to the 175+ girls who dropped out of recruitment

Thank you, this is very well said. This is a good time to point out that there is no such thing as a 'verbal bid'. If girls in a house like you and want you they will be gracious and encouraging but they don't speak for their entire chapter, and a bid comes from the chapter not from what some member verbally says. Girls will say they like you and tell you that they can see you fitting in as a member or that you shouldn't have a problem getting in or they hope to see you tomorrow at whatever round. This is not a bid! No one can promise anyone a bid! Bid promising is illegal in the NPC and if you think somebody actually told you point blank "you're getting a bid" then you need to report them. Otherwise it isn't bid promising.

Ladies, if someone gave you an oral bid report them. ASAP. That house already cut you, there is no changing their mind for next year or reason to protect them. Panhellenic is trying very very hard to make this issue stop and houses are all aware of the (pretty extreme) consequences. Not only does verbal bidding hurt you, it hurts our community and erodes trust in the recruitment process.

this honestly made me feel a lot better thanks so much for posting this!

We see Panhellenic paid Greek Rank to REMOVE the GDI Terrible Week Post. The points made on that Post were read by over 400 viewers. Lets all hope there will be changes made to the manipulated recruiting process next year.

The major factual points were as follows:

The University in 2015 moved the full tuition refund date to the week before the final results were announced. Any freshman wanting out of the University after receiving her rush results would be subject to a 10% cut to her tuition and housing refund.

Keep in mind most freshmen do not have cars on campus so they would have to get their parents to drive to Dallas in their large SUV on snow / ice filled roads to pack and move her out. We just learned the University requires the student to be out of her dorm by Friday, January 26th at 5pm, a short 5 days after receiving her rush results, to prevent losing 50% of her housing refund. Extending the deadline through the weekend was Not Allowed to give parents time to drive to Dallas. A premeditated captive strategy to keep these 175+ newly GDIs at SMU for the Spring semester. EVIL.

Most of the newly GDIs were encouraged to proceed with COB to find a possible opening. Only sorority 7 & 8 were involved in COB this week. These were the sororities most were Not Interested In. Once realized of the GDI reality, it was Wednesday, far too late to transfer to another university or to ask your parents the short notice to make the dangerous wintery drive to Dallas.

It was pointed out that a vast majority of the top 6 sorority PCs were pre-determined. Only a few true openings were actually available to the non-connected. Fall Sophomore rush is very similar to COB. Only sorority 7 & 8 usually take pledges. Those Sophomores that go through recruitment a second time in the Spring are usually cut early and are given bids from sorority 7 & 8 again. Sorority 7 may cut you as a sophomore.

Pretty depressing. Tonight, my roommate and many of the newly pledged girls are out at sorority parties. The 10 -12 newly GDIs on our floor are studying or watching the Shopping Network. We did nothing to deserve this social isolation. Just obeyed the recruitment rules and trusted the top 6 sororities with their verbal bid encouragement. We are stuck here as social outcasts by design of the University and Panhellenic.

The posts above reflect the University's policy to change the tuition and housing refund timeline to capture 175+ tuition and housing paying freshman from dropping SMU in the Spring. The loss of these payments would be a substantial financial loss to the University.

The lack of response by Panhellenic while recruitment drops have dramatically increased over the past few years has been noted. Having approximately 1/3 of PMNs drop from this years recruitment is an alarming Panhellenic failure.

You can't blame the pnms for wanting what their friend's have. I mean, we're talking about 18 year olds here. This is sad. I'm so sorry the system failed you. I agree that there shouldn't be forcing girls to go to houses where they are not interested, but would also like to see a solution to help ALL the houses be desirable and not just 6 of them.

If you are sitting around with 10-12 "newly GDIs" and having a pity party by watching the home shopping network, planning to transfer, it seems like you could be more rodictive by taking those 12-14 people and together becoming pledge sisters in a house that has a bid for you. All of you are fabulous, right? And you have established this bond of studying and tv (sounds similar to sorority life with study sessions and bachelor Mondays to me). All the freshmen are in dorms no matter what house. So now everyone notices the amazing PC at X house and you are with people you fit in with (your PC sisters from the original pity party). If you hatevit after six weeks you don't activate. No harm no foul. And if you are transferring ANYWAY then figure out where X house has a strong chapter. If you have activated, you will already be in the that great house when you arrive. Honestly get over yourself and get a better game plan.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

LOL. Yes, the pnm's mom was a member at SMU of 1 of the top 3 and she was cut as a freshman. After that the mom/family got involved/donation/connections to that chapter and pnm got in as a sophomore.so yes she was a legacy.

Most of sorority PCs 1-6 are predetermined by a number of factors. Many of these have been documented on this post. 360 PMNs will cakewalk through recruitment to their family's legacy Chapter. Leaving 240 to fight for the very few true openings in sororities 1-6.

After that the University 50% cut in tuition and housing refund trap kicks in. Then Panhellenic puts on the COB Pressure to join its least socially active sororities 7 & 8. Those sororities have the same sisterhood demands, requirements and financial obligations. They just socialize with bottom tier fraternities and the Greenville Ave. Club scene. 200 classy, top tier 18 year old freshmen ladies caught in a trap to be pressured into sororities they are Not Interested In.

These 200 Newly GDIs need to speak up and express their dissatisfaction with SMU's Greek Recruitment. More needs to be done for this large tuition and housing paying group.