Enna05's Recruitment at USC

[bruinaphi]

Enna,

Good luck in COB. It is my understanding that there are a lot of COB opportunities in the system at USC right now b/c only 4 chapters made quota. A lot of women dropped out of Recruitment yesterday.

Laura

[Floridagirl]

I didn't mean to bash USC. It's just these rush threads make me crazy. Some the girls that panhell would ask me to take back we had dropped by mistake. Some we thought wanted their legacy house and then they were dropped. Some had best friends in another house and then got dropped. Some had spoken with the wrong sister (eventhought we rush 4th we have "unique" sisters).Some had dropped us and then were dropped by their other houses. They were thrilled to have our invite even if they hadn't been at our house for the previous day. We pledged some of these girls. Shouldn't every panhell make midnight calls to houses to obtain invites for girls once they realize these girls will get dropped out of rush? Isn't it easier to do that then cob or snab bid after weeks of rush prep and rush? Isn't it ridulous that only 4 houses at USC made quota? Isn't this situation an example of what needs to be fixed with rush?

[GPhiBLtColonel]

...you are bashing the system and I agree 100% with you!! You should read the thread -- buried pretty deep in the forum I think now -- about the travesty of Rush at UGA!!! I wonder how to make the system do things the way you describe?

[Floridagirl]

I think it is a complete travesty that a rushee can go to two or three pref parties and then actually not get a bid. I think if a rushee has gone to all possible invites all week and does not suicide then she should be guaranteed a bid from a pref house even if that house goes over quota. This is only fair. And you all know what is said and the feelings that are conveyed at pref parties. The sentimental and traditional ceremonies that go on that night are beautiful and every rushee at those parties feels very close to those sisters. I can not imagine a situation where a girl then does not get a bid the next day from one of those houses. We can fix this. Every panhell can adopt this as a rule on every campus. Also, there is no reason why panhell can be more interactive during the week with girls who might get dropped out of rush. Every night get a computer report of who has no bids and then hit the phones. Call back the houses that dropped her from that day and offer them this girl as a freebee to their numbers if they have her back. If this doesn't work, call back houses that she most recently dropped to get a reinvite. She may now go to this house. In the end I think more houses will get quota and more girls will pledge and be happy.

[KDHoney]

I agree...we had girls at Pref last year that, come bid day, we just assumed went to the other sorority that they were Preffed by. We later found out that a lot of them weren't offered bids and some were understandably fed up and wanted nothing else to do with Greek life. You can lose some great people that way...

[sassykd]

It really amazes me sometimes at how different some of the schools Panhell systems can be. At my school, the way the numbers were set up, as long as you didn't "suicide" and didn't drop out of recruitment, you more than likely would get a bid (over 95%). When I see that 15-20% of the PNMs who go through PREFS do not get a bid, I think that maybe too many girls are being invited back to prefs to begin with. I know some larger schools are very competative and have large numbers going through, but this should not be allowed to happen.

It sounds like the panhells at USC and UGA both need to investigate other ways of running numbers OR seriously look into inviting another organization to colonize.

I ditto what was said about it being the Rho Chi's/Gamma Chi's job to investigate all PNMs who were totally dropped. Mistakes do happen, houses sometimes feel that a girl is uninterested in their house when she is painfully shy, etc. When I went through, one of the first things that my Rho Chi told us was that if we were dropped by a house and felt that there was a huge mistake, she could approach the house to double check.

~Melissa

[carnation]

I agree with what FloridaGirl said about how rushees who go to the maximum number of parties should get a bid--with one caveat. Somebody in PH should monitor the sororities to make sure that the sororities haven't asked back more than they should have. Without that, we all know of some groups on our individual campuses who would cheat by saying, "Oh, whoops, we asked back 10 more girls than we should have and whoops! I guess we'll have to take 10 more than quota!"

Betcha that all you ladies can name the exact groups that would try to pull that on your campus.

[Floridagirl]

I am glad that lots of you think we need to re-evaluate the rush and bid situation. Under my scenario the cut fiqures would still be established by panhell for each sorority. And panhell would be the group to use discretion when calling houses to get re-invites for girls. Of course the emphasis would be on trying to fill the smaller houses. But if a rushee had two large houses on pref, and assuming these houses had stayed with the cut numbers required by panhell, then the rushee should get one of these houses on bid day even if that house goes over quota. My scenario does not guarantee a girl any house of her chosing. If after calling around, panhell might only get reinvites to houses the girl has dropped earlier in the week. But at least the girl has something to be reinvited to. Then it is her decision to drop out because of the selection of reinvites that she has. She may drop out, but at least she can do it with dignity. It should be the goal of every panhell to be sure that every girl has something to be invited to everyday. Remember, most of these girls who rush tend to be the better looking, more involved, more social women on campus. Surely there is a place for them in the greek system.

[33girl]

How do y'all know that women are up for snap bids/open bids?

For us bid matching ended around 3...pickup was not till 6...that gave us several hours to decide whether to open bid the women who had not found a place. We received a list when bid matching was over, that's how we knew was still on the market (for lack of a better phrase). I know we were a small school but isn't this basically how everyone does it, just with more names?

You have to be very very careful about saying "everyone gets a bid" and things like that, because the women interpret it as "I will get a place I want" instead of possibly getting a bid, but a bid to someplace they don't want to go. Also some groups have clauses that say if they are forced to take people for parity, everyone getting bids etc they will pull out.

[KappaKittyCat]

For us, all women who attended at least one party are elligable for snap bids. We actually make 3 lists after Pref: first list is alphabetical above quota line, second list is ranked below quota line, and third list is ranked and consists of women who did not attend our Pref but came to at least one other party. That third list is our Snap list.

Our campus's problem is the suicide/COB issue. There should be a rule that if a girl suicided and did not receive a bid through bid matching, she shouldn't be allowed to COB that group. Most of the girls who don't bid via bid matching decline Snaps from other groups because they're sure they'll be picked up in COB.

Grr...

[aephi alum]

This is why Panhels and sororities need to use release figures!!! I've seen women at my school get strung along and then get cut before pref or fail to match even though they've followed all the rules.

Enna, I'm so sorry this happened to you. Don't let it get you down. Definitely look into COB if you're up for it. Take care.

[Enna05]

Well, I ran into my rho chi this morning on the way to school. (Coincidently, she's a Theta - I guessed it!) She was really sweet, and told me that she thinks that several sororities didn't quite make quota, including ADPi, AXO, and Gamma Phi Beta. She said that she was going to ask around today, but she had my name and number if she found out anything. She honestly seemed really concerned about my welfare, and she was really excited when I still seemed interested in the COB process. She said that she was just heartbroken when I didn't get a bid. Evidently, I was "definitely one of the sweetest girls in our group," which I take as a big compliment. Other than that, I haven't really heard too much. Right now, it's just a waiting game.

I'm really excited for another friend of mine who's now a Gamma Phi Beta, and I'm SOOO thrilled for Chloe, who's an ADPi (as you all know!)! There are definitely a whole lot more success stories than disappointments.

I'll keep you updated on what's going on.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Enna that sounds great! COB is a wonderful way for you to get a bid. I hope it works out for you.

[sassykd]

Enna,

Any GLO would be thrilled to have such a positive woman such as you in their organization. As I am sure you have hear from all of us, strange things can happen during recruitment. No one ever really knows what goes on during bid matching. I am su impressed with how you have approached this situation, you have kept your head up and didn't let it turn you into a Greek-hater.

We all have our fingers crossed for you!!

Greek love,
Melissa

[maggieaxid]

Enna, I hope you find your place!Whether it is greek or not!
-Maggie