Good luck to traveldaughter! She is very fortunate that she had 11 invitations.

Thanks for sharing. So to clarify, did she not get invited back to any of the 3 for which she was missing recs?

No, she did not get invited back to any house where she did not have a rec. I don't know that that is always the case, but it was for her.

My daughter is also going through recruitment this week so I know what travelmom is going through (and am sending Good Luck to traveldaughter!)

My daughter did not have rec's for 7 houses (no alumnae chapter in our area either). She was invited to Philanthropy Day parties by all the houses she had recs for PLUS one she did not get a rec for. I can only assume the chapter found a rec for her. Miracles can happen!

We've just had lots of discussion here about how important the recs are. We get lots of people who say "I know a girl who went to Bama/Auburn/Texas/South Carolina and didn't have any recs and had a perfect rush!" but we are kind of shy on actual data.

There are of course a lot of reasons why a girl can be cut from a chapter during rush, especially the early rounds, so we can't say with certainty that she was cut due to lack of recs, but it's at least a start for understanding the process. My guess is the girls in question here just didn't make it high enough on the list because not enough information was ascertained in the ridiculously short period of time at the first round party. That may sound better (she wasn't cut; she just didn't make it high enough on the flex list), but it feels exactly the same to the girl looking at blank spots on her schedule.

Hopefully the worst is behind them now :)

Hearing third-hand, OOS girl invited back to 7 after 1st round. Asked if she had recs for all the houses and friend of a friend of a friend said "yes, she got what she needed". That could mean anything because said friend knows even less than I do about recruitment.

My last minute pnm got invited back to 7 and is very happy :-)

PNM #1 Had recs for 14 of 16, invited back to 9 (all 9 were groups with recs)
PNM #2. Had recs for 10 of 16, (decided to rush in June), invited back to 10 (9 were groups she had recs for)

So far a great experience for these OOS PNMs but I feel like I'm more nervous and invested than their non Greek mothers.

I tried to prepare them for cuts and the cuts pretty much fell right where we expected so they are both so excited and moving forward.

My PNM had 2 recs for each group. She was invited back to 12 groups, all of them on her top list. She is very happy right now! Fingers crossed this happiness continues throughout the entire process!

New here...OOS PNM daughter going through recruitment as I type. So far, so good. She had recs (2 each except for 2 with only 1) for all houses. Invited back to 11 and was very pleased. She was very sad for the girls in her group who only received 1-2 invites after the first round. So far, she sounds a bit tired but seems to have lots of positive things to say about the parties she has attended.

Any tips for moms attending Bid Day? I'm assuming she'll be able to send me a quick text letting me know where to go if she gets a bid? If she doesn't receive a bid, we're headed to a spa for some pampering for the weekend...or maybe the beach...something to get her mind set in another direction.

Just be at the appointed house and have fun. You'll know early if she doesn't get one as they let her know before everyone goes to Bryant-Denney.

Good luck to all of you moms. My daughter just finished and pledged at UGA and I was so fortunate to have the support of other posters. I can honestly say that she hung in there because of some of the things that I learned through GC.

Pace yourselves, Mommas. It gets a bit more harried as the week goes on and your girl needs you to be the one solidly positive voice that she always hears.

SewSheKnits--My daughter is on the other side of recruitment at Alabama this year, and attending bid day is a huge deal!!! We were fortunate that she had a full card during the week, and as she approached the final round her card held three, but one clear favorite. We headed to the lawn of that house on bid day, and anxiously waited for a text for where she ended up. After roar comes from Bryant Denny, your daughter can text and tell you where she will be. If necessary, you can move to a new location fairly quickly. The streets are crowded, but the houses are pretty close to one another. It is definitely a "Don't Miss" if you can make it as the house will welcome your daughter, and then provide lunch for you. Be aware though that many houses leave for new member retreat later in the day. We had a little bit of time with our daughter, but there were pictures and other craziness, too! It's an exciting time, and I still look back on those bid day family pictures with fondness!

Sending great thoughts & wishes to SewSheKnits as this is such an exciting time! Nothing else to say because everyone has given such stellar advice. Just enjoy Bid Day & take it all in because it really does fly by :)

Thanks so much for the advice and well-wishes! I wasn't sure I needed to be there and then finally decided I couldn't miss it. Flying in Friday night and don't expect a lot more than to give her a hug, take pictures, and send her on her way. For now, I've been more successful getting her to talk if I don't even mention rush. It sure is a looonnnggg week!