Well, at least that's better than 23 in one day. However, it will still be a very long day.

Well there we are!! 1600+!! Like Ole Miss Glitter said a few weeks back: WOWSERS!!

Wowsers is right!!!! That would put 70ish girls in each of the 23 groups. As a mom of one of the rushees (PNM's for new school-lol), it makes me a little nervous! How do they know enough about the girls to make those first cuts?:eek: I talked to my daughter today. She said it was great but she felt really rushed with each group. I guess that's where "rush" gets its name. Does each house already know the numbers they're going to have to cut for each different party?

The 1st day of the 1st round/Open House is completed and no the chapters have not been given the numbers of how many we can invite back to 2nd round/Philanthropy yet. That should come some time tomorrow.

The best thing about the whole day was the weather. Usually it's in the high 90's, with 100+ heat index, PNMs and actives passing out. Not today. We only had a high of around 84+/-. Who would have ever thought it would be mid 80's in August in Bama? I actually had members saying they were cold in the house from the A/C since we expected it to be sweltering once again. I haven't checked the forecast for the rest of the week. Wouldn't it be nice to have a cool(er) week? Won't get my hopes up but I can dream, can't I? :)

All in all things went smoothly as far as I'm concerned and as far as I've heard. Sure there was the first parties, first day, first round learning/remembering curve for everyone (PNMs, actives, Rho Chi's, etc.) It always takes a little time to get in the groove. *knocks on wood so as to not jinx anything*

ok, thanks! I was just wondering how that part worked. Back in the day, we didn't have specific numbers given to us. It almost doesn't seem fair to the girls or the sororities.....but I feel like panhellenic is doing their best for all involved to have good experiences. Does anyone know what the numbers are based on?

I'm not an expert on the math. The number of invitations a chapter can extend to the next round is determined by a calculation of the total number of women participating in Recruitment and a chapter's expected return rate (accepted invitations) based on their past history of return rates.

It's too complicated to explain here (at least for me), and I don't know if anyone will attempt to, but basically it's based upon return rates in the past.

Say XYZ usually has nearly 100% of women accept invitations to their second round party, over the course of the past five years.

Say ABC usually has around 50% of women regret invitations to their second round party, over the course of the past five years.

So XYZ is going to have to release a lot more women than ABC between the first and second round of parties. There is an "ideal" number that each chapter will have returning to its second round parties in order that its parties are neither too full or too empty.

That's a very rough explanation. The campus Panhellenic uses a computer formula to determine the exact numbers.

LOL: 3 of us posted explanations at the same time. :) What they said, too.

And if you really want to mess with someone's mind, try explaining Flex Lists. My Hubby, a mechanical engineer, just said "Huh?" :D

Thanks! That helps me to understand a little better. I'll just pray she stays close to the top of the list in each of the houses she really likes. Which were several btw...I don't know how she'll narow it down.

I know it's late...but what are "flex lists"?:confused:

I knew that was coming. :) In a nutshell, Flex Lists are a pre-approved portion of an invitation list. If a chapter ends up having a spectacular Recruitment and their Return Rates far exceed their expected past history averages, this list gives Panhellenic permission to not extend as many invitations as originally planned. If on the other hand a chapter has significantly lower than expected Return Rates, this is a list of PNMs that Panhellenic will go ahead and extend invitations to (more than the originally given number).

Hmmm...Sounds crazy! With RFM and flex lists, one might think it's bad to have a good rush???

it does seem that way, but in actuality, on campuses where RFM has been used for a while, the chapters with the highest return rates are still pledging quota(or quota plus) and the chapters who rarely made quota are making quota or are coming nearer to the magic number. it is strengthening panhellenic as a whole and allowing more girls the opportunity to receive a bid.

Like I said in another thread - it gets the girls' minds off of chapters where they might not have had a very good chance of receiving a bid and they can concentrate on groups where they DO have a chance.

I know that it's disappointing for some women to find out that the most popular group didn't want them, but better to find out the first day of rush than the day before pref.

This is how release figures were explained to me when my school first used the system in 2006. Sure there were some girls who were shocked and upset to be cut from the groups with the highest return rates on the first day of cuts, but in the end it was better for them and the system as a whole.

We had fewer girls dropping out that year than we did when the heaviest cuts were right before prefs (which stings alot more than being cut immediately does in my opinion).

I am a ZTA mom and an Alpha Phi Alumnae. My daughter was raised in an A-phi lodge because I was chapter advisor for a couple of years. She LOVES ZETA but because of my affiliation wishes for them to be successful at the U of A. She has asked me to do a rec for a sophomore who is not doing formal rush and is just learning of the colonizing. The house is on sorority row. It is on the corner accross from Tutwiler and the stadium. I was there a couple of weeks ago and they were doing repairs and painting. here is a link should you know of a good canidate.
www.Alphaphialabama.com

It looks like 75 degrees right now with some light rain. It's freakishly cool here in Maryland as well, not that I'm complaining.

Yea- last year at this time it was 106 degrees during rush- alll week long!

It's in the mid 70's with rain on and off all day. When it has rained, it's been a steady downpour. Great that it's not 100+ degrees, but bad for hair and makeup that it's humid and rainy.

I have heard from two alumnae today. Twenty girls didn't show up for convocation so they are obviously not counted. Quota is predicted to be around 77 plus about 7 upperclassmen. That will put many chapters at considerably over 200. I heard from a friend (won't mention house) whose chapter has 200 legacies going through. They are predicting that a large number will drop out to consider Alpha Phi. I'm a Zeta so I'm pulling for them to have a good rush of course.

Holy crap!:eek:

Zillini,
Does Alabama have the guaranteed bid if you maximize your options this year? I had heard that they were ranking this year at the end of each day instead of going on the computers in the morning.

*That is if you complete the process. I had heard that they were doing things differently this year than they had in the past few years.

BamaMom,

I'd like to know the same thing. In the past, the first cuts have been deep, but my niece said they are doing something different this year. She is supposed to call me after 2nd round of teas today...before voting. I hope all my special hometown girls do ok, although I have a feeling there might be some broken hearts.

My senitments exactly! Sound like that house will have many phone calls to answer.:eek:

I heard 500 cuts tonight.

That was the same figure I had heard. I know my niece's sorority was scoring them between parties yesterday because I got several texts from her asking about certain girls, then talked to her last night. I'll get the scoop on my chapter tonight or in the morning. I have a feeling the news on my girls will trickle in because of the party schedule. My own daughter is going through recruitment at another SEC school, so this week is a bit nerve racking for me, as you can imagine.

In talking to my daughter last night she said she would list her top 11 and rank her bottom 3 today after the parties. I agree that will help the girls to maximize their options. She also said they would attend 4 chapters for the day of pref. This should also help in placing more girls. With so many PNM's(1600+ to start), I'm glad they made some adjustments.

I can't believe there were that many legacies to just one house (200=ugh). My daughter is a legacy to a chapter there; I guess we know now why so many legacies get dropped. There's no room!

BAMA Recruitment
 

I feel like I am getting a good education on the BAMA recruitment process reading all of your posts. I probably should change my name from FreshmenDad to NervousDad, I honestly feel just like when my son tried out for the basketball team his freshmen year. I knew how much making that team meant to him but had know idea how it would turn out. Well everything turned out great for my son with the basketball team so I hope my daughter's experience with rush turns out just as good and that she ends up having an awesome four years with her new found sorority sisters. But waiting till Sunday to find out is very nerve racking although in talking to my daughter she seems to be at ease with the process. I guess the first hurdle will be tomorrow when she finds out if she has a full slate of 11 houses.

I've never heard of a 4 party pref before. Maybe the chapters hold 4 parties but the PNMs go to less (not sure if they do 2 or 3 in the past)?

FreshmanDad, I understand how you feel. My husband would leave a business meeting to call me to see if I had talked to our daughter. He was just as nervous as me. Remember, there are 14 chapters going through formal and then Alpha Phi and SDT after formal. The greek system at Alabama is fabulous and if she keeps an open mind she will find her home. Then the real fun begins!!

According to the What to Expect at the Alabama Panhellenic Association website (scroll down to Preference Party).

Preference Party - On this day, you will attend up to three 50 minute parties.

Yeah, that's what we thought too. The recruitment schedule in their packets said the same too. She said they made that announcement at the convocation on Sunday night. I'll try to text her and find out if I/she misunderstood. I hope I not.:confused:

Correction:
 

I misunderstood my daughter.:o She said only 3 pref choices for Saturday. Oops, sorry!

Honestly I'm not sure if Bama's Panhellenic offers a 100% guarantee anymore. They used to, but I haven't heard it talked about from anyone "offical" for a while. Now that I think about it probably not since we adopted the RFM. I will say Panhellenic tries place as many PNMs as possible who maximize their options and not doing so will disqualify a PNM as a potential quota addition.

As for the 4 Pref parties, PNMs will only be able to accept invitations to 3. The chapters have the option to have 4 parties in order to keep the party sizes smaller. Just like we added additional parties to earlier rounds due to the sheer number of PNMs participating, Panhellenic finally realized that Pref parties were getting huge too.

Finally as for 200 legacies to a specific chapter, yeah I can see that happening. We have more than projected quota worth of legacies. Try explaining that to mom, sister or grandma when their legacy gets dropped. They don't care.

any updates?

I do recall at Panahellenic weekend one of the officers commented that if a PNM exercised all of her options she was guaranteed a bid.