I'm posting this in both threads of this topic.
I think that everyone is missing somethng here. I think it is silly to think that a group doesn't know it's rank on it's own campus. If there are a large number of groups they at least know if they are on the top, middle or bottom of the group. It's also silly to think that the national oraganizations don't know this information also. As sororities we all have consultants of some form who visit chapters. Usually they visit chapters with problems - not the perfect ones. A national fraternity never wants to lose a chapter whether it be on a campus that has 2/3 groups or one that has 25 groups.
Someone was talking earlier about closing a small chapter. If they can sustain themselves and they WANT to keep their chapter, then my organization will do whatever it takes to help them. Sometimes the women just don't want to fight the uphill battle anymore or they cannot afford to keep their house etc. and the chapter must close.
I know that chapters can be turned around. When I first became and advisor the chapter I work with returned with 35 women (total is 100), had the worst grades on campus and had huge financail problesm. At recruitment that year they pledged quota at bid match for the first time ever. In doing so they doubled their sisterhood. 9 years later (yes it has been a long and REALLY bumpy road) they are returning with the second largest amount of women for recruitment, received top honors on campus, were ranked 1st in the fall and 3rd in the spring for grades and are now financially sound.
Back to my original comment - the national fraternity knew that this chapter was in trouble and gave them the help they needed to get back on track. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This information is not received from some super-secret newlsetter, it is sent in by the chapters in their reports to the fraternity. We try to see when it looks like a group is starting to slide and stop it before it snowballs.
You also have to think about regional popularity. Some sororities are seen as traditionally southern and do better in these areas than others. Where as others (mine included) are stronger northern sororities. No one group is going to be strong or weak on every campus that it is on.
If you really wanted a "rank" go by total (living) membership of each group - initated only please.
Of course as Justamom said, these should not be used by collegiates for picking a group. Ideally, they should choose their group for the sister/brotherhood found there - ha . . . if only it were a perfect world!
Just my two cents and something no one has brought up in this discussion.
