[TSteven]

I was talking with a friend of mine - she just got through writing recommendations - and the subject of preference ranking came up. She said that on some campuses (usually small), it is possible for a PNM to list on her preference card a chapter even if she didn't attend their preference party. That this 'extra' ranking shows interest and is often used for determining Snap bids. Is this possible? I would guess that she is rather knowledgeable on the subject since as an alumnae, she has helped with bid matching in the past.

From my understanding, she said there were two situations.

Situation 1: The PNM may - and does - attend up to two preference parties. But on her preference card, she may list a chapter even if she did not attend their preference party. But only as her 3rd choice. I believe she said that the chapter had to invite her to the preference party but she (the PNM) was required to decline (with interest?) one chapter. For example. The PNM receives invitations to the following preference parties: ABC, DEF, GHI. She may only accept two. She attends ABC and DEF. After the preference parties, the PNM lists on her bid card #1 ABC, #2 DEF, *and then* #3 GHI. If the PNM is not placed with ABC or DEF, and she is on GHI's bid list, then the PNM may receive a bid to GHI. Or GHI may Snap bid her.

Note: the PNM is not required to list GHI at all. It is just an option open to her. However, if she does, she must rank ABC and DEF above GHI. Even if after the preference party round, the PNM found that she did not like DEF at all, she would be required to rank DEF above GHI.

Situation 2: The PNM may attend up to three preference parties (could be two). However, she only receives invitations to attend two (or fewer than the total number possible) i.e. ABC and DEF. She attends both ABC's and DEF's preference parties and then ranks them #1 ABC #2 DEF. Since there is an *open* spot on the PNM's bid card, she may rank GHI *in the three slot* even though she was released by them. Again, this would just be an option and not required. And she must rank ABC and DEF above GHI.


Two things were stressed. To my friend's knowledge, she did not think that Situation 2 happens on a campus where there is guarantee placement. The other is that while these do not guarantee placement, they can afford the PNM to show interest. And in the case where the chapter had to cut for numbers, and then they do not reach quota, the chapter knows of the PNM's interest and may extend her a Snap bid if they wish.