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I'm sure this will be as clear as mud after I'm done, but here is my understanding of summer and early fraternity rush as it is currently.
In general, fraternity recruitment is usually less formal and less structured than sorority recruitment. Also, there are no binding IFC rules for extending bids per say. Thus, this does not apply to every campus nor every fraternity.
Some campuses may have rush during the summer. This may be similar to rush at the start of the fall semester at most campuses but is usually not as structured or as formal in nature. It is open to incoming freshman and returning upperclassmen. Those contacted by a chapter, or Greek Affairs, or have expressed an interest in fraternity life. Otherwise, like fall rush, they may just show up to an event.
An "early" rush happens before the summer rush and usually targets local high school seniors who have been accepted or enrolled in the college AND expressed an interest in fraternity life. (As is the case with SiKeS.)
A campus that has rush at the start of the school year (fall) may have an early rush during the summer as well. To add to the confusion, this too may be called summer rush. And as before, it usually is the recruitment of local seniors who have been accepted or enrolled in the college and who have expressed an interest.
Now depending on how it's fraternity recruitment works, on most campuses it is possible for a rushee to receive more than one bid. Usually the rushee has a time limit - a few days to a week - to either accept or decline the bid. During that time, he may continue to attend events at other fraternities.
But once a rushee signs a bid card to a fraternity, then it should be binding to that specific fraternity. Now when or how the chapter turns in his name - and makes it binding with the campus and or HQ - may depend on the campus' rules for recruitment. Some bids are binding with the campus the moment you sign your bid while others are not binding until either the start of "formal" recruitment - be that in the summer or the start of the school year - or the start of fall classes. Which is why many fraternities provide a carbon copy of the bid to the rushee.
In any case, until it is binding, a rushee is still open to being rushed by any chapters. However, in my humble opinion, a man who has accepted a bid should not attend any rush events for any other fraternities.
As to what to call someone who signs before the school term, usually he is commonly referred to as a pledge.
I hope this helps.
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