"Forced" prefs?

[Greek_or_Geek?]

Like others have mentioned, I think three parties are more common in the south as well as the really competitive schools, especially those with guaranteed placement. If you moved to two parties at those types of schools, chances are many PNMs would get one choice they liked then the one they felt like they'd been stuck with throughout recruitment . . . and possibly two they're not so excited about. Unhappy PNMs either way, but at least with three parties there are theoretically more options.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by Greek_or_Geek?

Like others have mentioned, I think three parties are more common in the south as well as the really competitive schools, especially those with guaranteed placement. If you moved to two parties at those types of schools, chances are many PNMs would get one choice they liked then the one they felt like they'd been stuck with throughout recruitment . . . and possibly two they're not so excited about. Unhappy PNMs either way, but at least with three parties there are theoretically more options.

Makes sense, if you're guaranteeing placement.

For those at larger 3 party pref schools, do you find that PNMs feel okay with getting a bid to any of their 3? Or is it an "I like these 2, but I for SURE don't want #3" kind of thing? Do a lot of women who receive bids to their #3 stick it out? Or do they drop out?

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Makes sense, if you're guaranteeing placement.

For those at larger 3 party pref schools, do you find that PNMs feel okay with getting a bid to any of their 3? Or is it an "I like these 2, but I for SURE don't want #3" kind of thing? Do a lot of women who receive bids to their #3 stick it out? Or do they drop out?

When I went through back in the dark ages, we had 15 chapters on campus. We had 3 pref parties. From my personal experience, I would have happily accepted a bid from either of the chapters that I ranked first and second. I didn't list the third chapter. I think three is sufficient, even for big schools.

[AXOmom]

When daughter went through her recruitments you could only have 2 pref parties at both schools (WSU and UO. It may have been 3 at WSU even then but she dropped out before pref and had 2 chapter left at the time, so I'm not sure). Waiting to see which 2 she had for pref at UO really stressed her out due to a misunderstanding she had about the rules, but due to that misunderstanding I think 3 would have stressed her out even more.

She did have a younger HS friend go through at WSU with 3 pref parties and she did get her 3rd choice (daughter happened to love that group). She texted daughter to say she didn't think she would accept the bid. Daughter wrote a lot of texts/facebook messages and I think a phone call or two convincing friend to go and give it some time. Friend ended up loving her chapter - wrote daughter to tell her thanks for convincing her to stay with it, but a year later she transferred back to a school in our hometown that had no Greek life. If daughter hadn't talked her into it - I do think she would have dropped even though she had 3 groups on her card most girls at that school would have been thrilled with - just because it was her 3rd choice if that makes sense.

[AlphaXi_Husky]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Makes sense, if you're guaranteeing placement.

For those at larger 3 party pref schools, do you find that PNMs feel okay with getting a bid to any of their 3? Or is it an "I like these 2, but I for SURE don't want #3" kind of thing? Do a lot of women who receive bids to their #3 stick it out? Or do they drop out?

From what I've seen over the past several years, it really depends on the PNM. Some are happy with all three they have, some are loathe to go back to one (or two) out of their three pref parties. I have seen people who get their 3rd choice stick it out and love it, and others drop out. I don't think any of this would necessarily change if PNMs only went to two parties.

[Greek_or_Geek?]

Originally Posted by AlphaXi_Husky

From what I've seen over the past several years, it really depends on the PNM. Some are happy with all three they have, some are loathe to go back to one (or two) out of their three pref parties. I have seen people who get their 3rd choice stick it out and love it, and others drop out. I don't think any of this would necessarily change if PNMs only went to two parties.

I think that's a fair assessment of what I have observed too.

The other thing we need to remember is that just because a PNM can have three pref parties, many of them have fewer than that. Fewer than three seems to be fairly common at the schools where I've advised (which have all been large and moderately to extremely competitive by GC standards.)