legacy

Legacies are released before pref round because they go to the top of the bid list. This is for most, but not all, houses. And technically, no one is 'cut' after preference round, there are only rankings. If you are invited to anyone's pref you will be on their bid list somewhere. You will rank the houses also. The sororities' bid lists will be matched in their order of preference to the PNM's who put them first. When a house reaches their quota they are done with the matching process. If you do not match with your first choice it is because they filled quota before they got to you. If your second choice gets to your name before they fill quota you will match with them. If you are unmatched after this process you will get a bid to one of the two through quota addition. You will never know how it goes down, just run to your house and don't worry about it.

Yes, all legacies go to the top.

Legacy status means national sorority legacy, not just chapter. A legacy is a legacy and all considerations apply. If a chapter is not going to bid a legacy they must release her before the pref round. Legacies are daughters, sisters, granddaughters. At some houses also great-granddaughters, but step relations and adopted relations policies are kind of all over the place among the chapters. You are never a legacy through a cousin or an aunt. DO NOT count on legacy status helping you too much; hundreds of legacies are released every year.

Some just count legacy at OM but legacy status does not matter if you have a bad reputation or a grade risk.