Ole Miss Recruitment
 

I've heard that rush here is very competitive. I have several hometown girls going through this fall. I hope someone from Ole Miss will keep us updated. How many sororities do they have, and how many girls are rushing?

They have 9 NPC sororities and typically around 900 PNMs.

Ole Miss recruitment is practically the definition of competitive. Since their rush is later in the year, you should probably advise your hometown girls to keep it under control and keep it classy when tailgating in the grove or out and about in Oxford. Believe me... the sororities will be watching. With so many girls going through, they are looking for any way to distinguish girls. Also, recs will be very important. Again, with so many girls, a rec is just like a foot in the door. It will by no means guarantee a bid, but it sure couldn't hurt.

Co-sign.

To be perfectly honest, frank, and candid, I hope "hometown girls" are from Mississippi (or nearby in the South) and there are other "hometown girls" from said hometown already at Ole Miss. Many PNMs at Ole Miss know girls in many chapters and it is definitely more of a challenge for the out-of-state ladies to overcome this fact/to get on a level playing field with these girls. I had 2 friends at Ole Miss (I actually had 3 friends there but one was a guy and this doesn't exactly apply): one of them rushed and pledged/joined/initiated, and the other never rushed at all. My friend who rushed was from out-of-state (but from the South and SEC country) and SERIOUSLY had all of her ducks in a row so things worked out well for her. But yeah, I'd say it's possibly THE most competitive recruitment in the SEC. 9 chapters makes it tough...
That said, I like that Ole Miss has a sort of kind of deferred recruitment. I never knew the "official" reasons for this, but I think it allows PNMs a better chance to learn about chapters on campus/meet NPC women (unless they have strict silence from the beginning of school?)

Nevertheless, best of luck to your hometown PNMs and keep us updated!

Although it would seem that logically deferred rush would be implemented at a school for the purpose of allowing PNM's to get settled, learn about the sororities, etc., it is my understanding that Ole Miss initiated deferred recruitment for a different reason. Greek Life is such a huge part of life at Ole Miss that a number of girls were transferring to other schools when they did not have a successful result. To prevent students from doing this, Ole Miss moved recruitment to October. I don't know if they have any statistics on whether or not the number of girls transferring after the first semester is substantially different from those leaving at the beginning of school but one would think that there wold be a difference.

Yesterday (9/7/08) was the first party, Water Party (Open House). This is done a few weeks prior to the rest of formal recruitment. The next round of recruitment will be on October 15th with Bid Day on October 19th.

Recruitment at Ole Miss is competitive. Like we have said in some other threads, as long as your have your act together, your recs together, it is not completely impossible for an out-of-state PNM to receive a bid! And with any recruitment, remember to keep your options open and to go through with an open mind!

There are 9 NPC Groups: AOII, Chi Omega, Kappa Alpha Theta, Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Tri Delta, Delta Gamma, and Phi Mu.

OleMissGlitters,
Is there any word on expansion at Ole Miss? I have heard that maybe ZTA and ADII are coming back - any truth?

According to the University Office of Institutional Research, the freshman retention rate - the main statistic the university had their eye on - increased from about 75% in 1996 - the last year recruitment was held before fall classes - to about 81% last year. Draw your own conclusions.

1996 was the year I went through recruitment and there were many girls who did leave school because they didn't get their first choice. I think pushing it back has helped retention at Ole Miss. Plus I believe (and this is just my opinion) that it aided in Ole Miss securing a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.


GatorDG: The Panhellenic would have to go through the Extension Process as it is listed in the NPC Manual. (I believe it is called extension). I have friends who are alumnae of ADPi and ZTA and they have not heard anything about rechartering their chapters here. I am not aware of any conditions that were made when ZTA and ADPi left either (like if they have to wait 15 years or when a house comes available). I said this in another thread but with the new residential colleges being built, land isn't readily available for a new house to be built yet. A chapter without a house would probably not be a good idea either.

(Sorry for any misspellings, I'm on a different laptop tonight so my hands arent typing as well tonight!)

There are no plans at this time for ZTA to return to Ole Miss.

I was one of the 'Yankees" that went through "rush" many years ago at Ole Miss. It was VERY competitive back then and still is as I've sent others down to the campus I love. I agree with the others that have said it helps to have your ducks in order with recs. Just remember to enter all of this with an open mind, follow your heart, be yourself and have FUN!!! If you play by all the rules you should find a Greek home.

McCain/Palin '08 (agree!)

I believe that part of the reason for the extremely late rush this year at Ole Miss is because of the Presidential Debate being held there on September 26th.

That is correct and it also has to do with when we have an away football game or an off weekend during football. Logistically, we could not have recruitment when there is anything else "big" happening on campus.

Good idea! That would seem like a no brainer, but Arkansas held the last part of recruitment over the weekend of their first home football game. This just added more craziness to the already Crazy Craziness!

Recruitment begins soon! There are about 840 signed up. This is one of the latest recruitments. In 2000, Bid Day was on 10/23 and that seemed really late too! I know all of the sororities are going to do fabulous too!

Convocation: October 12, 2008
Philanthropy parties: October 15-16, 2008
Skit party: Friday October 17, 208
Pref Party: Saturday October 18, 2008
BID DAY: Sunday October 19, 2008 (bids should go out around 3pm I believe)

I can't wait for stories. Good luck to you and your girls, Ole Miss Glitter.

A few questions.

Is Convocation on the 12th or was in on the 2nd? What are "Skit Previews"? And when (what time) are the preference parties? Cause y'all play Bama at 2:30 p.m. CT on the 18th. And I am sure that every Ole Miss Miss will be cheering for her beloved Rebs at that time. :)

Opps! I copied the dates from another website and didn't meant to put the Skit Preview in there! But Skit Preview is something that all of the sororities do before recruitment. They invite their alumnae and their parents to watch the skit. It's kind of like a "run through" before the big day comes!

Convocation is on Sunday, the 12th. They had a pre-convocation already but the one this Sunday is the big one.

Preference Parties should begin at 4pm on Saturday. The past few years we have always had a football game during Pref. The mothers and alumnae will give the girls score updates. I remember a few years back the football game was on the day of Skit Parties, and the girls in the Skit would add in about the football game score and start the Hotty Toddy! Made for a fun party! I know the Alabama/Ole Miss game is on CBS this year!

There are approx. 838 signed up for recruitment. However, I was told by a very reliable source that there are a few stuck out in ICS land who signed up right before the deadline, so their grades are still being verified. So I had heard 850. But if it's only 838 I don't think that will break anyone's heart on campus. I was told quota should be in the 80s.

Rush is finally here!!!:D

Can't wait to hear some stories!!! :)

AMEN! I think everyone is ready! Parties begin at 4:30 today!

I know all 9 sororities are going to do awesome!

I check this thread seriously like every few hours! Hopefully we'll hear some anecdotes/stories along the way!

My best friend's little sister has a few friends who are freshmen (I know that seems like several degrees of separation, but this family and my family are best friend families if that makes sense)... maybe I will hear some updates through the grapevine! Fingers crossed... :D

Well it's rainy here in Oxford today so hopefully that won't be an issue for PNMs. I am sure their Gamma Chi's will tell them to dress accordingly for day 2 of Philanthropy Parties. Tomorrow is suppose to be a little rainy too and it should cool off a bit. Yucky weather for Recruitment!

Oh I know! At least it's not Skit or Pref when everyone is in dresses and heels. But parties went really well last night from what I heard. I believe everyone was very excited and can't wait for the next rounds. I will say that it's so nice to be in the house this year for rush. It makes everything so much easier than last year!

UPDATE 10/17
 

The University is having issues with water on campus! AHHHH! So Pi Phi, Theta, Chi O, and AOII (not sure about the other sororities houses) do not have water! The female dorms are the same way too! Parties start at 4pm tonight. Anyway, I hope they can get the water back on soon on campus. Oh and get this, to fix the problem the physical plant is digging the street up right in front of the AOII HOUSE! AHHHHH!

My junior year, we had just gotten a new house. The plumbing quit the morning of our first rush party. We got water 15 minutes before the party began.

OMG. OleMissGlitter, I'm praying for you.

Everything is going well! I have heard that everyone did really well for skit round! The water has been repaired too! I'm about to hit the sack so I can get up early to help with decorations for pref. When I left the house party 6 was beginning.

Oh my gosh - what a nightmare with that water situation!

On the positive side, I bet the conversations at the party were easy! Lots of "no water" war stories to share!

Bids go out around 3pm today to the PNMs! I have heard that everyone did awesome this year! I'll post any results I hear later on tonight!

And post the AOPi bid day pictures!

My camera is in my purse :)

Bid Day!
 

I can't wait to hear! I have several young friends up there this year. It sounds like it has been really good so far! Let us know what you hear!

I wish A Xi had a chapter there just so I'd have a reason to be there and experience a rush like that!!! I can't imagine that many women and that kind of competition.

What was quota?

I think it was 84.

Did everyone make quota?

OMG will probably update us on that tonight.