The Best Strategy for a "Weak Recruiting" Chapter

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I trust your experience. I'm not second guessing, just explaining.

I was thinking that having fewer parties a round would sort of have that effect. PNM #1 can only go back to 10 of 17 (or whatever the real number) for second round, so assuming she was going to be invited back everywhere, she's now out of the running at 11-17. And since, as you don't re-invite as I understand RFM, she's gone for good.

I did understand that WRC ended up with more girls than SRC, but I was thinking they were mid-range PNM in an imaginary world where all PNM were equally as desirable to all chapters.

Oh, right, having fewer parties per round would decrease the number of "not even really looking" PNM's at the WRC. AFAIK, though, few campuses have cut down the number of parties as they've implemented RFM.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Oh, right, having fewer parties per round would decrease the number of "not even really looking" PNM's at the WRC. AFAIK, though, few campuses have cut down the number of parties as they've implemented RFM.

I was just thinking of the same ol' progressive decline in the number of parties to get from Open house/ first round to prefs. [ ETA: I see that I originally wrote "fewer parties a round" which isn't what I was really thinking, sorry.]

If there are any top PNMs who have more chapters interested in them than they have parties to attend anymore with RFM, they take themselves out of the running a couple of chapters per round.

I think that I'm interested in recruitment the same way that that some people love sports that track all kinds of stats.

[tcsparky]

I feel that same way! While I am excited when a chapter I am working with makes quota/gets their rush crushes.....I am also just as much interested in seeing the detailed stats for the week, and of course I always wish for a greater range of data ( such as WHO the PNMs listed ahead of us).

I feel like such a geek sometimes.

[AZ-AlphaXi]

Me to ... I'm such a geek for the numbers of recruitment.

The following is old and pre-RFM .. but an interesting statistical treatment of "rush"

http://kuznets.fas.harvard.edu/~aroth/sorority.html

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I think that it not only messes up your returns, but breaks girls' hearts. I can't tell you how many times I'd see a sister SO excited about someone she rushed, only for that girl not to be on our list.

Oh yes.

I really wish I could be super honest with the collegians I work with about the unrealistic expectations they have for certain girls to join.

I'm sorry, but Super Cute Suzie has a sister in one Super Strong Chapter and a best friend in another. As much as you squeal "Omg, she's soooo cute! I want her to be my little soooo bad" she's not going to be. In fact, while you were thinking that, she was probably dropping your chapter. She should not be the focus of your recruiting efforts (single rushed, president intro, etc.)

Meanwhile Regular Renee, who knows no one in Greek Life, but is very excited about Greek Life, just got the double rusher treatment with the most quiet girl in your whole chapter.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by AZ-AlphaXi

Me to ... I'm such a geek for the numbers of recruitment.

The following is old and pre-RFM .. but an interesting statistical treatment of "rush"

http://kuznets.fas.harvard.edu/~aroth/sorority.html

Oh, this looks interesting. Super-nerdy. yea! Thanks for linking it!

[33girl]

I'm afraid that all this talking about not focusing on SuperDuperSusie is going to backfire, and chapters will say "well, we could NEVER attract someone like that." It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

We had a super kickass rush chair one year, as well as a very motivated senior class. It definitely showed in our rushing. You could have knocked us over with a feather when we found out that many of the women coming to our events were torn, not between us and our usual "rival," but between us and BigDealPrettyPrincess Chapter. It definitely was a lesson for us to not be narrow-minded in the types of women we rushed.

Should you go overboard at the expense of other rushees to try and attract a super rushee? No, but it doesn't hurt to let her know that you like her company.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Should you go overboard at the expense of other rushees to try and attract a super rushee?

This is what I'm referring to.

Go after those top 2% PNMs. Give them a great experience.

I'm not saying totally ignore every "longshot" PNM you don't feel you have a shot with.

I'm saying just don't overlook that middle ground group because you're so focused on those "longshot" women.

It's like college admissions. You aren't going to focus all of your time and energy on your "reaches."

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I'm afraid that all this talking about not focusing on SuperDuperSusie is going to backfire, and chapters will say "well, we could NEVER attract someone like that." It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

We had a super kickass rush chair one year, as well as a very motivated senior class. It definitely showed in our rushing. You could have knocked us over with a feather when we found out that many of the women coming to our events were torn, not between us and our usual "rival," but between us and BigDealPrettyPrincess Chapter. It definitely was a lesson for us to not be narrow-minded in the types of women we rushed.

Should you go overboard at the expense of other rushees to try and attract a super rushee? No, but it doesn't hurt to let her know that you like her company.

Right, it's not a matter of ignoring the top rushees. It's a matter of making the middle-tier rushees feel just as special.

[DubaiSis]

When priorities have to be made, you do have to decide (like it or not) to give up on somebody. If you have 50 girls on the rush floor and 60 rushees at a party, and we all understand that double rushing is almost a guaranteed loss of both girls (if they have a choice), you have to decide who you're going to lose. I'm not saying put your WORST rusher on the BEST rushee. But put your best rushers on the biggest part of the bell curve. then the C rushers with the A rushees. And the F rushers with the F rushees.

But I think the part of this equation that may not be happening is knowing who your A rushers are and who your F rushers are. If you don't know this, the whole discussion is moot. And hopefully with some good rush prep and some real motivation, you can turn a C rusher into a B rusher and an F into a C because obviously you don't want any F rushers on the floor.

Changing subject a bit, what do you think of having every rusher prepared with a topic of discussion, pre-determined by each rush team? I did this in my team because a problem we had was everyone in the chapter talking about the same 1 huge point of pride for us. It was something every member was very comfortable talking about but it became ridiculous REALLY fast. So in my group, one talked about academics, one sports, one pop culture, one leadership (all examples). If we stuck to our topic we didn't repeat each other. Or is this too staged?

[carnation]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Right, it's not a matter of ignoring the top rushees. It's a matter of making the middle-tier rushees feel just as special.

It would be wonderful if we could make all rushees feel special. Only, the downside of that is that they then get a horrible shock when they're not invited back.

[Mevara]

Originally Posted by carnation

It would be wonderful if we could make all rushees feel special. Only, the downside of that is that they then get a horrible shock when they're not invited back.

Isn't this what happens at the SRC? They are so good at making everyone feel welcomed but still have to cut PNMs.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by Mevara

Isn't this what happens at the SRC? They are so good at making everyone feel welcomed but still have to cut PNMs.

Right, because, in theory, they have a much larger number of good rushers. Again, I don't think you should write off top women thinking "we'll never get her", but if you are a WRC, maybe you don't have to make any cuts after first round, or at least, you have enough invitations to invite everyone who makes grades. Now, pretend you had to make cuts. Would you cut from the top? Or cut from the bottom? Or a little of both?

Personally, I think there are plenty of "awesome PNM's" who are viewed as such because they are attractive, trendy, out-going, etc., as opposed to "medium PNM's" who are maybe not as cute, but would make good leaders, have good grades, etc. Active sisters get caught up in wanting the former, the same way PNM's want the chapter that is full of beauty queens. But if you can rush the hell out of the medium PNM's, you can have a great pledge class.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

Changing subject a bit, what do you think of having every rusher prepared with a topic of discussion, pre-determined by each rush team? I did this in my team because a problem we had was everyone in the chapter talking about the same 1 huge point of pride for us. It was something every member was very comfortable talking about but it became ridiculous REALLY fast. So in my group, one talked about academics, one sports, one pop culture, one leadership (all examples). If we stuck to our topic we didn't repeat each other. Or is this too staged?

It might be ok to have as a fallback, IF women don't get crazy and think OMG WE ARE TALKING ABOUT JUSTIN BEIBER WHEN I AM SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT THE STEELERS.

[carnation]

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