[blueiumom]

Originally Posted by Sigmapsimom

I agree with Sciencewoman that it would not have made a difference in the number of women who got bids. However, a 21-14-8-3 schedule provides for less dramatic cuts than 21-12-3 and it could have given PNMs assurance that they were at least considered, even if they were later cut between 14-8 or 8-3.

After the usual first round of cuts 21-14, girls get their first idea of where they stand, but still had up to 2 more rounds to meet and impress. They also had an entire week between 14 and 8 party to mourn, and then readjust their focus.

This year the girls went to 21, felt great an entire week not knowing where they stood and many were devastated the next Saturday. The cuts between 21-12 were far more dramatic than they would have been between 21-14. The 21-14 cut, which is normally done that first weekend, is the first time the girls really know where they stand and what chapters they should shoot for. So having it done that first weekend gave them a whole week to rethink things and get excited all over again about new possibilities. Until then, yes too many girls think they are getting into chapters they probably won't, but because there were still 2 more parties they have a chance to reevaluate things. They could go back to 14 and possibly 8 and try to dazzle chapters that they are now looking at in a new light, but that chance was taken from them and they're upset about that. Some chapters they might have had a second chance at, they did not because of the party cut.

It would have changed the outcome for some individual girls, but not the recruitment numbers. Bed quota is still the elephant in the room. However, Cutting an entire round of parties was a mistake regardless, because it gave the impression (and there is some truth to it) that decisions were made even more hastily and arbitrarily than usual.

Exactly. It made an already stressful, often painful process even more brutal than it had been in the past. As if panhel was insensitive to it all . . .