Specific question about Bid Day

[ILuvGreek]

I read all the relevant stickies and tried to do a search for "bid day" with no success in answering my question. I apologize if my question is out there, but I've had no luck in finding a specific answer despite all the great stickies.

Let's say you are invited back to up to 3 houses for Pref Night. After Pref Night, do you indicate in order which houses you are interested in or only the one house you would like to pledge?

Do they then match up for Bid Day according to your preference and the houses' preferences? Let's say I want to pledge house C, but list them in pref order as house C, house A, and house B. This is the point where I get confused. If my #1 choice doesn't want me, but my last choice does, does my bid card come from my last choice? Of course it's always possible there will be no matches on Bid Day. Are the bids computer cross-matched?

Can someone please clarify the very last step in more detail. Thanks!

[33girl]

You indicate in order the sororities you would like to pledge. You can put down only one sorority, but this is called "suiciding" (PC term: Intentional Single Preference) and may result in you receiving no bid at all if that sorority doesn't have you on their bid list. You should only suicide if you would rather be set on fire and dragged through a field of sharp spikes than join the other 2 sororities.

Other people are better at explaining the second step than I am.

[KSUViolet06]

This is really complicated and hard to explain. Try and follow me.

After Preference, you would RANK your final 3 in the order in which you would like to pledge them.

So if you liked C best, then A, and then B, your list would read:

1.C
2.A
3.B

Here is where things get complicated. Each sorority sumbits a list of the girls who attended their Pref parties in order of preference (how each sorority prepares it's list is part of their private Membership Selection procedures).

They put your rankings into the computer system with the sorority lists, and bid matching takes place.

Every sorority has a max number of girls that they can give bids to, called quota. This is an important number.

When the computer goes to to try and match you with C, if you are high enough on C's list and they have not reached quota, you will match with C.

However, if it attempts to match you with C, and C has reached quota, it then attempts to match you with A (2nd choice). If you are high enough on A's list, you'll get a bid from A.

That's a VERY general explanation. It's been 2 years since I've participated in bid matching, so I could be a little off, but it is a complicated process.

[MerryGPhiB]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You indicate in order the sororities you would like to pledge. You can put down only one sorority, but this is called "suiciding" (PC term: Intentional Single Preference) and may result in you receiving no bid at all if that sorority doesn't have you on their bid list. You should only suicide if you would rather be set on fire and dragged through a field of sharp spikes than join the other 2 sororities.

Other people are better at explaining the second step than I am.

33- I feel your explanation was a good one-- love the graphic thoughts..... lol

[NutBrnHair]

What KSUViolet said!

[Zillini]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

This is really complicated and hard to explain. Try and follow me.

After Preference, you would RANK your final 3 in the order in which you would like to pledge them.

So if you liked C best, then A, and then B, your list would read:

1.C
2.A
3.B

Here is where things get complicated. Each sorority sumbits a list of the girls who attended their Pref parties in order of preference (how each sorority prepares it's list is part of their private Membership Selection procedures).

They put your rankings into the computer system with the sorority lists, and bid matching takes place.

Every sorority has a max number of girls that they can give bids to, called quota. This is an important number.

When the computer goes to to try and match you with C, if you are high enough on C's list and they have not reached quota, you will match with C.

However, if it attempts to match you with C, and C has reached quota, it then attempts to match you with A (2nd choice). If you are high enough on A's list, you'll get a bid from A.

That's a VERY general explanation. It's been 2 years since I've participated in bid matching, so I could be a little off, but it is a complicated process.

Great explanation!

[LAblondeGPhi]

I'm going to go one tiny step further in explaining, just in case the OP has more questions, specifically "how high is high enough?"

So the sororities submit lists in numerical order of women to whom they would like to submit a bid.

If quota is set at 25, then the first 25 women on sorority A's bid list is considered the "first bid list", and this means that ANY and ALL PNMs on that "first bid list" who chose A sorority as their first choice will receive a bid from A.

If you are #26 on Sorority A's bid list, and you ranked Sorority A first, then you will receive a bid if at least one of the PNMs on the "first bid list" chose another chapter and was matched at that other chapter. How far down the list you can be and still receive a bid to your first choice depends on what the other PNMs ranked above you decide.

Every attempt and preference is made for a PNM to be matched with her first choice, and the system works remarkably well. You won't be at any kind of disadvantage if your #2 and #3 choices happen to place you higher on their bid list than your #1 choice does.

Also, if you are at a preference party for 3 sororities, then ALL 3 of those sororities want you.

[ILuvGreek]

These were such great answers. I appreciate how all of you took the time to explain everything in such detail. I had no problem at all understanding this process after the lengthy explanation by KSUViolet06 and LAblondeGPhi's further reply and got a real laugh out of 33girl's note. Sometimes even a good joke goes a long way in helping us to understand!

If these replies aren't stickies, I think they would be helpful to others, unless I'm just slow to understand? Thanks again.

[vamom11]

My daughter's going through Recruitment right now and I really appreciate all of your explanations of Pref/Bid. She's having a great time and seems to be doing well. It's all new to me...I went to an all-woman's college.

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You should only suicide if you would rather be set on fire and dragged through a field of sharp spikes than join the other 2 sororities.

ROFLMAO!!!

[33girl]

In all seriousness, this is one of the reasons I hate the term "Intentional Single Preference." It's just a bunch of long words and doesn't convey the seriousness of what a rushee is doing if she exercises this option. "Suicide" does. I'm sure that's how its use came about to begin with. "You're only putting down one sorority? That's social suicide!"

[KappaKittyCat]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You indicate in order the sororities you would like to pledge. You can put down only one sorority, but this is called "suiciding" (PC term: Intentional Single Preference) and may result in you receiving no bid at all if that sorority doesn't have you on their bid list. You should only suicide if you would rather be set on fire and dragged through a field of sharp spikes than join the other 2 sororities.

I'm loving you lately.

The OP is a HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN. She should be focused on high school things -- homecoming, dances, etc. -- NOT worrying about Intentional Single Preference. There's lots of time for that in four years.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by OTW

The OP is a HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN. She should be focused on high school things -- homecoming, dances, etc. -- NOT worrying about Intentional Single Preference. There's lots of time for that in four years.

Actually, I don't think she is. (I know she said she is, but I don't think she is.)

Originally Posted by 33girl

Actually, I don't think she is. (I know she said she is, but I don't think she is.)

I was wondering about that too. She sure doesn't "sound" like she's 14.

ktbugITY?