Relative recruiting strength is an actual number assigned to each chapter for use in RFM. I believe its exact calculation is proprietary, but it is based on the number of invitations accepted in previous years, number of PNM's listing the chapter first on their card, etc.

But yes, the rest of it pretty much says the advisors can make whatever call they want.

The Manual of Information was updated in 2010 and 2011.

Not all chapters at USC made quota this year. It was a varying number. I don't know why. My best guess is because they didn't know how many girls would drop after pref, but I really have no clue.

Some chapters took more than the upper end of quota + the four "free" juniors. The only reason I can think of for this is that they were under total before formal?

Or else there were quota additions.

So can anyone share what quota was and how many pledges each chapter took? Also, any word on how informa; recruitment is going for the two chapters involved and when they offer bids? I have heard that quota was 45-50...

More on Univ. of Southern California
 

USC is a private research university located in Los Angeles, just three miles from the downtown civic center. The campus is noted for the many fountains and courtyards with landscaped green spaces shaded by tropical flowering trees, Moreton Figs and eucalyptus. Roses and flower beds dot the pathways.

SC has more international students than any other private university in the U.S. The student body is extremely diverse and over 1,300 high schools were represented in the 2010 entering class from over 100 countries. Many students come from abroad to enroll in the top notch art schools: School of Theatre, School of Architecture, Thornton School of Music and the School of Cinematic Arts.

Pledge classes, in my opinion, are diverse. The question was asked about quota. For some time all the chapters made quota with the exception of one chapter which was near quota. In 2007 a new chapter was added and there are now ten NPC chapters.

It is my understanding quota was 48 for this August. Tri Delta took 50. I looked up quotas for the past four years when pnm numbers were higher. This is just an example how quotas have changed in the last four years: 2008 Q 60-- 2009 Q 51--2010 Q 66 --2011 Q 48.

I have heard the weirdest numbers this year. Tri-Delt 50 and ADPi 64 (ADPi from their national Facebook group), and then an unconfirmed Gamma Phi at 68, with the quota anywhere from 46-48 and at least one group (I know which, just not saying) that didn't make quota, not to mention a couple national groups that seem to have posted the pledge class numbers from every school but USC.

These numbers literally make no sense to me. Tri-Delt's number makes sense if quota was around there, but if the ADPi (nationally verified) and Gamma Phi (not verified) numbers are correct that's not only absurdly high above quota, but also a huge discrepancy between those groups (and those three sororities are almost always around the same size, it's not that Tri Delt is exponentially bigger/smaller than the other two). If anybody knows why these numbers are so ridiculous this year, or they know of numbers from other pledge classes that would help illuminate this situation, I'd be interested to know.

I'd like to know as well, because what I'm hearing (not to mention suspecting) just doesn't make any sense for a school that is pretty consistent in terms of #s and chapters and how they recruit.

DTD alum,
This year there was much more of a range of new member classes. These are the numbers for Tri Delta for the last four years according to my records.

2008 Q 60 DDD 64

2009 Q 51 DDD 62

2010 Q 66 DDD 68 That year there was a record number of pnms.

2011 Q 48 DDD 50

As far as I know Tri Delta is at or above total. I have not spoken to our alumnae advisor this month, so I do not know why there was a range of numbers for chapters. Last year Tri Delta at SC was on the honor list for recruitment from national headquarters. Sorority chapters at SC are long established and many of them consistently receive national recognition from their respective organizations.

Perhaps DukeDG or AZTheta could find out numbers for their chapters.

Any chance of getting the bid list?

Bid List
 

Belle,
As far as I recall Panhellenic has never released a bid list at SC.

Football Fan,
Although the huge drop in numbers is shocking, I could buy that. Just from what I know about Panhellenic recruitment, what I'm really confused if all the numbers are correct that Tri Delt would have 50 and ADPi 64. Without getting too much into "tiers", neither is a chapter that struggles getting quota, and neither has been much larger than the other in the past 6-7 years. So the reason I'm curious about other numbers is to see what exactly went down this year.

Also worth mentioning that I know in 2007 that at least four chapters had 69 PNMs, but I have no idea what quota was. That year most chapters were within 3-4 PNMs of each other. This year it's 14? Just really, really abnormal.

Could ADPi's nationals have made a mistake and they really had 54? Still doesn't explain the unofficial 68 number I got for Gamma Phi but makes a little bit more sense...

I'm going to take a wild guess that quota was set at the low range (to enable the most chapters to reach quota), then a few chapters received a lot of quota additions just due to the number of women ranking them on their bid cards. Now that there isn't a cap on the number of quota additions a chapter can receive, college panhellenics have no reason to NOT place every woman who maximizes her options. This isn't the first campus where we've seen this this year (I think it was Auburn and Alabama that had a lot of variation in pledge class sizes?).

DG pledged 60, but I don't know the official quota.

I'm going to say something that I'm sure some of you won't like, but what is the point of setting quota so low? Yes, chapters can go back to their (inter)nationals and say they achieved quota, but with such size disparities in the pledge classes it almost negates the entire purpose of quota in the first place! :(