The Differences in Sorority & Fraternity Rush: Why?

[DubaiSis]

Originally Posted by AGDee

In fact, our drop rates are really very, very low. In my experience, the rare times that more than 1 or 2 women drop before Initiation, it's generally due to other issues such as hazing or major sisterhood problems in the chapter.

This is why we say pledge, you can always drop. We know they won't. They just need a little nudge to make the leap.

[agzg]

Higher parental involvement is not indicative of the system being flawed or overbearing (in my mind) - it's indicative of some people's parents needing to mtob.

PLENTY of women have gone through formal, informal, COR, minimally and partially structured recruitment with absolutely no "help" from their parents beyond what would be given to the average fraternity man (mostly notice that they did or did not recieve a bid and to what chapter). On the other end, PLENTY of men have gone through fraternity recruitment with overbearing mothers/fathers.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by agzg

Higher parental involvement is not indicative of the system being flawed or overbearing (in my mind) - it's indicative of some people's parents needing to mtob.

PLENTY of women have gone through formal, informal, COR, minimally and partially structured recruitment with absolutely no "help" from their parents beyond what would be given to the average fraternity man (mostly notice that they did or did not recieve a bid and to what chapter). On the other end, PLENTY of men have gone through fraternity recruitment with overbearing mothers/fathers.

Psst...we're talking about NPC/NIC 'Parental Bodies" - not PNM's actual parents.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Psst...we're talking about NPC/NIC 'Parental Bodies" - not PNM's actual parents.

Chalk it up to it being Monday and me being jealous of k_s with his glass of wine.

FWIW, I went through (dirty and disgusting and they should be ashamed) COR, only looked at one chapter, and never went to a meet the greeks event. My pledge class was actually quite large - as big or bigger than many that a group on my campus would get through formal recruitment. However, we had a lot of drops, as did a number of chapters on my campus.

Actually, I'd be interested in seeing the drop rates of campuses that do a more fraternity-style COR period in one semester versus the drop rates in pledge classes that go through formal recruitment in the other... not that there's a correlation but it might be interesting. That could totally be a pipe dream.

Plus, the variables (deferred? non-deferred?) are too many.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by agzg

FWIW, I went through (dirty and disgusting and they should be ashamed) COR, only looked at one chapter, and never went to a meet the greeks event. My pledge class was actually quite large - as big or bigger than many that a group on my campus would get through formal recruitment. However, we had a lot of drops, as did a number of chapters on my campus.

Were you a first semester freshman?

If so, did this occur less than a month after you set foot on campus?

[DubaiSis]

I think we all wish recruitment was less of a pressure cooker, but particularly on the 10+ chapter campuses, having a free-for-all recruitment would mean miniscule success rates and as 33 said, lots of chapter closures. RFM and MORE control seems to place more girls in more chapters than the free-and-loose alternatives. Maybe it's because it's primarily 18 year old girls who can't see the big picture beyond being "in the popular house" but that is just how it is. I for one have never been able to figure out an alternative way to send 1000 women through 15 sororities in 1 week and have 700 of those women actually find a home. What happens if the girls only go to the houses they want? 4 houses have 1000 girls fighting for them and 4 have ZERO women, and the ones in between would probably resort to any sort of dirty rush that will get girls in the door. And how could you blame them?

Let's keep it the way it is and wring our hands from stress year after year.

[Kevin]

If sororities thought that the fraternity-styled recruitment process would yield them more/better members and more stability over time, they'd adopt that style. Likewise for fraternities.

Our organizations have been around for a long, long time. They either know what works or they fold. If your organization can work within the rules its constrained by to reach a better result than everyone else, power to you. But your chapter's success doesn't indicate that everyone should work outside of the norm and expect the same result.

[Alumiyum]

I very much agree that the parenting issues are not the system's fault, but the fault of individual parents. I remember being a PNM and discussing parental involvement with the women in the group. Some were like me...my mother and other relatives coached me on what to say/not to say, helped me pick my wardrobe, etc. but did not hover (as in, it was made clear to me that it was my decision to join or not join...and I was educated enough on the process to understand that it is mutual selection and I may or may not receive a bid). Some had absolutely no prior knowledge of Greek life. And some had mothers who were calling them in between every party and pressuring them into joining a certain chapter. Keep in mind this is anecdotal, but those of us in group 1 or 2 seemed to fair better than those in group 3. They were in general far more nervous, and far more emotional when dropped. However they were also in the minority. Most of us had reasonable parental involvement or none at all. And from the many Greek men I know, there seemed to be very similar levels of involvement for them. Many with a reasonable amount or none at all and some with way too much.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

I very much agree that the parenting issues are not the system's fault, but the fault of individual parents. . . .

As noted above:

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Psst...we're talking about NPC/NIC 'Parental Bodies" - not PNM's actual parents.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

As noted above:

My b, missed it.

[AlphaFrog]

I feel like this thread is like the TV commercials for Bing.com.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I feel like this thread is like the TV commercials for Bing.com.

And no matter how hard Bing tries, its search results still aren't as good...

/tangent

[just_peachy06]

Our formal recruitment was kind of a blend between both: we had a series of individual parties spread out over a month and ended with the invitiational and preference events. Chapters could take girls out between recruitment parties (like to lunch, not out drinking) as long as it didn't conflict with other chapter's recruitment events. It was really helpful as a pnm to have enough time to make a comprehensive decision but I think they recently changed it to the week-long structured version because it would be easier on active members (which I don't really think is a good reason) and to make sure members saw every house for an equal amount of time and promote "positive panhellenic contact". I think we intimidated a lot of quality members by appearing to be too "perfect" though. Casual is the way to go!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by just_peachy06

I think we intimidated a lot of quality members by appearing to be too "perfect" though. Casual is the way to go!

This has ZERO to do with a structured schedule of parties. Just because you structure things a little, does not mean that girls who normally don't get more formal than wearing flats have to put on $300 dresses & a pound of makeup, get manicures and air kiss everyone.

This is the kind of thing that drives me absolutely effing crazy. Rush is whatever the women at the school make it. Scheduling and consideration for other groups - and most importantly, consideration for the PNMs so they can see all the groups and make the decision that's best FOR THEM - does NOT turn you into Stepford U. If you put that onus on yourselves, that's your own dumb fault.