richi - you can't go to the best school in the midwest because I do, even though you beat the crap out of us in football every year. Just kidding, OSU is a great university. Congratulations to you on Tri Delt.

Actually, I know of a school that guarantees a bid to anyone who maximizes her options. If she is dropped by everyone before pref, the PNM is invited back to her top choices.

Wow that's something I've never heard before! So at that school if there is a PNM your house doesn't "mesh with" you have to cut them the first or second night or risk being forced to give them a bid?

Yeah, I know Tufts does that but I was trying not to derail.

I have been present at that bid matching and it was an experience to say the least!!! Also because it was by hand! we had a chapter that was under quota, a chapter that made quota plus a few, and a chapter that made quota plus a lot. I'm really sketchy on the process it was an emotionally draining week and I remember being thankful I didn't mess anything up. :) I started to explain it but it was too confusing but essentially, after you've matched all the chapter's bid lists with pnms - any remaining who did not match (there were three chapters and pnms could go to three pref parties, but a lot of pnms only put down 2 out of 3 sororities on their pref cards because they didn't want to be in the 3rd chapter) got placed with their first choice.

The story was that years prior a parent of a pnm who had been cut from recruitment, called and raised a such a ruckus (or threats) that they put it into their policy that all pnms get a bid.

I have a friend who went to Kansas State who said they do the same thing - as long as the women do everything right I.E. not suicide. At Tufts even women who suicide get their first choice after the fact.

I'm so happy to see AOII in your final three!!

Thank you for your story, and you are right it's important for people to read it. I think your attitude of not just finding a sorority to be in a sorority but to find a place you belong is fantastic!

The women of Tri Delta will always have a special place in my heart because when I was a senior in high school I went to with a friend to visit her sister in college. She is a Tri Delt and we stayed in their chapter house, and these women made me realize that loyalty and friendship is central to being a part of a sorority - they talked to me about going through recruitment and even though I didn't become a Tri Delt or go to that school, I never forgot their hospitality or their genuine character.

Congratulations to you and DELTA DELTA DELTA

^^^So wait, someone might have listed 2 or 3 chapters and got their second or third choice in initial matching. But after all that is said and done, anyone who didn't match automatically gets their FIRST choice??? How do the chapters (and other rushees who get their 2nd or 3rd choice) not raise holy hell about that? What keeps everyone from just suiciding the "best" house?


ETA: This is for the post 2 above! :)

I'm not going to totally bash it all in public, but let's just say they have since actually hired a staff member to oversee Greek Life, whereas there wasn't someone then. And I was not matching a lot of women that night so you could imagine my frustration (in hindsight it was probably the best since you wouldn't want a ton of disgruntled women showing up (or not showing up) on bid day and then depledging later). But it was widely known how to play the game.

The theory was 'the less the parents called the better' so that was the way it worked. Now that they have someone who is working with Greek Life directly, the policies may have changed a little.

Feel free to PM me.

If everyone is guaranteed a bid, there doesn't seem to be much of a point to have mutual selection... it's not really mutual at all :confused:

Oh, I don't want to put you in a bad position and I really didn't mean to hijack the thread with this, I was just so taken aback when I read your post. I've never, ever heard of something like that. I would criticize "the system" for bowing to "the parents", but I assume that those in the greek system must somehow be at least a little complicit in the situation otherwise they'd take a stand against their parents (instead of soliciting them to fight on their behalf). I don't understand how real sisterhood can flourish under those conditions, though...

IlliniMeg, I'm thinking that you were involved with Tufts before I was. It's now done by a computer program (can't remember which one). If there are any issues about PNMs not matching up, it is figured out before those at bid matching see anything. Also, I don't recall anything about parents being involved at all. If there were calls or anything, it didn't make it back to us. I'd like to agree that things get screwy without a GA. They didn't replace the one that left in time for last year, and things were a HUGE mess. I was appalled. I am no longer up there, but I am in close contact with advisers from my chapter, and I haven't heard any horror stories from this year's recruitment. Hopefully they've fixed those problems.

To the OP, sorry to hijack!

Thanks for the info! I was there in 2001 and there wasn't even a person who was solely focused on Greek Life - I was pleased to hear that they had made that step. That's great that they've moved from hand bid matching to the computer!

Yay!
 

Congratulations!! I just love a story with a Tri-Delt ending:) Plus Anna Sui makes great perfume. Enjoy your new member period and delta <3!