which houses did you pref and which did you pick?

While this thread talks a lot about girls who were dropped from houses throughout the process I think @Hi brings up an interesting point. The voices that are missing from this thread are those of the girls who were dropped AFTER pref night. It happened to me too and at least 6 other girls from my house (I'd prefer to not say where). I have yet to see one post from a girl who did not get her first choice, but believe me there are plenty of us. My RC told me that pref night was the one night where it would finally be my decision and that it's very rare that girls don't get their first choice. However, I feel like a 1/4 of the girls that I've met either got dropped on pref night and didn't accept their bid or did accept their bid and had a very rough bid day. Believe me, there are plenty of tears on bid day as this is the most heart breaking day to be dropped. Someone explained to me that there were last minute space issues and some houses had to take new members at the very last minute and that's an even worse thing to think about-- that maybe your own house didn't even want you. I think pnm's should keep the process lighthearted because it's only sorority recruitment, not the end of the world (as I had to learn). And believe me, there are worse feelings of rejection than getting dropped by kappa on the first day. Have fun with it and don't get attached, because in the eloquent words of @Hi, we really are all the same

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I wanted to put out there that last year I was dropped by every house except two (one I wanted and the other I was neutral about but would have still pledged). The only reason I am sharing my story is that I want people to know that it is possible to lose what you think are the houses you most want (I walked on eggshells for the entire week and it was uncomfortable and stressful) and still have a good outcome. You only need one match at the end of the process. I suggest to play out the cards you are dealt until the bitter end and then see how you feel. Each house has something to offer and the idea that there is only one or two houses for 'you' is honestly foolish and totally untrue. Don't give up.

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I wanted to put it out there that I was part of one of the huge pledge classes last year and I have to say that being in a huge class really wasn't great on any level. I don't understand why classes of this size were allowed to happen and how we most likely will have the same thing happen again this year. Something is seriously wrong with the whole situation of huge classes at some houses, traditionally strong houses not taking huge classes and some houses not making quota (again). Who is managing this situation as it cannot be good for our school at all. I'm serioiusly confused why this is happening year after year after year?

I wasn't sure I wanted to post but I decided that if my post helps at least one person then it was worth it. Last year I went through recruitment, got a house I thought I would love, went through initiation, tried to like my house, worked really hard to like my house, started to not like my house, started to really really not like my house and then I dropped. The message to this years PNMs, really look closely at how people within the house interact with each other. Sisterhood is something that doesn't get the attention I think it deserves when greek life is discussed. Not sure why this is the case but what finally got to me was the internal house drama, how people treated each other, cliques and pure nasty behavior. There were huge parts of greek life I loved (meeting people, game days and of course the parties). But in the end it was the internal 'house stuff' that did me in as it seemed so unnecessary and oftentimes petty. To PNMs please spend at least as much time watching the houses as they are spending watching you. Vote with your feet if you don't like your experience.

Control over the number women going thru formal recruitment belongs strictly to those interested students who sign-up. Panhel does not prohibit interested female students from recruitment attendance except by GPA and recruitment sign-up costs (no pay, no play).

Fall 2016 was the first in recent memory where the number of pnms to be bid was rather high. It was also a year one of our sororities was unable, at the very last minute, to recruit. No one could have predicted the interested number of pnms until the Fall registration numbers were finalized in late August 2016.

Control over the number of women bid belongs JOINTLY to the pnms who are going thru (and staying/dropping for whatever their reasons) and the sororities-as a-whole who set quota after pref based upon the pnm number attending pref (this is done per NPC standards and regulations).

If there truly were large numbers of women who dropped from their homes after formal recruitment but before initiation, there would have been quite a bit more Spring informal recruiting (even if only at the quiet level that somehow offends those that post here).

I am truly over having 2016 issues blamed mainly on the AOPI/Delta Sigma situation as while that had some impact, the large pledge classes didn't solely happen because a single house couldn't recruit. I feel like the commentary about 2016 is like Groundhog Day with people repeating over and over that the issues related to AOPI. The issues didn't revolve around AOPI completely and I believe people are airbrushing the real issues under the carpet yet again this year. Looks like we have record numbers signing up and yet again it looks like nothing has changed. If I had to vote on the issue of pledge class size in our house I would keep it at 35. We can manage 35 but we cannot manage 50+ yet again. It is also unfair when not all the houses step up equally as was the case last year. I suppose these are good issues to have but if the underlying issues don't get fixed then our system is worse off because of the lack of honesty and integrity in the process.

The huge pledge classes weren't just an issue for people in last year's classes but will be an issue for this years class as well. House space is limited and if you want to live in the house the people in this year's class will be lower in the pecking order than the classes above them. Houses can only house so many people and it already was a major issue this past year. I'm in a house that will also vote on pledge class size and I think this is a very solid way to work around high quota. I wish we had a school that dealt with issues proactively but absent proactive management then the houses have to look out for themselves and their members. I think a good number for incoming class is 35-40 and NO MORE. Last year's class of 50+ was crazy hard to deal with and the issues of managing that class will be with us for their entire time at Cal. Something needs to be done.

This is a multi-person account of what happens during recruitment. Everyone going through recruitment should read it. 2016 wasnt really different than others years except that people were willing to share their experience on here. Check it out, get rid of any expectations, and don't give up!