What causes a chapter to cut a girl?
 

I'm going through formal recruitment in 2 weeks as a freshman at a medium sized private university. Greek life is present, but it's not extremely competitive. It is growing though so there are more PNMs than ever, which means more girls will most likely be cut.

Obviously I'll be cut if I have a bad conversation or if they don't like me, but why do I see SO many stories where a girl LOVES a chapter, feels like she did well talking to them, and then gets cut after the first or second day?! I am trying to keep an open mind and give every sorority a chance (we only have 7, and one is for specific majors that I do not have so basically 6), but I do have one that I am REALLY interested in. I've met several girls in it and they were all amazingly kind, and they have a great philanthropy and haven't had any bad incidents on campus. If I have a good conversation with them, what would be a reason for me to be cut? I'm just so nervous because so many people seem confident that they formed a bond with a certain chapter and then they aren't invited back again.

Chill out!!!

Be your self, pleasent, with a smile.

You are asking about membership selection, which is considered ritual and private information for each sorority. So, we do not discuss it. You need to be interested in every sorority. That's what we mean by "keep your options open."

There are great threads in the recruitment forum - spend some time reading through them and you'll get some great advice.

Finally, don't take advice from non-sorority members.

You said that since more girls are going through the process, more will get. This is simply not true (assuming your school uses RFM, which is widely used).

But to clarify, more girls going through rush does NOT mean more girls get cut (except at IU, always the problem child), it just means pledge classes will likely be larger.

But to give you a REALLY brief overview of how the process works, each chapter has a fixed number, pre-set by a computer and an administrator, that they have to reach after each round of rush. So let's say there are 500 girls going through rush and ABC has been told they need to cut 200 girls after round one. If they think that 400 of the 500 girls are awesome, doesn't matter, they still have to cut 200 girls. So how does the chapter determine who among that list of girls they love but can't keep? Grades, extra-curriculars, attractiveness, perceived potential, they like blondes, recommendations, whatever. They have to find SOMETHING. And at some point it just gets to be almost random.

THIS is why we say not to get all bent out of shape over cuts. Yes they can feel like it's the end of the world, but if you still have invitations, then you need to brush yourself off, perk up and head out to the parties to which you HAVE been invited. When we say it's not personally, it really seriously could not be personal. If you were number 301, then you're out. You'll never know if you were 301 or 500. Even the sorority women don't know exactly, so there's no point in stewing over it. And then we circle back to don't worry about it, just go in being your charming normal self and let the chips fall where they may.

Because recruitment is a mutual selection process. The sororities get to (privately) select who to invite to join, which is why you should keep your options open.

And relax! Be yourself. Dress your best. Be polite. Practice your conversation skills. Stop stressing. And have fun!

Thanks for the responses everyone! I guess I really do just need to relax and actually keep an open mind and enjoy myself.

Just a word to the wise, for every PNM with late recruitment: be extra careful about any of the new men you may meet at a party, especially a fraternity party. You don't know if the guy who makes you feel great is actually dating a sorority member. It's probably the quickest way to become That Girl, who will not get invited to any sorority parties.

More general information to go with what DubaiSis said:

Each sorority can only hand out so many bids. That's called "quota." They have to choose among the available pool of PNMs to fill quota. Choices are made based on good conversations and personality, but they are also made on extracurriculars and grades and leadership potential and general fit with the group.

The process that DubaiSis described of cutting after each round of parties is to give each sorority the best chance of filling quota and each PNM the best chance of receiving a bid. Those cuts are really tough, but they are designed to maximize options as much as possible, so that no one goes bidless and every group gets a full NM class.

As far as why any individual person gets cut, nobody knows but the people in the membership selection meeting and they're not telling.

Thank you DS and KDCat for the explanations. I forget that PNMs don't understand RFM (heck I hardly understand it myself, it's math).

Why do sororities release girls?
1. Grades.
2. Grades
3. Grades (kidding, but grades are number 1)
4 - 80 bazillion. Chapter needs more scholars, more athletes, fewer fashion merchandising majors, more engineering students, fewer Phi Beta Kappa candidates, more artists, fewer accounting majors, more brunettes, fewer redheads, more from the north part of the state, fewer instate, more with last names starting with M - Z, fewer beauty queens ;)....the list goes on and on.

A chapter may adore you, but you don't fit into their needs.

THAT'S why you need to look at EVERY chapter as a potential sorority for you.

Really?
 

Fewer Phi Beta Kappa candidates? Really? Since most schools publish the GPA for each chapter I would think a higher GPA would be attractive to PMNs. I don't think any chapter wants to lower their overall GPA.

Edited original post to add an expository smilie.
Just kidding. It's called hyperbole.

I think the point was that various chapters may have a list of priorities that don't necessarily make sense to an outsider . They might be a chapter of brainiacs but really want to be able to compete in intramurals.

:)Exactly!