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Yeah I would say it was the fact that I didn't get asked back to the houses I wanted. I don't know if it is worth it for me to try as a junior again, because I don't want to embarrass myself or look pathetic. If I do should I even mention that I rushed before? Just to throw names out but like KKG, DG, Alpha Phi and GPHI even consider having me as member and giving me a bid? I really want to be in a sorority and my really close friend is in one I mentioned and I still didn't get in.

Where are you getting that 1/3 of the girls will be cut or dropped out? Quota is based on the # of girls left at the end of rush. Big pledge classes aren't a problem. It's not like there are quota limits or anything---most sororities would welcome larger pledge classes. The # of sororities has NOTHING to do with it. If girls didn't drop (very rarely are girls cut from EVERY sorority), then the pledge classes would just be bigger.

By the way, sororities aren't told that they have to "cut" a certain amount of girls each round. That's not how it works. It's a mutual selection/ranking system that determines which girls get asked back to which houses.

Where does it say you have to be in college to have an opinion and I am not fighting any battle just stating the facts. If almost the same number of girls go out for rush at the university of ill as wisconsin and they have 30 some sororities as stated above and wisconsin has 11-you do the math- its much easier to get in a sorority.And I don't know how you say 75% rushees received bids because it said quota for each house was 59 and there are 11 houses that would be 649. So 649 would be the maximum if every house met their quota. They said there were around 900 girls rushing so that would be about 67%. And as far as your comment about fighting their own battles, the moms are just stating their opinions, that is why they have these types of forums on computers, for people to voice their opinions, not just college students. As you are only in college and have no children you cannot possibly know how hard for a parent to go through having to see your child so upset over something they wanted so badly, so come back in 20 years when your child is going through heartache and see if you have the same uncaring attitude.

Why do you assume I know nothing about the system? Actually I was in a sorority at Madison so I do know something about it. I graduated in 1988 and they have add 3 new sororities and 1 has left campus since then and the number of girls going through RUSH has doubled so yes I think there is a major flaw in the system. Being in a sorority is about sisterhood and lifelong friendships and shouldn't be for only 72% it should be for anyone that wants it. There is nothing creepy about having an opinion about something you feel is flawed. If you consider being snarky by me feeling I have a right to voice my opinion and not be told I shouldn't be on this website because I am not in college then I guess I am snarky. Wanting to be in a sorority isn't like trying out for basketball team where you aren't athletic enough to make it. I don't think two college girls with no children should be giving me advice on how to parent.

Hi, I'm a recent graduate and was in a sorority at Madison. Just came on this board to check quota, etc. Anyway, I honestly don't understand why anyone would assume that all girls should just be entitled to be a member of a sorority. If anyone could join, then why have rush at all? It's a membership selection process, which you should know if you were Greek (although it's become much more competitive and popular in the last 25 years). It sounds like your daughter was selected by a sorority, it just wasn't the one that she wanted. So, in essence, the system actually worked, it just wasn't the optimum outcome. Also, if 3 out of 4 girls who rush receive an invitation to join a sorority, I think that's pretty good odds. Better than most things in life. Again, as it's been said before on this board, the retention rates have more to do with girls who drop out because they feel their options left are unacceptable than it has to do with sororities dropping girls completely. I've always felt that if a girl truly wanted to be greek and experience sisterhood than they'd be more open to the chapters that truly want them instead of focusing on the ones that don't. All the chapters at Madison have strong sisterhoods and positive aspects. I welcome the prospect of a new chapter next fall, but it's not going to change retention rates.

I just want to point out that the 1 out of 4 girls that don't end up joining a sorority is almost always a result of that 1 girl dropping the process because they don't like their options. I was a rho gamma when I was at Wisconsin, and I would say 99.9% of the girls going through rush that year (a couple years back) that didn't join a sorority dropped of their own accord, although they had invitations back. So, the system didn't fail them, they failed the system. I realize that it's difficult to deal with disappointment at age 18, but come on. Life isn't always fair or perfect.

I feel for you. I got asked back to every house I wanted to 2nd, which was all of the top houses, and preffed at ONE becuase the rest rejected me. I joined despite stereotypes that the girls are not pretty compared to the other sororities and that it is easier to get into [both untrue, when I was in we got all of your top choice PNMs and only 1 or 2 dropped before initiation. The girls were actually really pretty too. They just didn't care about being "popular" in the Greek system which was probably bad. But for instance We didn't try to win frats over to partner for humo and stuff.

I hate to say but SDT is so catered to a specific type of girl, and there are not a lot of them that go thru rush, that we do need a 12th house that has a physical house and is more like the other 10. SDT is great but people want the traditional sorority feel of a chapter house and getting really involved in things like Humo and greek week. Yea it was mutual but I think that the retention rates would be a lot higher if 1 more is added. However I do agree that some of the PNMs drop because they didn't get ONE house even though they have a ton of others that want them. I was pissed at 2 girls I knew that even PLEDGED one house but dropped because it was not Gamma Phi [these girls did NOT fit at Gamma Phi!! and they took 2 spots someone else would want]. Its a problem both ways ut in the end UW needs another house and girls need to stop being such snobs about the houses...

...PNMs also need to really consider why they have a feel for a house. For instance I got wrong impressions on ALL of the houses. Did the bump groups get screwed up and you got stuck only talking to 2 members? Miscomunications? Maybe there were so many people in the house that you had to sit in an awkward position in a corner?
Anyways, the girls I knew that dropped, dropped AXO, only because they were dating 2 frat guys [who neither AXO nor Gamma Phi ever had mixers with] and the guys said that AXOs were "kinda hot" and that all Gamma Phis are.... BS. Ridiculously shallow 1 and 2 most members in both are really pretty. It is really easy, as a freshmen, to get anxious about stereotypes but this is not Highschool. Other greeks and non-greeks don't prejudge you by your house [some do but they are really shallow and usually rude]. I was in a "low tier" house and was always invited to parties and no one pre-judged me by my sorority. I had friends in "top-tier" sororities and "bottom tier" ones as well. My boyfriend was in one of "the top 3." Ignore everyone because everyone's opinion is biased. In conclusion, most people join a sorority b/c they want the traditions - a physical house [and to live in] that participates, and cares to participate, in the traditional greek events and the big greek events UW. It is not reasonable to assume that PNMS should be happy without these traditions. Supply and demand --> new house = fewer drops.