[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

This is a little off-topic, but how many schools, other than IU, are really "competitive"? If a school is using a total/quota system, I don't see how it can actually be difficult to get a bid. Also, it seems that most schools with, say, eight or more chapters have at least one chapter that is not at total after FR, and thus doing COB.

Other schools who set quota normally can be competitive, but the numbers aspect isn't what drives the competition at those schools.

I think that IU competitive and say, Bama competitive are 2 different things.

IU = competitive in the sense that there are more PNMs than spots available. Obvious competition there. You have x spots and y PNMs.

SEC competitive = (and correct me if I'm wrong) differently competitive in the sense of many PNMs only wanting certain chapters and those certain groups only having a limited number of spots (per RFM.) Schools like Bama set quota like anyone else and have the same placement rates as other schools. The difference is that more of the PNMs are jockeying for spots at certain places and aren't very open to others. So while the system is set up for everyone who makes it to Pref to get a bid, many aren't going to get that far because their hearts are set on a select group of chapters. Those select few can't take everyone who wants them. There is also the "who you know" element that makes it competitive. Recs, connections from HS, legacies, etc. eat up the available invites pretty quickly. So an average PNM going into recruitment with the bare min of recs/preparation is going to face some competition. The numbers aspect of competition is there, but there are other things that factor in to make it competitive.

And yeah, COR may be available at those schools, but at many schools like that, it involves one or more of the chapters that PNMs wouldn't have considered during FR. At some schools, PNMs with unsuccessful recruitments would sooner attempt FR again than pledge a chapter that wasn't a fave via COR.

Wow. I ramble. I just got out of a mind numbing lecture so hopefully it makes sense.