Penn State recruitment
 

I was wondering what my chances of getting a bid would be next fall if I go through formal recruitment at Penn State. I'll be a sophomore next fall. I couldn't do formal recruitment this year as a freshman for various reasons, and I was so mad about it since I had wanted to and was really sad that there was no formal recruitment this spring. However I rushed randomly because I didn't "do my homework" and learn about the sororities. I ended up accepting a bid from a sorority that I do not feel at all compatible with right now. I'm going to wait a few more weeks to be absolutely sure but I want to depledge and do formal recruitment next fall so I can learn all that I can and know what I'm getting into. So basically 2 questions: What are my chances as a sophomore at psu? and am I even allowed to rush again? (i never did formal recruitment or got initiated, so...)

thank you sooo muchto anyone who replies

If you depledge, you will be allowed to join another sorority, but not in the fall. You are bound to your current sorority for a year, so you'd be eligible again next spring. Good luck!

The year rule only applies to bids extended through formal recruitment. You'll be eligible in the Fall.

Is this true everywhere or does it vary from campus to campus?

No, it doesn't. An accepted bid is an accepted bid. She can't rush again till next spring.

The year rule applies to any bid accepted through any form of recruitment - formal or informal.

We had this happen when I was an adviser. A woman pledged our group via informal recruitment, depledged the same semester and then tried to sign up for formal recruitment in the fall. The Greek Advisor was extremely misinformed and though it was okay. I knew it wasn't, and contacted our NPC rep who confirmed the year-wait rule applies to both informal AND formal recruitment.

It applies when a PNM is matched during formal, whether or not she "accepts" on bid day. During informal, a PNM can be offered a bid from as many chapters as are participating. If she declines a bid, she is not bound to that chapter. If she accepts and begins pledging, she is bound for a year.

see edit

tee hee, mine too.

To the OP: I advise you to stick it out and see if things get better. If you still really, really, REALLY hate it, you can depledge and rush again in the spring, but most likely your choices will be the same ones that you had this past spring.

Emphasis is my own. Unless I'm misunderstanding something, "preference system" is formal recruitment. Spring at Penn State is informal. Therefore she's eligible in Fall.

I'm making this up as I go along since I have no real knowledge, but what I think that part covers is cases in which a girl attends prefs and ranks chapters and is matched to one of them but she decides not to actually follow up on the bid. Technically, she never "signed" the bid, but they are clarifying that signing the pref ranking card is accepting the bid. She didn't have to sign a bid to be bound to the chapter for a year.

The COB bid would be covered by the first part. In her case, she signed a COB bid.

You're looking past the first sentence "A signed Membership Recruitment Acceptance or a Continuous Open Bidding (COB) Acceptance is binding." That's the part that refers to informal recruitment. As soon as a PNM accepts a bid through any form of recruitment, that bid is binding for an entire year.

The part you highlighted refers to the fact filling out a preference card is saying "I agree to accept a bid from any chapter on this card" and is therefore also binding, even if the PNM gets her second choice and decides not to "accept" after all. The last part of the statement refers to when a PNM does not match (either via SIP or being cross-cut) after Preference round. If she does not receive a bid from any chapter she attended on Preference night, was released or dropped out of recruitment early, or did not accept a snap bid, then she is eligible for COB.

It is my understanding that signing your Pref Card essentially IS signing your bid (in advance). This is why it is so strongly emphasized that by ranking the houses on your Pref Card, you ARE accepting bids and binding yourself to bids from these chapters.

I believe the confusion comes from the language of "receives a bid" in "If a potential member receives a bid under the preference system". There is a difference between receiving a bid in COB (which must afterward be accepted and signed by the PNM) and receiving a bid during Formal Recruitment, which has already been pre-signed by the PNM (on her Pref Card).

Basically, signing a bid is signing a bid. Same rules apply, the process of signing is just a little different.

Does the period that's considered binding vary by campus practice or is it supposed to always be a full calendar year?

I'd read the posted material as indicating that the NPC intends it to be binding for a full year, but it seems that we've had stories here that indicated the same kind of within the same school year kind of thinking: if you depledge in the spring of one school year, you might be eligible for a bid the next fall.

I'm not saying it's right; I just think that it may sometimes actually be the campus practice, based on similar posts that I've read here.