<p>STOP!
Neither UA Panhellenic nor the University of Alabama can “guarantee a bid!!” I wish I could put this in bold, underlined, in big red letters!
You go back to every party you’re invited to, whether you liked the group or not. When you do that, the chances are excellent that you will eventually receive a bid.
BUT IT IS NOT GUARANTEED!
If you are released, there will be no explanations.
We can tell you some of the reasons PNMs get released, but we cannot give specific information to one PNM.
Welcome to real life - nothing is guranteed.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone has said they expect a bid - just that once recruitment starts, it is best to be yourself and really engage in the conversations with actives. If you are relaxed and natural you will present yourself in the best possible light.</p>
<p>It sounds as though anyone can be released from recruitment in early rounds, but if you maximize your options and attend all preference parties you are invited to, at that time you should be guaranteed a bid. One reason I thought this was true was looking at the NM numbers from last year’s recruitment, a few groups had MUCH greater than the 5% allotment of Quota Additions, as well as making quota. Is this where the “guaranteed placement” went into play?</p>
<p>In regards to being guaranteed a bid…My daughter had a very successful reruitment last year with a full party scheduled each day. Granted she had terrific grades, desirable extra curriculars and we worked mightily to get recs because we knew that it was going to be a bit harder being from out of state and not having any previous conection to the Greek system. But when Greek Chic came out last year I know it made her (and me) feel more at ease when we read this statement in the NPC MRABA (page 21 of this year’s Greek Chic):</p>
<p>“Only Potential New Members who maximize their options and list ALL of the Chapters that they attended during the Preference Round are guaranteed to receive a bid for membership during formal recruitment.” </p>
<p>Since she was bound and determined to maximize her options this statement took some of the pressure off. It sounded like a guarantee to us. And of course alls well that ends well. She loves her sorority and is looking forward to living in a palatial home this year as well as being on the other side of recruitment.</p>
<p>“Only Potential New Members who maximize their options and list ALL of the Chapters that they attended during the Preference Round are guaranteed to receive a bid for membership during formal recruitment.” </p>
<p>sounds pretty much like a guarantee to me.</p>
<p>maybe you get released before pref, then there is no guarantee, but if you make it to pref, you are in … somewhere.</p>
<p>i saw a report somewhere last year that listed each round and the outcomes. i can’t find it now, though.</p>
<p>found it.</p>
<p>it is on page 22 of this thread.</p>
<p>[Alabama</a> Rush and First Cuts: Predetermined? - Page 22 - GreekChat.com Forums](<a href=“Alabama Rush and First Cuts: Predetermined? - Page 22 - GreekChat.com Forums”>Alabama Rush and First Cuts: Predetermined? - Page 22 - GreekChat.com Forums)</p>
<p>apparently the guarantee is only for those who make it to pref and maximize options.</p>
<p>the number of girls released (cut from all chapters) is usually pretty low (i think the highest rate per this chart is 4.5% in 2011).</p>
<p>far more withdraw because they are not happy with the options they have left.</p>
<p>My understanding is that typically when a school has ‘guaranteed bids’ it is always based on maximizing options through pref night. I don’t think anyone expects that just because you go sign up for recruitment that you will be guaranteed a bid. So if you go to every pref party that you are able to and list all chapters that you are able to, you should be able to rest that night when you go to sleep knowing that you will get a bid. </p>
<p>ChristineF, it makes sense that the quota additions is where you see some of this come into play. Anyone know?</p>
<p>Can someone please PM me with the list of primarily southern sororities as well? Also, is there a Jewish sorority that is rebuilding? Are the sororities all near each other on campus? If you don’t get Rec letters for some houses does that mean you don’t go to their rush parties? Is there a primer on CC on this so I don’t keep bombarding with questions? Lol</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I’ll say it out loud - at UA, sororities that take only a small number of non-Southerners - Alpha Gamma Delta and Kappa Delta. But that is changing.</p></li>
<li><p>Jewish sorority - there is only one, Sigma Delta Tau, and it is no longer exclusively Jewish. It has been a very long time since they participated in formal recruitment. They used to have a house on sorority row but had not lived in it for a long time. They met at the Hillel Foundation and leased the house to various other sororities and fraternities who were renovating. SDT sold their house to Alpha Phi a couple of years ago. Last year, they moved to a university-owned house on new fraternity row (an area on the east side of campus that was new in the 1950s when fraternity houses began to be built there). This year, SDT will participate in the first round of recruitment only, and host rercruitment parties after formal recruitment is finished.</p></li>
<li><p>All the sororities except SDT are on 2 streets next to each other on the south side of campus.</p></li>
<li><p>If you don’t get rec letters for some houses you still go to their parties. Not getting rec letters means those sororities will not be familiar with you when you walk through the door and not as likely to keep you on their invite-back lists. You can still have a successful recruitment without rec letters. But why throw a stumbling block in your way?</p></li>
<li><p>There is no CC primer…recruitment is a little different at every school. But read the sorority threads in this forum. You might also want to visit another forum named greekchat.com. There are also several blog sites that have good info. Recruitment at big SEC schools is NOT the same as recruitment at small colleges, or colleges in the north, or west.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Note: UA used to also have Delta Phi Epsilon and Alpha Epsilon Phi. AEPhi closed in the late 1960s, DPhiE in the early 1970s. Reason - lots of Jewish kids atteded UA from the 1920s (I think) up through the 1960s. Many NE schools refused entrance based on faith, and a UA president at some point discovered this and personally invited these children and their parents to check out UA, where they were welcomed. But when attitudes and entrance requirements changed in the NE, our Jewish enrollment shrank.
Since you are in NY, I hope you understand that Alabama simply does not have as high a percentage of Jewish residents as NY. Jewish girls are, to my knowledge, actually found in all the sororities at UA.</p>
<p>NOTE: NONE of this applies to fraternities. NONE of it!!</p>
<p>Southlander, thanks for all the great insight. My daughter is friends with people from all faiths and backgrounds and is not necessarily looking for a Jewish sorority but I do appreciate the info on SDT. Enjoyed the history lesson too! 
We are visiting Bama on Aug 26th. Waiting on our itinerary that is being set up by the Honors College, thanks to the wonderful folks on these boards! We are looking forward to it.</p>
<p>I’m kinda lost with this “maximizing options” thing? Will someone please explain this more about guaranteed bids?</p>
<p>Maximizing your options is listing all groups that you attended parties for. For example, if you attend 3 pref parties but decide you really don’t want to join sorority ABC, if you only list two groups you are not maximizing your options. If you do this scenario, you may still receive a bid from one of your top two if you are high enough on their bid lists, but if you are not high enough, you will end up bid less. If you do maximize your options, it gives you a chance of still getting a bid through quota additions to one of your top groups, not necessarily your third choice. However, if you are high enough on your third choice’s bid list you will be matched with them. Look at maximizing your options as a safety net to not go bid less.</p>
<p>Another mother told me to make sure you RANK your bottom 4 houses. I know opinions change throughout the week, and although you may not have felt a fit with one of these, ranking your bottom four also maximizes your options. My D is starting rush in a couple of weeks and is much more relaxed about the process than I am. She’s truly just looking forward to taking the whole experience in, meeting new people and letting the process work itself out.</p>
<p>Wait where are you from? I’m from Grand Rapids area and I’m definitely rushing. I’ve heard it’s harder for OOS girls, but the main reason for girls not getting bids is due to GPA and lack of recs.</p>
<p>Oh wait, you’re an upcoming senior? I’m going into my freshman year at UA. I’ll let you know how rush goes for me(:</p>
<p>My dd will be a freshman this year at Bama, we are from Kalamazoo/portage. Lauryn - send me a PM so we can meet up!</p>