After Several Years: What Do You Think of the New Release Figures?

[AXOrushadvisor]

Carnation, honestly, I think the only issue with the RFM's that I see is that the first round is totally based on first impressions. There is not enough time to really get to know a girl. I think this hurts PNM's the most who are shy and reserved. I think it helps PNM's who might be very attractive, but not have a lot of the other qualities your looking for. I think you could fix this by having 1st round parties be a little bit longer, which is hard at a lot of universities or have your releases not be so drastic so you could actually meet these women a second time and get a better feel for them.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by AXOrushadvisor

Carnation, honestly, I think the only issue with the RFM's that I see is that the first round is totally based on first impressions. There is not enough time to really get to know a girl. I think this hurts PNM's the most who are shy and reserved. I think it helps PNM's who might be very attractive, but not have a lot of the other qualities your looking for. I think you could fix this by having 1st round parties be a little bit longer, which is hard at a lot of universities or have your releases not be so drastic so you could actually meet these women a second time and get a better feel for them.

Yep. Pre-RFM, you might have said "Suzie seemed a little shy, let's invite her back for tomorrow and see if she perks up." With the new RFM, if you have to make cuts, you do not have the time to give Suzie a second chance.

I almost wish Panhellenics would somehow prep PNMs for some of this. Like the fact that you need to be ON and make a good impression from minute one because quite honestly, if you are a little tired, less enthusiastic, etc. at one chapter, you may not get a second chance to impress them.

[carnation]

I wish that PH would prep the girls too but as time goes by, several of us have decided that a lot of groups at competitive schools have their "cut after first round" list made well before recruitment. A lot of these girls aren't grade or reputation releases, they're simply unknown to the members. Come to think of it, several groups probably have most of their "cut after second round" list finished well in advance too...you know, the legacies and heavily recommended girls they're sure they don't want.

Also done ahead of time: the ranking of multiple girls from 1 city or high school. This is known as the 'there are 10 girls from ABC High School or ABC City and we can't take them all" list.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by carnation

I wish that PH would prep the girls too but as time goes by, several of us have decided that a lot of groups at competitive schools have their "cut after first round" list made well before recruitment. A lot of these girls aren't grade or reputation releases, they're simply unknown to the members.

I understand that. When you've got like 800-900 girls, and most of them are either legacies or girls with 2-3 (or more) recs, or girls who have recs and connections to members via school or whatever and you HAVE to make a cut, the easiest way is probably to say "Who have we NEVER heard of before recruitment?"

Unfortunately, the girls who are total unknowns might be great girls, with good grades/involvement and the potential to be great sisters.

But they probably miss their chance because they (and you can correct me if I'm wrong here) were maybe from a small town and didn't have the connections for recs, or they (unfortunately) took Panhellenics word for it when they said "recs are not required and the sororities will find them for you."

[carnation]

Agree with you 100% on all points! The Greek system misses lots of great girls that way.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by carnation

Agree with you 100% on all points! The Greek system misses lots of great girls that way.

I don't agree with this. If those chapters won't give those "unknown" women a chance they aren't missing out on being Greek, they just go to chapters that will take the time to get to know them or are better at researching PNMs. The Greek system is only missing out on those great girls if those great girls decide to not accept invitations to chapters that do want to get to know them. With release figures it seems that it would be rare for a great girl to not get invites from any chapters.

I'm not advocating that chapters only take girls they know, but frankly that is their business and how they do membership selection. They are only hurting themselves in the long run if they miss out on great members and more conscientious groups take the time and effort to procure recs for women without them.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I don't agree with this. If those chapters won't give those "unknown" women a chance they aren't missing out on being Greek, they just go to chapters that will take the time to get to know them or are better at researching PNMs. The Greek system is only missing out on those great girls if those great girls decide to not accept invitations to chapters that do want to get to know them. With release figures it seems that it would be rare for a great girl to not get invites from any chapters.

I'm not advocating that chapters only take girls they know, but frankly that is their business and how they do membership selection. They are only hurting themselves in the long run if they miss out on great members and more conscientious groups take the time and effort to procure recs for women without them.

Exactly. The Greek Community probably won't miss out on the great "unknown" girls, just certain chapters will.

This is the challenge that popular chapters at competitive schools face. They have to figure out how to have quality conversations with PNMs to get the most information in their limited time so they can make the best decisions in membership selection. Chapters can choose their members however they want. If they are only taking girls they know or going to cut everyone who isn't a "10" (looks wise), that's their prerogative.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I don't agree with this. If those chapters won't give those "unknown" women a chance they aren't missing out on being Greek, they just go to chapters that will take the time to get to know them or are better at researching PNMs. The Greek system is only missing out on those great girls if those great girls decide to not accept invitations to chapters that do want to get to know them. With release figures it seems that it would be rare for a great girl to not get invites from any chapters.

I'm not advocating that chapters only take girls they know, but frankly that is their business and how they do membership selection. They are only hurting themselves in the long run if they miss out on great members and more conscientious groups take the time and effort to procure recs for women without them.

Ditto. Also, I don't think RFM changes the process for those chapters anyway. These chapters made their bid lists before recruitment started before RFM was even invented. They know who they want, and making them release women they don't want early in the process hasn't changed that in the least.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AXOrushadvisor

Carnation, honestly, I think the only issue with the RFM's that I see is that the first round is totally based on first impressions. There is not enough time to really get to know a girl. I think this hurts PNM's the most who are shy and reserved. I think it helps PNM's who might be very attractive, but not have a lot of the other qualities your looking for. I think you could fix this by having 1st round parties be a little bit longer, which is hard at a lot of universities or have your releases not be so drastic so you could actually meet these women a second time and get a better feel for them.

On the other side of that coin, if Susie is THAT shy, she would probably be uncomfortable in a chapter so full of overly vivacious girls. "You'll end up where you were meant to." As far as the PNMs who are cute but crap otherwise...I'm sure they get cut very quickly.

Ditto all this to the girls who don't get into ABC because ABC only takes girls from certain cities/high schools. Why would you want to be in a group that's going to have a bunch of inside jokes that you don't understand and that every other thing they say they have to explain to you?

The whole point is: do your homework!! This is a generation that studies, compares, contrasts and preps for college admission to the nth degree. Especially when looking at competitive colleges (which these days, just with the sheer amount of college age students) is most of them. They need to look at rushing a Greek org (because I think guys also go through similar things at competitive schools) the same way.

I mean, if you can find out that Vanderbilt likes you to write your essay about a family member that died and how you grew from it (regardless of what their website says), you can certainly find out that they need recs for sorority rush (regardless of what the website says).