Does 12 seem like a large upperclassman quota to everyone else? Especially if "regular" quota is 29? I was under the impression that upperclass quota was usually 5 or 6 when "regular" quota was 50+.
You had a significant bump in total. When did it get raised? What you should have done is: if formal rush is in fall, total should have been raised in say November. Then the chapters not at total would have had all of spring semester to bid up to total and have an additional pledge class - so all chapters could go into the next formal rush on the same footing.
I think I finally get what you're saying though.
- Rush is in the fall. XYZ fills their freshman quota.
- XYZ allegedly underinvites upperclassmen, or maybe they have reasons to cut them all, but who knows. All that's certain is that they don't fill the upperclassmen quota.
- Now it's spring. XYZ is still 5 under total, so they start COBing. However all 5 girls that they COB are second semester freshmen.
I can understand where that would be irksome - it's a variant on the old "suicide and then we'll pick you up in COB" - but as several people said, there's really no way to prove that a chapter did this intentionally.
Also keep in mind that if there are still chapters out there under total - not because they "planned" it but because they are the 2 chapters that you mentioned who are always under total - they can decide to COB only freshmen too.
I'll say what I always say - there's no guarantee that those freshmen are going to participate longer than the junior you just gave a bid to. No I am not saying go out and take all juniors, but don't get hung up on class standing as a guarantee of a group coming back with everyone intact.