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Originally Posted by UGAalum94
It had never occurred to me that this statistic was an attempt to "spin" as much as it is a soundbite reflection of one part of the compete statistics that Alabama releases.
I disagree that anyone is deliberately bending the truth on this point. Would does panhellenic gain with this spin?
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IMHO, two things.
1) More PNMs going through recruitment. You have to have more girls to increase your system. Bigger greek system --> expansion of chapters, expanded programing, more influence on campus, increased budgets, bragging rights, whatever.
There is a solid subset of girls that are raised knowing they will be rushing when they go to college. The competitiveness of the experience will not dissuade them, in fact, some embrace it. They are ready and know the game. There is a significant contingent, however, that aren't from this camp. If they realized that many strong houses will be cutting up to half of the PNMs in the first round or two, and the fact that you have a good GPA and resume may mean nothing if you don't have connections or "the look" or an elusive "something else," and you may come home with severely battered self esteem and a choice that you were less than enthusiastic about, I think some would say, "Who needs that? I'm not going to bother."
I honestly think this is a marketing tactic as much as an inert statistic made available to the public. The "statistic" of heavy cuts during early rounds is never mentioned to PNMs and specifics are not even available to alumni (unless you talk to your own house's recruitment advisor.) Panhellenic markets the greek system well and makes it sound like you are likely to get your "first choice." Don't get mad at these girls for having unrealistic expectations. Panhellenic (and sometimes alums) encourage girls casually interested to "try it out, what do you have to lose?" And then they feel like they had the rug pulled under them, and the response is, "well, what did you expect?" They EXPECTED that 87% of the girls were going to get their top pick, not their top pick of the 2 houses that hadn't cut them.
2) I think it protects the Greek system from bad press in a neutral-to-greek-hating media.