The "pre-recruitment" bid list

[28StGreek]

The controversy of the 'Bama recruitment had me think about all the times the refrain of "don't listen to the tent talk" has been said in response to recruitment rumours/myths.

If one school had alumnae that are clearly able to wield some power with respect to membership selection, is it too much of a stretch to believe that it happens at other schools?

I feel that one of the most common rumours about recruitment is that the bid list has pretty much been decided for the most part before recruitment even starts. I know there are obvious reasons to deny that rumor; i.e. why go through the huge expense/stress of recruitment if the chapter already knew which girls they wanted? However, if some alumnae are prepared to be racist when it comes to membership selection there might be alumnae who are prepared to pre-select girls who've come from a particular high school/town/summer camp/country club/etc

Of course I understand that any discussion on this matter is full of speculation and also violates membership selection privacy. But at some schools is the PNM without the right connections still really placed at a huge disadvantage?