My Fall 09 Recruitment Story

[court4short]

Once again, I want to say my heart goes out to you, and I'm sorry you had a poor experience. I hope things work out, and I'm a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. Maybe you'll do COB and get a bid, maybe you'll find a club you love and become president, maybe you'll find the cure for cancer . So many options in college - just find the one that's right for you!

Thanks for posting your story, even though it wasn't a "happy" ending. I think all PNMs, including myself, can take something from this story. You're strong for being able to post it and not whine and bitch, saying "blah blah blah I'm so pissed I hate all greeks".

[srmom]

I am not privy to individual chapters membership selection criteria, nor will I, or can I comment on it.

I will point out though that some of the houses (including the "dance party" house) have to make HUGE cuts after the 1st round due to release figures. At that point, they haven't truly had an opportunity to get to know every girl going through recruitment, so the cuts could be based on legacy status, grades, familiarity with members in the house (hence the highschool, zipcode mentions), etc. So, what may seem like a "rigged system" can really be more of a "numbers game".

So sorry your recruitment ended up this way, and I truly wish you the BEST of luck both at UT and with your quest to find a Greek home!

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by wannabeagreek2

But thanks everybody for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it and I’m sorry it didn’t end up with a happy ending. I really wanted to post this because I’m so curious to hear your responses to how things work at my school. I’m just kind of disappointed that basically everybody here dirty rushes so they essentially already know who their pledge class is, because I was so looking forward to going greek. So yeah, thanks again everyone!

I just want to wish you the very best during your time at college. There are so many people to meet and ways to get involved...I hope you find people and activities that make you happy and I wish you the best for the future.

Originally Posted by srmom

If it's where I think, she's through with recruitment.

All signs point to a certain school, including the "dance party" scenario, which can be explained after the conclusion of the story - which I hope she finishes, because it is interesting.

PLEASE!!

I apologize if it's inappropriate for me to ask and I totally understand if you choose not to answer this, but what's up with the dance party? I've never heard of anything like that before.

[srmom]

Without going into any details, some houses have a "rep" for doing 1st Round party things like the above mentioned dance party, others might be that they just chant at the pnm's, etc. This rep is sometimes deserved, sometimes not.

But, as I explained in the above post, some of the houses have to make huge cuts immediately after the 1st party, so they do have an idea of who they are inviting back to 2nd round. They do not have a bid list determined from the outset though!!

Personally, the idea of a "dance party" where they don't even have the illusion of getting to know the pnm's is not a great idea, in that it does leave a bad taste in the mouth of those who feel they aren't getting a chance there. But, with the release figures as they are, it could be a moot point anyway.

[FSUZeta]

2 years ago when my niece participated in recruitment she commented on the dance party at one house.

[twinkle555]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

THIS.

Alot of times, PNMs, sisters, and even Gamma Chis misunderstand the guaranteed bid thing.

You have to attend Preference parties and rank them all in order to get a bid.

So there is no guarantee until you make it to Pref.

Up until that point, you can still be released from recruitment.

I'm confused here..I thought there was no guarantee of a bid ever..not even after Pref. At least that is how it works here, you can still be released after pref rounds. It happened to one of my friends 3 years ago, she attended 2 pref parties, ranked both and was dropped that day by both. I guess it must be rare?

[bostongreek]

Originally Posted by 33girl

the only Greek system in the country where you are GUARANTEED a bid if you go through rush is at Tufts.

sorry to hijack, but how does that work? if a very undesirable girl goes through that all of the sororities cut immediately (i'm talking the weird rush stories kind) then how do they decide which group is stuck with her?

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by twinkle555

I'm confused here..I thought there was no guarantee of a bid ever..not even after Pref. At least that is how it works here, you can still be released after pref rounds. It happened to one of my friends 3 years ago, she attended 2 pref parties, ranked both and was dropped that day by both. I guess it must be rare?

Not every university offers guaranteed placement. It sounds like your university does not offer it, which still means a PNM could be released from recruitment even after pref if she does not match to any chapters she preffed. Yes, it is rare, but it can happen.

For those universities that do offer guaranteed placement, as long as your friend had accepted and attended every invitation available to her (assuming she was at or under the number she could accept every day) then she would have been placed at one of her pref chapters.

[MaggieXi]

Originally Posted by bostongreek

sorry to hijack, but how does that work? if a very undesirable girl goes through that all of the sororities cut immediately (i'm talking the weird rush stories kind) then how do they decide which group is stuck with her?

No group is "stuck with her". I think even with "guarnateed placement" (which is just another phrase that can be misinterpreted!) if the PNM is released completely before the preference invitations are issued, she is completely out of recruitment.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by bostongreek

sorry to hijack, but how does that work? if a very undesirable girl goes through that all of the sororities cut immediately (i'm talking the weird rush stories kind) then how do they decide which group is stuck with her?

Originally Posted by MaggieXi

No group is "stuck with her". I think even with "guarnateed placement" (which is just another phrase that can be misinterpreted!) if the PNM is released completely before the preference invitations are issued, she is completely out of recruitment.

Actually in the case of Tufts, yes, some group is stuck with her.

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh....php?p=1504459

I think that someone said this ^ is actually called guaranteed bidding or guaranteed matching, not guaranteed placement, to differentiate from what places like Texas do.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by twinkle555

I'm confused here..I thought there was no guarantee of a bid ever..not even after Pref. At least that is how it works here, you can still be released after pref rounds. It happened to one of my friends 3 years ago, she attended 2 pref parties, ranked both and was dropped that day by both. I guess it must be rare?

Not every school uses guaranteed matching. Your school must not use it. I don't think mine does either.

[bostongreek]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Actually in the case of Tufts, yes, some group is stuck with her.

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh....php?p=1504459

I think that someone said this ^ is actually called guaranteed bidding or guaranteed matching, not guaranteed placement, to differentiate from what places like Texas do.

that sounds like a horrible system for the chapters!

[brittai927]

I think that the "Florida already had their bid list picked" scenario is probably unlikely, but they probably already did have a pretty good idea of who would be coming back for the second round of parties. A lot of ranking goes on before a PNM is met, with grades, recs, activities, etc. In this way, it's pretty hard for one day of meeting a PNM to have a significant impact on a score. Large houses have to make huge cuts, especially after the first round, so much of this does not have anything to do with the short time you spend in the house on that day.

[phimusam]

Also, it's usually not that you are cut (except for grades) - it's usually that you were further down the list than the ones who were "invited" back.

[UGAalum94]

I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, and I hope you get a chance to COB if that's what you are looking for.

The dance party thing just seems rude. It seems like the equivalent of the fraternity rush party stories I've heard when during formal rush at houses that only give summer bids, they just kind of ignore the visiting rushees.

It seems like people would want to do a better job with hospitality. Even if you aren't going to invite a lot of people back, you can still make them feel welcome and as if you are interested in them as human beings, despite not asking them to actually join your organization.

I'm surprised that's an acceptable solution from a HQ and PR perspective, even if the 12-22 year olds think it's swell.