Alabama Recruitment Prediction (Fall 2008)

[AnchorAlumna]

They'll add more parties. After all...there's a limit to how many humans can fit into those houses!:O
(What a great problem to have!!)

[Zillini]

The University of Alabama Fall 2008 Formal Recruitment is officially underway! Final total of PNMs signed up is 1604.*

*Strange, yesterday afternoon there were 1622. Seems 18 must have dropped out before the 1st round even started. Perhaps they are interested in Alpha Phi. FYI last year there were rumors of women signing up and paying the registration fee simply to be able to move into the dorms early.

[Bamamom13]

My daughter said that her house has 23 parties today. I told her to eat when she can and sit when she can, but it will be a very long day for the members.

[Zillini]

*sigh* That's the reason why I wish we could get them all (actives and PNMs) to stop wearing sky high heels for Recruitment. Everyone's feet are just killing them by the end of the day. Then they have to do it again tomorrow... Beauty is pain I guess.

[bamagirl09]

They go to 23 parties over the course of 2 days. A lot of those 23 are breaks. I'm not sure how many are each day, but they are not all on the first day.

[Bamamom13]

Well, at least that's better than 23 in one day. However, it will still be a very long day.

[magnoliacurious]

Originally Posted by Zillini

The University of Alabama Fall 2008 Formal Recruitment is officially underway! Final total of PNMs signed up is 1604.*

Well there we are!! 1600+!! Like Ole Miss Glitter said a few weeks back: WOWSERS!!

[uamomma]

Wowsers is right!!!! That would put 70ish girls in each of the 23 groups. As a mom of one of the rushees (PNM's for new school-lol), it makes me a little nervous! How do they know enough about the girls to make those first cuts? I talked to my daughter today. She said it was great but she felt really rushed with each group. I guess that's where "rush" gets its name. Does each house already know the numbers they're going to have to cut for each different party?

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by uamomma

Does each house already know the numbers they're going to have to cut for each different party?

I know it's not the same for all schools, but were notified of this usually a few hours after we were done for the day and our advisors had a chance to meet with the Panhellenic Advisor to get the info. Like, if we were done at 3:00 pm, our advisors usually went to meet with the Panhellenic advisor around 4:00 and we had this info around 5 or 6:00pm.

[Zillini]

The 1st day of the 1st round/Open House is completed and no the chapters have not been given the numbers of how many we can invite back to 2nd round/Philanthropy yet. That should come some time tomorrow.

The best thing about the whole day was the weather. Usually it's in the high 90's, with 100+ heat index, PNMs and actives passing out. Not today. We only had a high of around 84+/-. Who would have ever thought it would be mid 80's in August in Bama? I actually had members saying they were cold in the house from the A/C since we expected it to be sweltering once again. I haven't checked the forecast for the rest of the week. Wouldn't it be nice to have a cool(er) week? Won't get my hopes up but I can dream, can't I?

All in all things went smoothly as far as I'm concerned and as far as I've heard. Sure there was the first parties, first day, first round learning/remembering curve for everyone (PNMs, actives, Rho Chi's, etc.) It always takes a little time to get in the groove. *knocks on wood so as to not jinx anything*

[uamomma]

ok, thanks! I was just wondering how that part worked. Back in the day, we didn't have specific numbers given to us. It almost doesn't seem fair to the girls or the sororities.....but I feel like panhellenic is doing their best for all involved to have good experiences. Does anyone know what the numbers are based on?

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by uamomma

Does anyone know what the numbers are based on?

I copied this from a very long thread about release figures (the new invite system that requires each chapter to release a set number of women):




NPC endorses a formula which College Panhellenics may use in recommending the number of invitations a fraternity chapter should issue to insure their own membership recruiting success as well as to provide an opportunity to pledge the greatest number of women. The number (percentage) of PNMs that are invited back by each chapter is derived from a complex formula based on several years' worth of statistical data such as: number of invitation extended versus number accepted, number accepting bids versus number completing recruitment events, etc.

[Zillini]

I'm not an expert on the math. The number of invitations a chapter can extend to the next round is determined by a calculation of the total number of women participating in Recruitment and a chapter's expected return rate (accepted invitations) based on their past history of return rates.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by uamomma

ok, thanks! I was just wondering how that part worked. Back in the day, we didn't have specific numbers given to us. It almost doesn't seem fair to the girls or the sororities.....but I feel like panhellenic is doing their best for all involved to have good experiences. Does anyone know what the numbers are based on?

It's too complicated to explain here (at least for me), and I don't know if anyone will attempt to, but basically it's based upon return rates in the past.

Say XYZ usually has nearly 100% of women accept invitations to their second round party, over the course of the past five years.

Say ABC usually has around 50% of women regret invitations to their second round party, over the course of the past five years.

So XYZ is going to have to release a lot more women than ABC between the first and second round of parties. There is an "ideal" number that each chapter will have returning to its second round parties in order that its parties are neither too full or too empty.

That's a very rough explanation. The campus Panhellenic uses a computer formula to determine the exact numbers.

LOL: 3 of us posted explanations at the same time. What they said, too.

[Zillini]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

It's too complicated to explain here ...

And if you really want to mess with someone's mind, try explaining Flex Lists. My Hubby, a mechanical engineer, just said "Huh?"