'm new to all this). HELP!

perhaps your daughters hostess is a sophomore and is rushing on the sorority side for the first time-she may be on the shy side,she could also not be feeling well, her shoes could be pinching her feet, she had a fight with her boyfriend last night, etc. there are many, many reasons why this young woman wasn't a perfect hostess, but we will never know why.

honestly, it depends on the voting process of that particular chapter of that particular sorority.hopefully your daughter was introduced to other members of this sorority today-and met different ones yesterday. the more members one meets, the more opinions to share about a pnm. just because someone has a lackluster hostess, doesn't necessarily mean bad news. even though she had a bad rusher, she continues to like that sorority best-maybe the majority of the sorority will feel the same about her.

if it happens that she is not invited back to that one, i hope that she stays in and accepts the invitations she receives. it would just be so easy if when a pnm is not invited back, they became angry instead of sad, and it spurred them on to join another sorority and help make it the best it can be.

fingers crossed that your daughter gets invitations from the ones she likes best!

Thanks - that makes me feel a little better! At this point, I need all the help I can get!

BamaMama - Best of luck to your daughter! :) I went to the University of Alabama and there are so many good houses on campus - you should encourage your daughter to keep an open mind!!! I can't wait to hear how everything turns out.

A young lady I wrote a rec for at Alabama is having an awesome recruitment :) I'll let ya'll know where she pledges! She's loving every moment of her recruitment experience!

great houses
 

I second what MVisKD about so many great houses on campus. My cousin that rushed seems to be a pretty good judge of character and could barely come up with anything bad to say about any of them except purely based on numbers..."they're real small" etc. etc.

Of course some are more well known due to the amount of alumni in the area but I was so surprised at how most chapters are real strong there as opposed to some other large schools with 3-4 good ones and the rest are considered average....

Several girls that are friends of my daughter are rushing this year at the Capstone and I have heard great things from all of them. Of course the heat is a factor, but they all seem to be holding up well. Remember, they are younger than most of us...haha!
One of the girls, I will call her Abby, received 14 invitations back for Philanthropy round and has nothing but great things to say about each of the houses. The second girl, whom I will call Elizabeth, received 13 invitations back and is having a great time as well. Thirdly, I will call this girl Anna, received 9 invitations back for Philathropy. There are 2 or 3 other girls that are rushing, but I haven't heard from them. I will post any news if I hear anything!
All of them are upbeat and thrilled with the houses they are returning to. Each of the girls has a rec to all of the sororities and one of the girls is a legacy to two different houses.
I will continue to keep you posted further if you wish!
Good Luck to all PNM's and their families!!!
Roll Tide!

glad to hear that your daughters friends are happy with their choices and are having a good experience. good luck to them all.

Quota
 

Has anyone heard what quota is supposed to be?

I haven't heard many updates from the PNMs but hope to tonight or tomorrow as Serious Night approaches!

upperclass recruitmentat alabama
 

what information can you give about upperclassman recruitment for all sororities at alabama?
i hear there is a separate quota?
is that good or bad for the girls involved as upperclassmen?

My last year there was the first year they did this...That year we were able to pledge 3 upperclassmen in addition to our freshman quota. I think it is GREAT for for older girls involved!

It's great because previously, they pretty much just didn't get bids.

Man! I am just finding out about all sorts of people from my past during this recruitment season.

Apparently a girl I went to HS with is currently an ADPi at Bama!

Good luck to all the girls out there, looking forward to the bid-day results.

Ugh
 

How many PNMs have been totally dropped for one reason or another - either no invites back or decided not to go through with it? My daughter is still holding up well, although I am not. She was finally dropped by the two more "elite/Old Row" sororities that I couldn't imagine her pledging, and by her second choice house. :( That leaves her with invites to Skit Day at her first choice, third choice, and one she previously expressed little interest in. She really thought she was doing well at Choice #2, and was surprised to be dropped. If she is invited back to all three for tomorrow, should she list all three on her bid card and hope for the best, risking disappointment if she is matched with #3, or only list 1 and 2, still hoping for the best? I am no help here.

If she would rather stab her eye out with a fork and burst into flames than be in number 3, she shouldn't list them.

But tell her to give them one more chance tomorrow before she makes that decision. It could be third choice or not being Greek at all (although I hope that's not the case).

There are girls on here who haven't liked a group at all through rush, and then got to Pref and, if not fell in love with them, decided there was more to them than they thought. Only she can decide.

Yup. She should at least take a closer look at #3. She could have been discounting them all along in favor of other groups. She now has to consider her choices at present.

Tomorrow....
 

Does anyone know what time the PNMs find out who they were invited back to for serious night tomorrow?? Any word on how it's going? I still have not heard a peep.

Almost finished at Bama...
 

Hey Everyone,

My daughter Kristen (DZ at the University of Alabama) is going through recruitment from the other side of the sorority house door for the first time. She is exhausted from the many days of preparation preceding recruitment and the toil of hosting 1,400 plus girls in record high temperatures. It has been fascinating to hear the stories accompanying recruitment. Without violating any DZ secrets, protocol, etc., she has generically told me tales about vomiting PNMs, her "rush crush", frozen air conditioners, voting on PNMs until 5:00 AM, and other equally notable items. Let me also say it is much easier being Sorority Dad versus PNM Dad! All the GreekChat folks are once more providing tons of support to the nail-biters frequenting the forum. Great job, Ladies and Gents! You were in my corner last year and I thank you again. Kristen has enjoyed her experience with DZ passionately, to say the least. Good luck to all the Bama PNMs and their supportive parents!

David (BamaDad DZ)

HI BamaDadDZ!!! I was wondering if we would hear from you!!!

Vomiting pnms? Wasn't there a story somewhere about a very pregnant pnm at Alabama not too many years ago? Or did I dream that...?????

My Ole Miss daughter is finishing up her first ever "rush workshop" and she is exhausted. Rush will kill her........and they do it with classes going on!

MVisKD,
A friend from church has a daughter who is a pnm at Alabama. She is a southern girl and had all references in early in the summer. The last I heard she had only experienced one cut. Imagine! As of yesterday she had three favorites in mind. I have no idea what happened this morning.
I believe bids are given at 5:00 Sunday.

Dear friends, fans and curious onlookers,

I apologize for not being able to provide all of you with regular updates. Normally my Hubby is able to arrange his work schedule so that nothing major is going on while I'm helping with Recruitment. That simply wasn't possible this year and it has been a real challenge juggling our schedules with kids, work and sorority. Any free minute I've had I tried to grab a nap. Sorry folks, sleep trumps online chatting. :D

I'm happy to say for the first time in years of advising this may be the first time I don't wind up sick as a dog the week following Recruitment. THANK GOODNESS FOR HAVING MORE ADVISORS ON BOARD!!!!! ***Warning -- sales pitch time -- if you are an alum, have some free time and have a Chapter nearby, please, please, please volunteer to help them!!! Especially during Recruitment!!! Parents, you are welcome too! There is no such thing as too much help. Especially during Recruitment!!! Now back to your regularly scheduled post :)***

Serious/Pref Night is finished, the PNM's have signed their Pref cards and the lists were due to Panhellenic by midnight. I'm home and my family is all asleep. Now I have time to offer a brief run down of the week.

Believe me it has been hot, hot, hot ... gawd awful, horrendously hot! Every day it's hit triple digits. Every Chapter's air conditioner was stretched to the max trying to keep up. PNM's and actives were struggling. It wasn't fun. I felt truly sorry for the PNM's, Rho Chi's and J-Board members walking from house to house and waiting outside until the next party started. It was miserable! Frankly I'm shocked there weren't more incidents of women passing out from the heat.

The final number of PNM's signed up to participate was 1410. There were several women who didn't even show up for Convocation. I haven't had the time to find out how many of those women completely withdrew and how many may have had a scheduling conflict yet still participated. Those numbers aren't available as yet. Did I mention it was hot?

Open House round was Monday & Tuesday. Surprisingly a few PNM's voluntarily withdrew between day 1 & day 2. I guess they decided sorority life wasn't for them. The same thing happened between the 2 days of Philanthropy. I find that really strange. Why not wait until at least the end of a round? Who knows, you may click with that women at that very last Chapter you visit? Oh well. Today was Serious/Pref Night. As of 5 minutes ago (11:55pm) there were still 1119 active recruits. That means 366 have either withdrawn voluntarily (the vast majority) or were cut. That's just shy of 26%. As I said in an earlier post, last year 78% of all women enrolled in formal Recruitment received bids per the stats posted by the UA Panhellenic (sorry, I don't have that link at the moment but it was in an earlier post). Obviously we don't know how many may get snap bids. It's certainly looking like we'll be in the same ballpark as last year, though it may be a bit lower. We'll know more tomorrow when the bids are extended.

Ok folks, that's all I know and now I'm heading off to bed. I'll post another update tomorrow when I can. I wish everyone the very best of luck! May all the PNM's get their first choice and the Chapters fill their top bid lists!

Oh and BTW -- it's been MISERABLY HOT in Bama!

You didn't dream that! It happened and I saw her! This PNM had to be at least 7 months pregnant if not further along. I felt so bad for her being on her feet during the parties, walking from house to house in the heat. I remember we offered her a chair to sit down and she declined.

I knew I saw that somewhere! Do you remember what year it was? My daughter pledged in 2001--she doesn't know anything about it but I remember thinking that it must have happened while she was there.

Sheesh...what was that kid thinking?

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee to yesterday! That is all I have to say. :p

I just heard that Quota was finally set at 73 Freshmen and 7 Upperclassmen. No word yet on how many Chapters made Quota.

From what you've described, sounds like some of them may have bailed out of sheer exhaustion from the heat. If you're on the fence about joining a sorority anyway, going through that torture would make it easy to get off the fence onto the GDI side. It just wouldn't be worth it unless you were pretty certain you'd find great rewards at the end.
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