Rushing a second time?

[carnation]

Originally Posted by Old_Row

Some people aren't very good at evaluating the kind of person they themselves are and where they'd best fit in. Sometimes they want to join the sorority that's more full of people they want to be like rather than what they're really like. Those people usually don't realize that this is what is going on in their minds, but the sororities are much better at seeing this because we know what it's really like inside with us.

I can see where PNMs are coming from with this. Maybe they were huge leaders in their small town high school but they were cut from the groups that are the known leaders on campus solely because no one knew them. Maybe they went to such a huge high school that they weren't able to show what awesome leaders they were. It may or may not have occurred to them that yeah, they might be able to turn the currently less involved sorority around--but right now, they want to jump into a sorority that's known for their campus involvement. And on most campuses, there are some like that.

I also don't believe for one instant that "the sororities know where you'll fit in". They are not magic and/or all-seeing, they're quite fallible. Every year, members of various sororities at big schools tell me that they usually have no idea which girls they kept until they walk in the door for the next party. It's kind of like they submit their votes and some giant machine cranks out the lists and here are these members all dumbfounded because they thought they had enough support for their favorites to keep them. Apparently not.

Not to mention that on big campuses with over 100 members, the girls aren't cookie cutters. Some people would have us believe that to join AB or CD at Big SEC school, you must have gone to a private school and been on the dance team and have a 4.5 and know 75% of the members. Not so.

There is often no clear rhyme or reason why a PNM is cut.

[adpiucf]

Originally Posted by carnation

Every year, members of various sororities at big schools tell me that they usually have no idea which girls they kept until they walk in the door for the next party.

So THIS. I trusted the process that on bid day, my 100+ member chapter and I had done our duty and brought home the class of 60-80 new members that was best for the chapter. I had met a handful, at best, during recruitment. Oftentimes I didn't remember rushing them because we had over 1000 girls coming through our doors. In fact, the other day, a sister posted on my FB wall, "Hey, first gal who rushed me at ADPi..." It's been YEARS since that recruitment, and even at that time I had no recollection.

When I was a recruitment counselor, I remember talking to a fellow counselor in another sorority. I reminded her that she had rushed me and I LOVED her sorority and was sad at that time to not be invited back. She laughed and told me she was a terrible rusher so that it was likely her fault because no one she rushed ever got a bid. She made a great impression on me, though, and I loved her and her house!

Anyway, I trust our membership selection to bring in the best girls for our sorority. It was not my job to hand pick each young lady. My job was to make them see what a great chapter we were and how much I loved it, and to convey my impressions through our private membership selection. Release lists were made up, and I had no idea was on them for the very most part. Each day new lists were read and we would cheer for each name. On Bid Day, the final list was read and it never disappointed. Sure, there were a few tears for a rush crush that went elsewhere, but overall, the process works... even at the biggest chapters where you don't get meet everyone.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by tapuz

I had done my research about various sororities in advance, and had had that one in mind

"Doing your research" really isn't viable in an NPC situation. Yes, you can find out that maybe this group supports Alzheimer's research and you feel a tie to that because your grandma had Alzheimer's....that's nice, but it has SO little to do with how women are chosen in NPC rush.

Unless your "research" consisted of g---k r--k and other sites like that, where you read that this group was the most popular and that was not.

Originally Posted by carnation

Not to mention that on big campuses with over 100 members, the girls aren't cookie cutters.

Originally Posted by adpiucf

So THIS. I trusted the process that on bid day, my 100+ member chapter and I had done our duty and brought home the class of 60-80 new members that was best for the chapter. I had met a handful, at best, during recruitment. Oftentimes I didn't remember rushing them because we had over 1000 girls coming through our doors. In fact, the other day, a sister posted on my FB wall, "Hey, first gal who rushed me at ADPi..." It's been YEARS since that recruitment, and even at that time I had no recollection.

This isn't that.

At small campi with small chapters, some women would not fit at all in some chapters, some women would fit in every chapter, and some women would not fit at all in ANY chapter. You CAN'T always find something in common with someone in smaller groups - at least not enough that you can go beyond thinking of them as friends and start thinking of them as sisters.

So yes, at these chapters, the sororities usually do know where the rushees will fit in - unless the rushee is being completely fake.