How to keep the freshman interested???

[ASTalumna06]

The start of the school year is a week away, and my chapter will be starting recruitment. With COB all year long, it allows the girls to basically do whatever they want for recruitment.

But they can't bid first semester freshman.

It's difficult to have freshman come to recruitment events their first semester in school, but then tell them (without dirty rushing!) that they aren't eligible to be a new member until the following semester. And it might not be so difficult if we weren't also bidding sophomore, junior, and senior new members at the same time we're telling the freshman that they have to wait. When they see or hear that other girls are able to become members, but they have to wait a whole semester, they tend to stop coming to events and find other extra-curriculars.

Or... they don't come to events at all, knowing that it's not going to pay off that first semester anyway.

What suggestions does anyone have for gaining interest from freshman, and keeping it?