open round drops

I assume you are talking about the top houses? if yes, it is still mainly connections. If it is a mid or newer house, this round of conversations are important.

Your grades/resume/video and insta are all about getting past first round. After that it is about conversations, how you present yourself in person, your interest level, and if your vibe would fit with a chapter's. And please don't think of rounds in terms of 'cuts'. The sororities are not going through this process looking for who to cut. They go into every round looking for who to invite back, and most sororities want many more pnm's back than they are allowed to. Don't take getting cut personally, it's all about the numbers they are allowed to have back.

Try not to think of them as cuts. Houses are making lists ranking the pnm's. Depending on where your name is on the list determines whether or not you can return. If you didn't get invited back it means there were other pnm's ranked higher. It is simply a numbers game.