RFM Numbers

[LondonCalling]

Hi there

I have a question about RFM numbers. You often here from places such as Bama and Auburn about how few girls are released overall compared with the number of girls who withdraw voluntariy throughout recuitment week.

My question is: are RFM numbers and required cuts for each chapter correlated to the number of girls who registered? For example, if 1000 girls registered, and assuming they ALL met minumum grades and had recs, do the return rates assume that all 1000 will return SOMEWHERE in the first / second round or do the numbers assume that some girls will be cut from ALL houses. I know that the more popular houses will have to cut more girls than other houses, and usually use recs/grades to do this in early rounds, but is the assumption amongst the chapters on a given campus the 1000 PNMS will be returning somewhere, even if its not their 1st/2nd choice?

I ask because I hear from people saying that RFM makes the overall numbers get lower as the week goes on - e.g after round 1, only 950/1000 PNMs can remain... I always try to argue against this and say that RFM exists to ensure that as many registered PNMs as possible end up in A chapter and that for those who are released, its for grades which are mandatory minimums

appreciate others thoughts on this

(full disclosure: did not attend a school with Greek life, but now have siblings, cousins interested)

[AOII Angel]

RFM is based on percentages. It doesn't work the way you are thinking it does. Basically you take a particular sorority and look at the last three years and decide how well they recruit based on their return rates for a certain day of recruitment. Based on that return rate, they will be given a number of PNMs that they can ask back that is a percentage of the total number in recruitment that will be most likely to lead them to having quota at the end of recruitment without stringing too many girls along. A chapter that EVERYONE wants and always has everyone accept invitations back to their next party gets to invite fewer girls back than a group that only has 40% of PNMs returning to their parties. That makes sense...right. Unfortunately, they can't fix it where girls aren't completely released, because Panhellenic doesn't know which girls will be released by each sorority. Even if Panhellenic allowed every sorority to bring back ten more girls for the ten girls released on a given day from recruitment, the chapters would likely have ten completely different girls they are interested in.

[Splash]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

RFM is based on percentages. It doesn't work the way you are thinking it does. Basically you take a particular sorority and look at the last three years and decide how well they recruit based on their return rates for a certain day of recruitment. Based on that return rate, they will be given a number of PNMs that they can ask back that is a percentage of the total number in recruitment that will be most likely to lead them to having quota at the end of recruitment without stringing too many girls along. A chapter that EVERYONE wants and always has everyone accept invitations back to their next party gets to invite fewer girls back than a group that only has 40% of PNMs returning to their parties. That makes sense...right. Unfortunately, they can't fix it where girls aren't completely released, because Panhellenic doesn't know which girls will be released by each sorority. Even if Panhellenic allowed every sorority to bring back ten more girls for the ten girls released on a given day from recruitment, the chapters would likely have ten completely different girls they are interested in.

Prior to MS after each round, is this number tweaked to take into account the number of girls who drop out and/or are cut by every chapter? Perhaps the chapters are given estimates prior to recruitment and exact numbers each night. I have no idea. JW.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Splash

Prior to MS after each round, is this number tweaked to take into account the number of girls who drop out and/or are cut by every chapter? Perhaps the chapters are given estimates prior to recruitment and exact numbers each night. I have no idea. JW.

The number is calculated every day based on the number of women still in recruitment and your return rates. You won't know how many you get to invite back until late in the day when Panhel gives you the number.