After Several Years: What Do You Think of the New Release Figures?

[GammaPhi88]

Back to release figures...

As someone recently initiated, I am a product of the new release figures, and would like to add my two cents. While I did not suffer incredibly heavy cuts, I am glad that release figures gave me far smaller of a pool of sororities to choose from. Because I was cut from some chapters I loved early on, I was forced to look at other chapters I might have no considered. From those chapters, I fell in love with my current chapter, and I might not have been as happy as I am in Gamma Phi Beta had the old system before RFM been in place.

So, while I only know of the other system from comparisons and not experience, I do know that I would be far more devastated being dropped before pref than right at the get go. After what I have learned from former methods, I am almost sure I may not have preffed the three great houses I did pref, and I'd rather have gotten over cuts early on and been happy with my later choices than the other way around.

As for the notion that some PNMs may be forced to attend some houses bid day, I did not see that in my recruitment to a great extent. I did, however, see many girls in the same situation as me...who had been cut early on and grew to love the houses they have left. And its done wonders for the smaller houses on campus.

Of course, there will still be people who drop out because of their choices. I know I'm pretty unsympathetic on the subject, I think thats a silly thing to do, because a house may have seen something in your where you would fit into their house. I know the system is not perfect, its not. But while the new RFM may cause the closed minded people to drop out, I think thats fine with me. At the risk of being less than politically correct, if they can't open themselves up to the wonderful oppertunities each and every sorority has to offer, I don't really want those pnms in the greek system

[UGAalum94]

Sort of random, but I was reading something recently about how people do better and feel better about their decisions when they have fewer options available. (The post above mine made me think about it.)

It's possible that the shift to making PNMS rank the groups and then their getting party lists with only invites to the maximum number of parties on it (which isn't technically part of the release figures, but I think makes them work better, right?) may be a good thing in itself. I would think that ranking would be less like a final decision than having to actually accept and regret.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by GammaPhi88

Because I was cut from some chapters I loved early on, I was forced to look at other chapters I might have no considered. From those chapters, I fell in love with my current chapter, and I might not have been as happy as I am in Gamma Phi Beta had the old system before RFM been in place.

...

Of course, there will still be people who drop out because of their choices. I know I'm pretty unsympathetic on the subject, I think thats a silly thing to do, because a house may have seen something in your where you would fit into their house. I know the system is not perfect, its not. But while the new RFM may cause the closed minded people to drop out, I think thats fine with me. At the risk of being less than politically correct, if they can't open themselves up to the wonderful oppertunities each and every sorority has to offer, I don't really want those pnms in the greek system

I agree.

I have no experience with either system, but I do know 18-year-old girls. A good portion of them will never visit Greekchat (how sad) and they'll never know that they should keep an open mind. They'll have their eyes on a few sororities (or one!) and they won't receive a bid. If that happens after the first party and they drop out, then they weren't meant for sorority life anyway. If you string them along for 3 recruitment parties, knowing that they won't receive a bid from your sorority, you're setting them up for a huge disappointment, and I would understand them dropping out just a little bit more. I can't imagine it feels great to get cut heavily after the first round, but imagine going to 3 or 4 parties, really getting to know a chapter, and then not being invited back for preference. I understand that can still happen, but it wouldn't be to such a great extent.

And while these PNMs are striving to get bids to their one or two favorite chapters, there's a very good chance they'd be ignoring the other chapters that invited them back. No matter how many other girls were still with you at the party before prefs, as a PNM, you'd probably still think you had a very good chance. As GammaPhi88 pointed out, this system allowed her to focus on the groups that truly wanted her. In the long run, I'm sure that a lot of people would prefer to know the places where they truly had a chance earlier rather than later... no matter how disappointing it might be.

In addition, there are schools with a ridiculous number of sororities. I can't imagine having to go to 15+ parties for the first round. But imagine having to do that for the next few parties, also. With these release figures, it gives the PNMs more time to know the sisters, and vice versa, without having a crazy amount of PNMs there during each round.

And IMO, the old system would waste recruitment time. In a formal recruitment setting, you only have so much time to meet and talk to PNMs. Why, as a sister, would you want to be there during round 3, talking to a PNM that you know won't be wearing your letters on bid day?

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by GammaPhi88

Back to release figures...

As someone recently initiated, I am a product of the new release figures, and would like to add my two cents. While I did not suffer incredibly heavy cuts, I am glad that release figures gave me far smaller of a pool of sororities to choose from. Because I was cut from some chapters I loved early on, I was forced to look at other chapters I might have no considered. From those chapters, I fell in love with my current chapter, and I might not have been as happy as I am in Gamma Phi Beta had the old system before RFM been in place.

So, while I only know of the other system from comparisons and not experience, I do know that I would be far more devastated being dropped before pref than right at the get go. After what I have learned from former methods, I am almost sure I may not have preffed the three great houses I did pref, and I'd rather have gotten over cuts early on and been happy with my later choices than the other way around.

As for the notion that some PNMs may be forced to attend some houses bid day, I did not see that in my recruitment to a great extent. I did, however, see many girls in the same situation as me...who had been cut early on and grew to love the houses they have left. And its done wonders for the smaller houses on campus.

Of course, there will still be people who drop out because of their choices. I know I'm pretty unsympathetic on the subject, I think thats a silly thing to do, because a house may have seen something in your where you would fit into their house. I know the system is not perfect, its not. But while the new RFM may cause the closed minded people to drop out, I think thats fine with me. At the risk of being less than politically correct, if they can't open themselves up to the wonderful oppertunities each and every sorority has to offer, I don't really want those pnms in the greek system

We pretty much feel the same way. Better to be released from chapters early, than led on and be left with no house because of being unable to see the forest for the trees, blidners, insert metaphor or cliche here.

[Blue Skies]

One advantage to the old system is that from a PNM's point of view, you felt like each chapter was giving you a fair chance if they invited you back to the second or third round (whether they were actively considering you or not -- a PNM would have no way of knowing.) If a chapter dropped you after the third round, you could at least say, "Well, I met quite a number of the sorority's sisters, and for whatever reason they felt that I would not be a good fit." The perception of fairness was there, and PNM's were still able to meet, and form perceptions of the chapters that might eventually become their homes.

Under the new system, PNM's are more likely to receive heavy cuts early on. If a girl was cut from the majority of the chapters after the first round (as might happen in a very competitive rush,) I don't think I would blame her for being soured on the whole process. PNM's are always told to keep an open mind, but if a girl receives heavy cuts early on, her *perception* is that the chapters are not keeping an open mind about her. The process of recruitment becomes that much more confusing and painful for her. She might be forgiven if she never gave the few chapters which invited her back a second chance. If a PNM feels completely out of control of what seems to be an incomprehensible recruitment process, the quickest way for her to regain control is to drop out.

I'm not writing this to knock the new system, which I think has many virtues. I'm just not convinced that it presents the sorority system as a whole in the best possible light to PNM's.

[UGAalum94]

Blue Skies, I can totally see what you are saying and as a formal rush drop out myself, I agree with your assessment to some degree and can remember saying to someone at the time that I didn't feel any particular gratitude to the groups that cut me early.

BUT, I think it works better systematically for the groups to cut girls they really aren't serious about early on. It's better for the chapters to know who is willing to continue with the process even when they know who is really in the running than it is for them to get word only on pref day that many of their PNMs dropped.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Blue Skies

I'm not writing this to knock the new system, which I think has many virtues. I'm just not convinced that it presents the sorority system as a whole in the best possible light to PNM's.

It might not be the BEST light, but it is probably a truer light.

I mean, there are some chapters that have their pledge class picked out before rush even starts and barring some unforseen circumstances no one else has a snowball's chance in hell of getting a bid there. That's just the way it is and while it is daunting to the psyche, better to get daunted then to go through your whole college career (and then some) convincing yourself you were THISCLOSE to getting a bid at XYZ when you weren't anywhere near it.

I had a couple sisters who I think basically convinced themselves that if they would have held out for another semester, that a certain (more prestigious) sorority would have bid them. The fact of the matter is - NO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE. Maybe that's hard for them to accept, but knowing that group I know it is the truth.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by 33girl

That's just the way it is and while it is daunting to the psyche, better to get daunted then to go through your whole college career (and then some) convincing yourself you were THISCLOSE to getting a bid at XYZ when you weren't anywhere near it.

Maybe that's hard for them to accept, but knowing that group I know it is the truth.

I agree. The RFM is designed to make the larger chapters really think about their invites as opposed to inviting a bunch of girls whom they have no intention of bidding (or are really on the fence about). They make cuts earlier on, but I think it is much better for a PNM to be released by a group on day 1 or 2, as opposed to RIGHT before pref.

Some say the cuts are harsh, but such is life. It's a good lesson for PNMs to learn. It helps them to see that recruitment isn't OVER just because they don't get invites to the places they want.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I had a couple sisters who I think basically convinced themselves that if they would have held out for another semester, that a certain (more prestigious) sorority would have bid them. The fact of the matter is - NO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE. Maybe that's hard for them to accept, but knowing that group I know it is the truth.

This still happens. I cannot understand how they get this idea...especially since most of those girls were cut Day 1 or 2 by that group.