Advice for PNMs: Not getting a bid to your 1st choice.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by carnation

Dang, I would hope that sororities would have the decency to cut legacies who didn't fit before prefs and not string them on until then!

But if a girl is at pref, that means they want her in their chapter. They just might not want her as badly as they wanted someone else.

On the flip side, at schools where you pref three chapters, if you list ABC then DEF, you could match to neither and end up in XYZ, where if you had listed DEF first, you would have matched there**. So sometimes the PNM's end up in their third choice because they aren't honest enough with themselves about where they belong.

**NB: This is not an example of getting cross-cut. Cross-cutting is an urban legend that I'd be happy to explain elsewhere.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

But if a girl is at pref, that means they want her in their chapter. They just might not want her as badly as they wanted someone else..

Oh, I know. But most NPCs require that a legacy be placed on the first bid list.

[Splash]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

But if a girl is at pref, that means they want her in their chapter. They just might not want her as badly as they wanted someone else.

On the flip side, at schools where you pref three chapters, if you list ABC then DEF, you could match to neither and end up in XYZ, where if you had listed DEF first, you would have matched there**. So sometimes the PNM's end up in their third choice because they aren't honest enough with themselves about where they belong.

**NB: This is not an example of getting cross-cut. Cross-cutting is an urban legend that I'd be happy to explain elsewhere.

How is this possible? Why wouldn't you be matched to DEF?

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by Splash

How is this possible? Why wouldn't you be matched to DEF?

Because first bid lists are matched to Choice #1 first. DEF could be filled by the time second choices are matched.

Computerized matching is a huge time saver but I think the methodology of bid matching was best learned by being there during hand matching. Essentially, they went through each PNM and called out the first choice. If she was on that group's first bid list, the person would say "Match" and everybody else would cross her off of their list. If she was on someone else's first list, then the first person on their second bid list would bump up to the first bid list.

After all first choices were read off one time, they went through them again, to see if anybody had been bumped up to the first bid list for their first choice. This continued until there were no matches for first choices. Then second choices would start. So, DEF may have filled up with women who put them first before Suzy PNM's second choice came up.

[KD4Me]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Because first bid lists are matched to Choice #1 first. DEF could be filled by the time second choices are matched.

Computerized matching is a huge time saver but I think the methodology of bid matching was best learned by being there during hand matching. Essentially, they went through each PNM and called out the first choice. If she was on that group's first bid list, the person would say "Match" and everybody else would cross her off of their list. If she was on someone else's first list, then the first person on their second bid list would bump up to the first bid list.

After all first choices were read off one time, they went through them again, to see if anybody had been bumped up to the first bid list for their first choice. This continued until there were no matches for first choices. Then second choices would start. So, DEF may have filled up with women who put them first before Suzy PNM's second choice came up.

I've always wondered whether the names are listed on the bid lists alphabetically or randomly. Would it benefit a PNM to have a last name starting with an "A"?

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by KD4Me

I've always wondered whether the names are listed on the bid lists alphabetically or randomly. Would it benefit a PNM to have a last name starting with an "A"?

No, it would not.

The first bid list is usually alphabetical, but Suzie Zimmerman is as much on the first bid list as Polly Aaron.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by KD4Me

I've always wondered whether the names are listed on the bid lists alphabetically or randomly. Would it benefit a PNM to have a last name starting with an "A"?

It doesn't really matter for the first bid list. It's alphabetical for ease of bid matching. These women are guaranteed a spot in the group if they want one since they are on the first list. It doesn't matter where they are on the first list. They are in. The first list includes only as many PNMs are there are spots for quota.

The second bid list is in order of preference. #1 is the first girl the chapter wants if they get all of the the PNMs on their first bid list except for one. #2 is the second PNM they want if they don't get two PNMs on their first bid list or don't get #1 on the second bid list and so on. That is why the second bid list is NOT in alphabetical order.

[KD4Me]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

It doesn't really matter for the first bid list. It's alphabetical for ease of bid matching. These women are guaranteed a spot in the group if they want one since they are on the first list. It doesn't matter where they are on the first list. They are in. The first list includes only as many PNMs are there are spots for quota.

The second bid list is in order of preference. #1 is the first girl the chapter wants if they get all of the the PNMs on their first bid list except for one. #2 is the second PNM they want if they don't get two PNMs on their first bid list or don't get #1 on the second bid list and so on. That is why the second bid list is NOT in alphabetical order.

Thank you for the explanation. I was asking about the second list, because where a PNM is placed on that list could certainly make a difference in where she is placed.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by KD4Me

Thank you for the explanation. I was asking about the second list, because where a PNM is placed on that list could certainly make a difference in where she is placed.

Definitely. Once you understand how it works, it's not too hard. Quota ranges make things more difficult, but that's why we have computers!

[AZ-AlphaXi]

Originally Posted by Splash

How is this possible? Why wouldn't you be matched to DEF?

The way bid matching is supposed to work is that once you make it onto a chapter's first bid list you stay there until you either match to them or you get bid somewhere else. If a PNM puts DEF second but she's on their first bid list she'll stay on their first bid list and match to DEF once ABC, which she put first, reaches quota before reaching her name. Putting a chapter second doesn't lessen your chances of matching. If you are on their first bid list you stay there. A PNM gets "cross-cut" when she's so far down on both (all) chapter's bid lists that both (all) reach quota before ever getting to her.

Someone once explained the first bid list as a box. Once you get put in the box you don't get out of the box until you match somewhere.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by AZ-AlphaXi

The way bid matching is supposed to work is that once you make it onto a chapter's first bid list you stay there until you either match to them or you get bid somewhere else. If a PNM puts DEF second but she's on their first bid list she'll stay on their first bid list and match to DEF once ABC, which she put first, reaches quota before reaching her name. Putting a chapter second doesn't lessen your chances of matching. If you are on their first bid list you stay there. A PNM gets "cross-cut" when she's so far down on both (all) chapter's bid lists that both (all) reach quota before ever getting to her.

Someone once explained the first bid list as a box. Once you get put in the box you don't get out of the box until you match somewhere.

This is correct. It doesn't matter where she put DEF. If she is on the first bid list, she'll get DEF. The above scenario occurs for women who are low on DEFs bid list, and it wouldn't matter if they put DEF first with five exclamation points and a cherry on top. If they aren't high enough on the list, they aren't high enough.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

This is correct. It doesn't matter where she put DEF. If she is on the first bid list, she'll get DEF. The above scenario occurs for women who are low on DEFs bid list, and it wouldn't matter if they put DEF first with five exclamation points and a cherry on top. If they aren't high enough on the list, they aren't high enough.

When I rushed, computers were used but after prefs you actually wrote out your final 2 choices on a piece of paper and I wrote out "PI BETA PHI!!!!!" for number one. No way that computers let you emphasize your choices these days, much less with !! and a cherry, lol...

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by carnation

When I rushed, computers were used but after prefs you actually wrote out your final 2 choices on a piece of paper and I wrote out "PI BETA PHI!!!!!" for number one. No way that computers let you emphasize your choices these days, much less with !! and a cherry, lol...

But they KNOW you want that cherry on top!

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by AZ-AlphaXi

The way bid matching is supposed to work is that once you make it onto a chapter's first bid list you stay there until you either match to them or you get bid somewhere else. If a PNM puts DEF second but she's on their first bid list she'll stay on their first bid list and match to DEF once ABC, which she put first, reaches quota before reaching her name. Putting a chapter second doesn't lessen your chances of matching. If you are on their first bid list you stay there. A PNM gets "cross-cut" when she's so far down on both (all) chapter's bid lists that both (all) reach quota before ever getting to her.

Someone once explained the first bid list as a box. Once you get put in the box you don't get out of the box until you match somewhere.

You're saying that she would indeed match to DEF, right? I had a situation in my head where that wasn't the case, but it would be the very rare exception, I think.

Does computer matching use the exact same logic as hand matching? Or is it optimizing the number of matches overall?

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

You're saying that she would indeed match to DEF, right? I had a situation in my head where that wasn't the case, but it would be the very rare exception, I think.

Does computer matching use the exact same logic as hand matching? Or is it optimizing the number of matches overall?

IF she was on the first bid list, she WOULD match to DEF. IF she was on the second bid list, she would only match if she was high enough on the list to match BEFORE they hit quota. It doesn't matter if she puts them second on her list, if she can't match with her first choice, and she matches with DEF, she can kick off a PNM who put DEF #1 if that PNM is lower on DEFs list if it's for the last spot in their pledge class. The Bid List has to be taken into consideration. Cross cutting is a myth (or was a result of misunderstanding of the rules by people doing hand matching.)