Quota is simply calculated by the number of women invited to prefs divided by the number of groups on campus. Unfortunately, it doesn't take into account how many women are pref'ing each group. If a lot of women only have one group, and that group fills prior to their name being called, they will not get a bid. Dividing it up this way seems like it would account for everyone, but it can't. Remember, these groups are often competing for the same women. It's a shame your campus doesn't do quota additions, but it's likely that they don't want to raise campus total. Sounds like you could use another group on campus. You might ask if they are open for expansion. The Greek Life office would know this.

With the new release figure method, a quota range is calculated. They can actually run the numbers using different figures for quota to find which places the maximum number of women...and that is the goal.

I stand corrected. I didn't know that about the new release figures. I wonder if her campus uses them?

cross-cutting myth
 

It depends on what you think "cross-cutting" is. It is possible to:
1. Be released from all chapters on your campus before preference.
2. Not match due to suiciding.
3. Not match if you were low on all chapters' bid lists and your school does not guarantee a match for women who maximize their options through quota additions.

It is NOT possible for the outcome of matching or not matching to depend on the order of your listed chapters (assuming maximized options). For example:

Say a PNM lists Alpha first, Beta second, and Gamma third. She is very low on Alpha and Betas' lists but high on Gamma's list. The "cross-cutting myth" is that she won't be matched because of the order in which she listed her chapters. In this case, the PNM would match to Gamma regardless of whether she listed them first, second or third. When I say the PNM is "very low" on Alpha and Beta's lists, I mean that they fill quota before getting to her name on the list.

I think it's more of a balance between placing women and chapters making quota. Theoretically, a campus Panhellenic could place all of the women if they made quota very high, because everyone would just get their first choice. But not all chapters would make quota. If quota were very low, then all chapters could make quota, but there would be a lot of unmatched women. I think a campus Panhellenic takes both into consideration.

I completely agree. This may have happened in the era of hand matching when people made mistakes, but now the computer programs are fairly simple and don't make that kind of mistake. It's not hard to go back and shift the bids for Gamma to move PNM1 into their NM class if she is higher on the list than PNM2 regardless of where Gamma is on her list (if, of course, her higher prefs fill first!)

This is what I was referring to. An active I know said a girl went bidless due to cross-cutting, and she was referring to that term in the same way you created your example. I was pretty sure it was a myth as described!

All the chapters at my school had the same amount of girls pledge, so I don't know if they adhered to the quota range.

Thanks to everyone for explaining, I appreciate it!

Hi I have a question and I am hoping someone can help. I rushed this week. Went to seven sororities the first day. Then ranked my top five and my two alternates. I went the second day and received all of my top five and had great conversations and was told I was ranked straight 10's by one sorority by each girl who met me. Then the third day before rush I get a phone call telling me that I did not get a bid from one sorority including my two alternates. Is that possible? I feel like their must be an error.

Yes, it is possible. This assumes that I understand your post correctly as follows.

You did not receive any invitations past the second day of parties, correct? You did not attend preference round at any chapters, correct?

Yes It is that I did not receive an invite to any of my top three choices nor my two alternates on the third day. When the second day I received all five of my choices.

The girl who told me I received all 10's on a scale from 0-10 was in the sorority and spoke to each member separately and they assured her that is what they ranked me. I just don't understand how I could not match up with one of the them.

I understand what you are saying. But this girl had no reason to lie to me. So it does happen that you can be cut from all your choices? I talked to my rho gamma and she thinks it is weird and she is completely shocked that it happened to. I am not trying to sound cocky or anything but I did have great conversations with all the girls and I am just wondering if this is something I should look into to appealing?

Generally speaking, if there TRULY is a technical error with bids, chapters try to rectify it as soon as possible (e.g. if ABC knows for certain that Julie matched with them and somehow, Julie gets told that she was cut, chances are good that ABC will contact Julie ASAP and let her know of the mistake and get her bid to her.)

To my knowledge, you cannot "appeal" a lack of invites.

And yes, it does happen that women can be cut from all choices. I don't believe it's something that happens a whole lot, but it does happen.