The Best Strategy for a "Weak Recruiting" Chapter

[KSUViolet06]

Yeah, I think there's something to be said for focusing recruitment on the "middle of the bell curve."

This sounds bad, but it makes sense.

Don't concentrate your "single rusher, meet the President, top shelf best recruiter in the chapter on her" efforts on that top 2% of PNMs who are going to have their pick of any chapter and (being honest) probably aren't all that interested in you and are just being polite.

I think that's where chapters make mistakes. Don't focus on Superstar Suzy who is probably getting the red-carpet treatment at every top house. Sure, give her a great experience, but don't overdo it.

Focus it on that middle group who maybe isn't super well-known, or maybe not even super sold on the idea of being Greek. A lot of those women just get cycled through parties with small talk and just kind of fall through the cracks.

I think your returns change a lot when you switch your focus.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Don't concentrate your "single rusher, meet the President, top shelf best recruiter in the chapter on her" efforts on that top 2% of PNMs who are going to have their pick of any chapter and (being honest) probably aren't all that interested in you and are just being polite.

I think that it not only messes up your returns, but breaks girls' hearts. I can't tell you how many times I'd see a sister SO excited about someone she rushed, only for that girl not to be on our list.

[UGAalum94]

I had thought that RFM would pull those super-highly desirable, polite but really uninterested PNMs from a WRC as the process went on. Does it not work out that way because very few PNM are wanted by all chapters?

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I had thought that RFM would pull those super-highly desirable, polite but really uninterested PNMs from a WRC as the process went on. Does it not work out that way because very few PNM are wanted by all chapters?

No, not at all. If anything, there are MORE of them there, because they are getting cut more harshly from the SRC's. In order for it to do what you describe, you'd have to let the top PNM's return to fewer parties as well.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

No, not at all. If anything, there are MORE of them there, because they are getting cut more harshly from the SRC's. In order for it to do what you describe, you'd have to let the top PNM's return to fewer parties as well.

I trust your experience. I'm not second guessing, just explaining.

I was thinking that having fewer parties [edited for clarity] as the rounds went on would sort of have that effect. PNM #1 can only go back to 10 of 17 (or whatever the real number) for second round, so assuming she was going to be invited back everywhere, she's now out of the running at 11-17. And since, as you don't re-invite as I understand RFM, she's gone for good.

I did understand that WRC ended up with more girls than SRC, but I was thinking they were mid-range PNM in an imaginary world where all PNM were equally as desirable to all chapters.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I trust your experience. I'm not second guessing, just explaining.

I was thinking that having fewer parties a round would sort of have that effect. PNM #1 can only go back to 10 of 17 (or whatever the real number) for second round, so assuming she was going to be invited back everywhere, she's now out of the running at 11-17. And since, as you don't re-invite as I understand RFM, she's gone for good.

I did understand that WRC ended up with more girls than SRC, but I was thinking they were mid-range PNM in an imaginary world where all PNM were equally as desirable to all chapters.

Oh, right, having fewer parties per round would decrease the number of "not even really looking" PNM's at the WRC. AFAIK, though, few campuses have cut down the number of parties as they've implemented RFM.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Oh, right, having fewer parties per round would decrease the number of "not even really looking" PNM's at the WRC. AFAIK, though, few campuses have cut down the number of parties as they've implemented RFM.

I was just thinking of the same ol' progressive decline in the number of parties to get from Open house/ first round to prefs. [ ETA: I see that I originally wrote "fewer parties a round" which isn't what I was really thinking, sorry.]

If there are any top PNMs who have more chapters interested in them than they have parties to attend anymore with RFM, they take themselves out of the running a couple of chapters per round.

I think that I'm interested in recruitment the same way that that some people love sports that track all kinds of stats.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I think that it not only messes up your returns, but breaks girls' hearts. I can't tell you how many times I'd see a sister SO excited about someone she rushed, only for that girl not to be on our list.

Oh yes.

I really wish I could be super honest with the collegians I work with about the unrealistic expectations they have for certain girls to join.

I'm sorry, but Super Cute Suzie has a sister in one Super Strong Chapter and a best friend in another. As much as you squeal "Omg, she's soooo cute! I want her to be my little soooo bad" she's not going to be. In fact, while you were thinking that, she was probably dropping your chapter. She should not be the focus of your recruiting efforts (single rushed, president intro, etc.)

Meanwhile Regular Renee, who knows no one in Greek Life, but is very excited about Greek Life, just got the double rusher treatment with the most quiet girl in your whole chapter.

[FleurGirl]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Focus it on that middle group who maybe isn't super well-known, or maybe not even super sold on the idea of being Greek. A lot of those women just get cycled through parties with small talk and just kind of fall through the cracks.

Along those same lines, I think those sort of "middle of the pack" PNMs getting the superstar treatment at the weak recruiting house will make the chapter stick out more in her mind and creep up to the top of her list. If you're just getting the "uh huh, yeah, that's nice" treatment everywhere else and then you go to a chapter that makes you feel like a rockstar by focusing the strong recruiting girls with those PNMs, you're probably more likely to get a better return within that middle group.