While what you describe used to be the case, it is not under the RFM. If she ranks both ABC & XYZ and ABC fills to Quota before they reach her on their bid list she will match to XYZ if she is high enough on their list. If she is not then she will be placed as a quota addition. Where she matches as a quota addition depends on three things: (1) who she ranked first; (2) the relative recruiting strength of ABC & XYZ and (3) where she is on ABC & XYZ's bid lists. The goal of the RFM is to level the playing field, so you will not see the "big chapters" taking all of the quota additions. Actually, the situations where we see extreme quota additions are usually campuses where a chapter that has traditionally struggled in formal recruitment really excels under the RFM and exactly the opposite happens.

33Girl,

I guess you're right, but the thing about your example is that the PNM really doesn't have a shot at the one she wants anyway. If she's sure, she should suicide because she won't get them as an addition. And if the other group usually goes through almost their whole bid list to match to quota, she'll probably match to them anyway in regular big matching, never even getting to QA.

For a girl who is interested in joining a group and is willing to give all the groups a try, then quota additions and guaranteed matching are great things but they don't guarantee a bid at your top choice or the big certainly would get bigger.

It does seem that quota additions could really help some girls who used to "mismatch." Let's say a girl prefs three middle groups all of whom she'd happily take a bid from. In the olden days, her ranking the groups differently than where she was on their bid lists really could have affected her outcome IF all groups matched to quota before going all the way through their lists. Now with quota additions, this girl would still get matched to a group that she wanted and that wanted her. (Right? It's the historic example that I'm not sure of. I'm fascinated by bid matching, but I can never be sure I understand it.)

At so many competitive rushes, PNM have to decide at some point to go with the groups that want them or to drop. There's not much they can do to get picked up by their top choices.

I absolutely agree that someone getting a bid with a sub-2.0 GPA would be the exception, not the rule, and no PNM should ever count on that happening.

That said, while I was active, my chapter took a new member via COB, and she had a GPA lower than 2.0. (She was a second semester freshman when she pledged, so she only had 1 semester's GPA under her belt. Also, she did not initiate until that second semester's grades were in and brought her cumulative up substantially. But, she did pledge w/a sub 2.0 GPA.) However, she had 2 very close friends from HS in the house who really fought for her. She actually ended up being a good member, went on to graduate school, and has a fairly prestigious job these days. (I'll decline to say specifically what she does, for her privacy's sake.) She was very, very much the exception and not the rule though.

Yeah, I am not sure I understand the difference. If ASA told you to do this, and then ranked you low intentionally, you would not accept a bid, but if you did it of your own accord, and they ranked you low because they didn't think you were a good fit, you would accept a bid?

Sorry for the double-post, but a couple of comments:

1) A PNM should NOT list a chapter that they would not accept a bid from under any circumstances. Usually, if a PNM absolutely hate hate hates a chapter, it is because they are the small/weak chapter on campus. If you list them on your bid card, you will match there before you will be a QA to your favorite group. The only way to be a QA is if all the chapters you pref make quota.

2) Getting "cross-cut" is a bit of a myth. That is not exactly how bid matching works. You should put your first choice chapter first, rather than trying to guess where you are on some chapter's bid list.

3) Please remember that campus rules trump the Green Book, so do not take anything as the gospel because you saw it here. Go ask your Greek Life office.

I think I get what she's saying.

In the second scenario you listed, it may not be that they didn't think she was a good fit...they just don't know her well enough yet. If they invite her to a COB event to get to know her a little better, they might fall in love with her and realize that they almost missed out during formal recruitment.

In the first scenario, the group already feels like they know her (one would assume if you're going to go to the trouble of dirty rushing a PNM like that, you feel like you know her well enough)...even though they already feel like they know and like her, they just don't like her enough to rank her high on their list.

In one scenario, they don't realize what they're missing out on. In the other scenario, they're well aware that they could be taking the risk of losing her by not placing her on the 1st bid list, and they go ahead and take that risk anyhow.

Yeah - kinda that, and the fact that in the dirty rush scenario, that GLO would be sabotaging the rest of the PNMs rush, so she wouldn't even get a CHANCE to place with other houses. If they like a PNM enough that they would want her to ruin the rest of her rush experience, and her possible future as a Greek if they don't follow through and either QA or COB her, then she should be insulted that she wouldn't be high enough to make it on their first bid list. To me, it's all about intention. If you rush fairly, don't get a bid due to your favorite group hitting quota, but then are picked up in COB because they still have spots to fill to hit total, great. It's not so much that you get in NUMBER ONE on the bid list, but that you get in because you truly belong there and gave all the other houses a chance as well.

But, I'll freely admit that I don't come from a university where Greek life is the end-all-to-be-all and PNMs would sacrafice their first born to get in.

Even if the weak group DOES make quota before getting to her name, the PNM would probably get matched as a QA there, not to her top choice because preference is given to the chapter with the smallest size, not necessarily the PNM's preference.

Not all PNMs "hate, hate, hate" the small/weak chapter. I ranked one of the strongest chapters on campus last, because I did NOT like the girls. In fact, my second round ranking card was:

1. Large Chapter
2. Small Chapter
3. Large Chapter
4. Small Chapter
5. Large Chapter
6. Large Chapter
7. Medium Chapter

And my pref carf was:

1. Small Chapter
2. Large Chapter

Although, I guess we've already established that I'm not the norm when it comes to recruitment.;):p

I believe that someone already said local campus rules trump the Green Book. This is an area where that is the case. The two large universities in the state where I went to school do this differently. One goes by chapter size and one goes by PNM preference.

So in other words, ABC should be down to the bare bones at pref (i.e just the amount of girls to fill quota, or maybe a few over) and our example rushee should have been released way before pref?

Can you take someone you released before pref as a quota addition or do they have to have attended your pref?

And yes, hating a chapter has nothing to do with it being small or weak a lot of the time. It can have to do with things like the chapter having a rep for hazing.

Yes. The usual rule of thumb is for the chapters to invite quota times the number of pref parties (3x quota).

That is probably up to each chapter's internal membership selection procedures.

I actually went to a small state school with low standards for admission. (I followed my older sister there because they have the best nursing school in the state. My sister is a nurse, not me.) Anyway, grades were important in my chapter...but, the other three groups on campus regularly pledged lower grade candidates. I don't think PNMs should have the impression that it is easy, but I think telling people that they will not have a chance no matter where they rush is false. If you go to a school where the GPA of a chapter has to stand up to the non-greek average which is higher due to high admission standards, low GPAs are more of a big deal. Even with chapters accepting these low GPA girls, the all-sorority average was still significantly higher than the all-women average at my university. And, just because you haven't heard of something happening doesn't mean it doesn't! Your own personal experience may be limited because of the type of campus you were on. I know this is a big deal in many places, but exceptions are often made at campuses like mine.

And...as for this girl with the 1.9 GPA, I remember her specifically because she was hated by one of my pledge sisters. They apparently dated the same guy! Hard to forget someone you talked extensively about. Also, I know for sure what the grades were in my rho chi group. I did advise them during rush that they should not be surprised if they were cut (I knew my own chapter's rules) but imagine my surprise (and relief!) when most of them got bids!

The rule of thumb under the old quota total system was for chapters to have quota times the number of pref parties present for pref. Under the RFM it is much more complicated than that. Under the RFM specialists look at where the chapter has closed on their bid list over three years and their historical number of first choices at preference and then provide a buffer.

With respect to quota additions, the women do have to have attended preference at the chapter to be a quota addition to that chapter.