SPRING RECRUITMENT AT UGA

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Like I said above, it honestly sounds like it is a second formal rush with quota just like it would be in the fall.

Groups below total can give bids up to total any old time. They don't need all the groups (or any groups) rushing to do that. If a group was 40 below total after fall rush and 20 women came up to them in October and wanted to pledge, they could take a second class if they wanted.

Oh, and I think it would create quite the PR disaster if PNMs (especially legacies) were told that all groups were participating, signed up w/ that in mind, and at the first event for Big Popular House were basically told "we did this because we had to, but we don't have any open spots so we're dropping out now. Sorry. Go look at the other groups."

I understand what you are saying, but even if these big groups do have openings, they are likely to be so many fewer than other groups that for most participants, it's probably going to be a pretty similar message.

The "participation" of these groups will get the total number of PNMs up even if it's just because these group encourage girls to come out to meet them before formal in the fall. And a lot of the PNMs will probably find groups they like enough to pledge in the spring because, as I mentioned earlier, the total number vs. general reputation for popularity isn't running that tight throughout the whole 17 IMO.

I wish we knew how they planned to do it with a quota or whatever. I wonder if they are waiting to really see groups second semester numbers before they make a call.

Oh, I found this http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/...81200167.shtml

Late in the article, we come to this paragraph:

"About 200 more students are expected to enroll for spring semester beginning in January. Most of those names will be drawn from a waiting list of students not admitted for the fall semester, McDuff said."

Unless as Carnation mentioned that among these 200 are parents so influential that they can restructure the system for their kids, I'm guessing spring recruitment 2009 is just a good thing they are finally trying to make work.

[carnation]

LOL! And we know they exist! I was thinking that the kids with the influential parents might come more from the group of PNMs who rushed unsuccessfully in the fall. We know of several families who don't contribute to their alma maters anymore because their children were zapped in fraternity or sorority recruitment. These were good kids too, not wild ones whose parents thought they were angels.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by carnation

LOL! And we know they exist! I was thinking that the kids with the influential parents might come more from the group of PNMs who rushed unsuccessfully in the fall. We know of several families who don't contribute to their alma maters anymore because their children were zapped in fraternity or sorority recruitment. These were good kids too, not wild ones whose parents thought they were angels.

Wow, they quit giving to the college because of unsuccessful recruitment? I could kind of understand not giving to a chapter who cut your kid, but the whole university just seems a little scorched earth to me.

I don't know that UGA is suddenly more responsive to these type folks, really, but of course I could be wrong. People who thought they were UGA big wigs have always been there, and we're only seeing the big spring recruitment now.

My guess is that it's the long term effects of release figures making spring recruitment seem more desirable to more groups. And it seems that retention isn't what it used to be throughout the whole system.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I understand what you are saying, but even if these big groups do have openings, they are likely to be so many fewer than other groups that for most participants, it's probably going to be a pretty similar message.

The "participation" of these groups will get the total number of PNMs up even if it's just because these group encourage girls to come out to meet them before formal in the fall. And a lot of the PNMs will probably find groups they like enough to pledge in the spring because, as I mentioned earlier, the total number vs. general reputation for popularity isn't running that tight throughout the whole 17 IMO.

Well, if parents ARE a driving force behind this and Lucy Lambda encourages her daughter to sign up, only to find out that Lambda is full and only taking one girl and it's not her little Lila Legacy, Lambda AND UGA will both be sorry they're living, I'm sure. The last thing they want to do is pull a bait & switch.

Originally Posted by 33girl

Well, if parents ARE a driving force behind this and Lucy Lambda encourages her daughter to sign up, only to find out that Lambda is full and only taking one girl and it's not her little Lila Legacy, Lambda AND UGA will both be sorry they're living, I'm sure. The last thing they want to do is pull a bait & switch.

Wasn't there at UF KD Alum mom a few rushes ago who said she would no longer support the chapter because they cut her daughter? I could've sworn she said she'd quit giving to UF as well, but I could be making that up.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Well, if parents ARE a driving force behind this and Lucy Lambda encourages her daughter to sign up, only to find out that Lambda is full and only taking one girl and it's not her little Lila Legacy, Lambda AND UGA will both be sorry they're living, I'm sure. The last thing they want to do is pull a bait & switch.

But if Lucy and Lila are nearly as connected as they think they are, they know it already. It's only a bait and switch for people who think they have a equal shot at all the houses in the fall too. Sure, in theory you do; in actual practice, not so much. And since many traditionally strong houses will be giving bids if the numbers are based on anything other than just being below total, I think that most of the PNMS will be happy, or at least more PNMS than would typically get bids to groups they want in the spring.

On a slightly contrary note: I have no idea how recruitment will really go down this spring, but I have a hard time imagining that the Greek Life office is going to embrace a method that allows chapters over 200 to pick up a bunch more girls and just allows chapters below total (which as far as we know is still 170) just to pick up quota additions if they can get them. This will still need to be gamed to favor the smaller chapters or there's not much point in doing it from the system's perspective.

A chapter of 200+ isn't dying to pick up a big spring class under normal circumstances even if we assumed for some reason that there's an exceptional pool of PNMs available this spring for some reason, which we actually have no reason to assume.

[carnation]

I want this put in caps on the front of the UGa rush booklet. The other SEC schools' booklets too. You see all those happy, expectant faces the first 2 days and then...

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

But if Lucy and Lila are nearly as connected as they think they are, they know it already. It's only a bait and switch for people who think they have a equal shot at all the houses in the fall too.