[DubaiSis]

I just reread this thread (can't I find ANYONE to buy a vacation from me in the travel dead zone between Thanksgiving and New Year's to keep me busier?), and I got a chuckle out of how things have changed in just a year and a half. First, the addition of 2 chapters at Arkansas and Indiana was a huge thing. Of course, we have yet to know if they will be successful, but I'm confident that they will be, and that there will be more expansions at both schools. And it turns out land WAS available at Arkansas. Who knew?

Second, all the discussions about lower recruiting strength chapters and relative success in rush has me thinking
1-alumnae chapters and alumnae panhellenics should be doing a better job at educating rushees (I am sticking with my boycott of PNM and new member) about RFM, Quota additions and SIP. They can do a lot to help the members and the rushees understand the process.
2-I think the highly competitive schools HAVE gotten more parity, as seen through the continued wild expansion happening nationwide. At Iowa, for instance, RFM made everything worse in the short term, but as the rushees have discovered that they are actually in a competitive rush, they are more accepting of the lower tier chapters, and parity is happening there, just like at so many other schools. Also, the tiers seem to be changing, which is an unexpected consequence of girls a couple years ago sucking it up and accepting the bid they got. They aren't expanding at Iowa yet, but as I've mentioned, I think they are a year or 2 from ready.
3-I think RFM is great, but I do really like the idea of allowing a girl to cut A chapter, and maybe that's at each round of rush. I don't think it's a wise thing to do from the rushee's perspective, but if she feels like she has more say in the process, maybe she'll be happier with what she's left with at the end. I don't think that should change the QA rules, however. Cut a chapter if you want, but it kills your chance to be a QA. I am picturing the ranking form saying list your top 10 chapters and rank the final 4. Then at the 4th slot the girl can choose to actually CUT this chapter, and she has to sign a MRABA-type statement that she understands that by cutting a chapter, she surrenders her ability to be a Quota Addition at bid matching and that she severely limits her chances of finding a sorority match. But hey, if you hate em that much, go for it.
4-I still say a rushee should be more calculating in her rankings, keeping a lower tier chapter in the hunt and dropping a top tier chapter that she's assuming she'll like better later because everyone else does. While cuts hurt at every round of the game, playing it with the big picture in mind could keep the middle-prestige rushee in a better position through the process.