Record-breaking bid numbers at Penn State!
 

http://onwardstate.com/2014/09/16/re...r-recruitment/

"Panhellenic Council had a record-breaking start to its Fall Formal Recruitment, with 1,740 women registered to participate. After yesterday’s Bid Day that culminated a 10-day recruiting process, a record 1,208 women have been given the opportunity to join the Greek community.
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If this were any other year, those who were not offered a bid would not be able to immediately join the Greek community. This year, however, these women have another opportunity — the newly recolonized Phi Sigma Sigma chapter at Penn State."

Classes look to be in the 65 range - unheard of at Penn State in the past. I don't have any numbers for individual chapters but it made me really happy to see photos of some of the sororities who haven't had strong rushes in the past post pictures of HUGE pledge classes. I'm sorry Tri Sig couldn't have held on one more year.

For a more cynical (but funny) take on the process:
http://onwardstate.com/2014/09/16/overheard-at-bid-day/

Is an approximate 70% bid match rate on par for what's normal at Penn State or did the upcoming colony drive that number down considerably?

Didn't we have another thread going that said the number of registered PNMs was just over 1400, and not the 1700 being reported in the article?

Is it typical of large numbers of PNMs to sign up at the last minute? Perhaps this is what skews percentages? A large number of sororities, not extremely competitive, recs not "required", and many people signing up 2 days before the start of recruitment could have that effect. Those who are unprepared or not informed of "the process" could be dropped by a lot of chapters and/or drop out early in the process.

Maybe I'm remembering registration numbers wrong, but what I've posted above regarding the competitiveness, preparedness, and recs may still apply. Just a guess!

No, that thread said there were 1740 registered this year, topping last year's record of 1489.

As for 70% match rate - can't speak to that. Rush is so much more brutal than it was back in my day, when classes were in the 15-20 range, most of the rushees were sophomores, and girls in the "top" sororities worked in the dining halls and some actually DIDN'T HAVE LONG STRAIGHT HAIR!!!

The class sizes I've seen from this year go from 66 for a very strong group to 70 for one that wasn't doing as well previously. So I have no idea what's going on there.

Is Tri Delta back yet, or are they still sub rosa?

Not back yet. I hope they do come back, as I have a TriDelt friend who may be sending her daughter off to PSU in 2 years, and another ChiO friend whose daughter may be there in 3.

Both were very strong chapters with great histories when they were closed, both for bad behavior.

I know a Tri Delta from Pitt whose daughter is either at PSU or just graduated. This daughter claims to be a Tri Delta. I think there's a sub rosa group there - but of course, I could be wrong.

It's called Trilogy. (And before anyone has a cow, yes I know that Tri Delta is not affiliated with Trilogy in any way shape or form and anyone in Trilogy terminated from Tri Delta and blah blah blah. That's what sub rosa means.)

As sucky as it is to think this, maybe the absence of two historically top-tier chapters opened lots of women's eyes to groups they wouldn't have looked at before.

LT, my chapter sisters' daughters say the same thing looking at our pictures - "why do you all have perms in your hair?" For a lot of women, the long and straight probably is easier to maintain than perms & rollers. Not any less hair-damaging, though.

Didn't Tri Delta refuse to recolonize?

It's way too soon. We are eggplants in Pennsylvania. ;)

Whether they said not now or never will we ever, I can't recall. All I can say is undergrounds hanging on for quite a while (and having alumnae support) is not unusual in this neck of the woods.

OT: Long and straight easier to maintain in that constant rain, mist and snow? I think not. But somehow they ALL do it. NO short hair.

When did short (or even medium) hair become so taboo for that age group? Look at all the bid day pics - all long and straight.

From TSM with the caption "1,208 New Babies"


http://d1wvharlsiyzfl.cloudfront.net...86fc9d95e8.jpg

Jesus Mary and Joseph. We had about 320 girls get bids the year I got mine - about 20/class in 16 sororities. Now the new membership is 4x as big The fraternities used to have to compete for us - there were 50+ fraternities and 16 sororities, and we had about the same number of members as they did.

I believe that now the fraternities combine forces for socials because the sororities are so big.

(I know at least one girl in that picture - a friend's daughter is a new Gamma Phi Beta)

I wondered the same thing. I just dug out my old 80's composite and everyone there has a "hairstyle" - not just long, straight hair. In fact, not one person had long, straight parted in the middle hair.

I also wondered how I would fare as a PNM now since my hair is so fine and thin (plus extremely wavy/frizzy), there's no way it would get past my shoulders. I'd probably have to get extensions just to fit in and not get cut!