another quota question!
 

Hey everyone! I have a question about quota that hopefully hasn't been asked before. Also, sorry if everyday it seems I have more questions! This doesn't affect my recruitment but it would be some nice info to know. :)

A few nights ago, I was talking to a frat guy who has a girlfriend in XYZ sorority. He told me that 'I looked like XYZ' (Which I let go in one ear and out another :p) but that 'They have room for 30 girls but only want 22 according to girlfriend and her sisters'. Now, from everything I've read on here, quota is based on the number of girls in the preference round, correct? My recruitment is not for another 2 weeks, and no, I do not go to Indiana so their bed rush does not apply. I go to a large school with about 7-9% of the students involved in Greek Life.

My question is, could the frat brother be completely confused? What he said seemed a bit too specific to be a misunderstanding, but there's no way for me to know for sure. If he is not confused, than the sister of this sorority is obviously very confused, which kind of worries me about the Greek system at my school. (If anyone has read my other posts, you can see that I've had a lot of issues contacting/getting info from my Greek office) I'm not overly concerned with this particular sorority, as I'm keeping an open mind going into recruitment. However, I would assume that if XYZ sorority does quota this way then the other NPC sororities will as well.

Seeing as in he isn't in an NPC sorority he doesn't know exactly how it works.That's like me telling a Dr.how to stitch my arm after I've seen an episode of E.R. Also when it comes to college and life in general don't assume anything. That'll leave you broken hearted many a times

Having a girlfriend in a sorority in no way makes a man an expert on sorority recruitment.

Quota is determined by the number of PNMs in the Preference Round.

In addition to keeping an open mind to all groups on campus, I would suggest adding 'ignoring recruitment information from frat boys' to the list.

Thank you princessamy and Always AlphaGam! In retrospect, I guess my question was kind of silly and I would definitely not take someone who's not even in one of the NPC Sororities advice! I'm just pretty nervous so thanks for responding even though I should have known the answer :)

Correct me if I'm wrong but there is usually a quota range that is given. Quota is ultimately the number that places the most amount of Potential New Members that are still fully participating in the process (signed bid cards).

I don't know how a sorority girl could say they only want to take 22 members because the whole invite system is controlled by RFM numbers unless it is informal recruitment and your school does deferred recruitment. If that is the case the 22 number may be the number they are short to get to total. They would have a new member class of 22 then do formal recruitment after the first of the year.

I spent an HOUR on the phone with AZ-Alpha Xi last night while she tried her darndest to explain RFM and quota to me for the umpteenth time.

It is still voodoo to me. I give up.

OP: put cotton in your ears except for when you are attending parties! Have a great recruitment!

Keep in mind that many (most?) sorority members do not understand RFM either. He may be repeating exactly what his girlfriend said, and she may truly believe what she told him. There is a lot of bad information out there, many of it passed along by well-meaning people who just don't understand how it works.

It is entirely possible that they were told quota would be 30 but that particular chapter would have a logistical problem with more than 22. For example only 22 sophomores available to be bigs or only 22 graduating seniors expecting to leave 22 spots available to move into the house next year...
In any case - panhellenic sets quota and chapters are expected to take quota.

Alright, thank you very much for the responses everyone!! Like I said, this information doesn't really change my recruitment but I was just curious. And AzTheta, I'm trying very hard! I'm letting everything go in one ear and out the other.. I hope it's working! I can honestly say I have an completely unbiased idea of al the sororities at my school. (Though that may be because I never ever see anyone wearing their letters :( )
AXORushadvisor- I believe that the quota is indeed made at the time bid cards are signed. I find it impossible to make quota before all girls have even signed up for recruitment, especially since the number participating this year has doubled since last year!
Irishpipes- I would definitely agree! I've heard vastly different things about recruitment/requirements from sisters in the same sorority. I'll just try to take everything with a grain of salt!

Could also be freshman quota is 22 and upperclassman quota is 8 and this particular house may reject upperclassman quota.

I thought of a much more nefarious explanation, but I like yours better.

UC quota isn't usually so huge compared to freshman quota. It's more like freshman q is 80 and UC is 8.

It's more likely they are thinking about bigs or something logistical like HQWest mentioned...absoutely NOTHING personal about any of the girls who are rushing.

Have you read the MOI section on it? It will help a great deal. Am sure Theta has it on their private web site side for you to download. Or PM me and I'll send you a copy.

AZTheta it's in the manual area of our site with the other manuals.

Thank you so much, Titchou. I can access a copy on the Theta website, and AZ-Alpha Xi also gave me a copy of the NPC publication that explains RFM in detail. True confession: it is a "mental block" that I have that has been life-long. You start talking to me and showing me symbols and math stuff and I go to the dead zone in my brain. Nothing computes. Nothing. I used to blame it on having pneumonia in 5th grade and missing a month of school, but someone pointed out that that was a lousy excuse and that math was taught for more than four weeks in fifth grade. It's odd because I love physics and astronomy and I understand decibels and sound waves and other math-related things. And I did very well in statistics (two graduate classes' worth). Just don't show me the freaking complicated formulas with all those weird symbols, people. It's too much.

Thank you!

This isn't necessarily true. In California public schools (not sure where the OP is in school) we can have relatively large UC quotas because of rules allowing transfers from community colleges. For example, at Davis last year we had 29 for our freshman/sophomore quota and 9 for our junior quota!

Upperclass quota at UCLA is in the double digits.
The university has a large enrollment that transfers in as sophomores, juniors and seniors, that so many high-quality women (GPA, activities, leadership, community service) would be practically shut out if recruitment was geared mainly toward freshmen. Chapters are NOT required to take a full UC quota, but most do since the UC women are so accomplished.

I'll be writing recs for 4 remarkable UC PNMs for recruitment next month (UCLA is on the quarter system & doesn't start until Sept. 24th).

Additionally, UCLA has QAs for international students that are only spending 1 year at the university. The Chi O chapter has had some recent members from London, Paris & Thailand, who have added so much to the chapter.

Tangent:

UCSD is stopping its program that guarantees transfer to community college students that meet the requirements. They'll be using those spots to go after higher tuition out of state students instead. This will eventually reduce the number of 3rd year PNMs and overall quota.

I guess I have a dumb question, then. Why hasn't the culture of the school (or any UC school) just naturally changed out of the mindset that freshman = better? In that instance, it seems like as long as you have an upperclass quota, even one set so large, that is what you are saying. If the women haven't learned by now that upperclassmen are wonderful members who often end up staying around longer (i.e. not dropping out) and contributing more than someone who joins as a freshman, what more will it take?

Because a 1st year still equals more potential continuous years of membership and dues.

Is this applicable to UCSD only, or are the other UC Campuses planning to follow suit? I have friends who are planning to transfer to UCSD and UCI, and this information would be of benefit to them.

But it doesn't always work that way!!!

When you look around to see who's left from your (example) Fall 2008 class of 50 freshmen, 30 sophomores, and 10 juniors and the numbers are 35, 28, and 10, wouldn't you figure it out at some point? I mean don't they analyze this at all? Most of our terminees (if that is a word) were those who had pledged as early as they could, not the other way around.

Wow, I had no idea. I thought this was state-mandated some how or at least affected funding. Maybe the lack in funding is more than made up for by OOS tuition?

As I've stated on another thread, we have significant problems with the junior transfers from CCs. The vast majority don't adapt well, academically, to UCD at all.