My first GC page! (and my 2,000th post!)
I graduated from UMD in 2007 and I currently advise the Sigma Kappa chapter. I was a Rho Gamma in 2007 and I served on an extension committee too. So I know a lot about UMD Recruitment.
Rerushing is common at Maryland. Sophomores going through and getting bids in the spring is common. Suiciding/dropping out is common because PNMs know that all chapters participate in fall. What they don't know of course, is that their chances may not be any better. Because every PNM has 3 (4 if they come with 12 credits) solid chances to join, they don't see freshman year spring recruitment as "now or never". So don't worry about being "that girl who came through last semester" unless you did something to make yourself memorable in a bad way.
Particularly in the fall, if you only visited a few chapters that had <10 spots to fill, the women you met may have actually liked you even though you were not offered a bid. Some chapters have an idea of who they want, often friends of current members. They fill their pledge classes on the first day that chapters are allowed to extend bids, making the parties mere formalities.
Re: tedious. Such is formal recruitment. Fortunately, it gets better each round, because you will return to fewer chapters, ones that are interested in you and hopefully you are interested in them. It's ok to have favorites, but what would you do if you were cut by your top 6 after the first round? Your mind can change and has changed. There are still 9 chapters you didn't see.
If you have any more specific questions, shoot. If you want to PM me, that's fine too.
For some light reading:
My Spring 04 Recruitment
Leslie Anne's Recruitment Story (from the 80s, one of the best recruitment stories ever)
My Rho Gam thread
Hybrid Mode
