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am i the only person?

by: ????

Am I the only person who has a problem with the COB process? As we can see from the interest on this website, lots of girls are interested in pledging in spring. And while fall rush is extremely organized and has strict rules and regulations that even the playing field, COB-ing is more about who you know. I'm in a house that isn't COB-ing, but my heart goes out to the girls who have expressed interest, contacted the people they are supposed to contact and have done everything right, and still they haven't heard from prospective houses. It seems to me Panhel could do a much better job of lending some rhyme and reason to this process. It simply isn't fair to keep these girls guessing, just because they "don't know" the right people.

Posted By: ????
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#1  by: yup   
#1    

I couldn't agree more. It seems like August rush runs like clockwork. Everyone know what to expect. COB-ing? Hardly. All of these sororities are overseen by panhel. Seems they at least could have a list of who is COBing, who to contact and what to expect. If it weren't for this website people wouldn't have a clue.

By: yup
#2  by: Cob   
#2    

It wouldn't change anything if COB was public or not. This isn't a time for houses to hold huge rush events. Especially if they only need 1-2 girls. It's pointless to put the time and effort into a big cob event when you can just ask your sisters if they know anyone that would be a good fit. I rather take the word from one if my sisters about a pnm rather then have 15 min fake conversations with a bunch of girls that I won't remember their name later on. Not trying to be mean, just being realistic.

By: Cob
by: CobFeb 4, 2014 7:07:22 PM

Also- not every house cobs so it's not like it's an equal opportunity right off the bat anyways. There's only a few houses that publicly cob bc they need numbers (sigma, phi mu, sk). If you're not interested in one of those houses than you can either risk waiting it out for another opportunity, or rush as a sophomore with everybody else.

By: Cob
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by: SK vs Phi MuFeb 4, 2014 10:29:49 PM

SK doesn't publicly COB though, you have to know somebody or have had a certain score when you rushed in the fall to get an invite to their events. They had about a hundred girls get COB invites and only thirty got bids, so it's like a mini recruitment for them. Sigma and Phi Mu are the only ones I've ever seen tabling.

By: SK vs Phi Mu
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#3  by: nope   
#3    

We are only taking 5 girls. Why would we open our COB event to the public, and have to weed through a hundred or so girls, some of whom would be completely wrong for the house? It's easier to just get a small list of names together from actives... then you know for a fact that most of those girls would be well-suited and, as mean as it sounds, worth the time to "investigate."

By: nope
#4  by: Top   
#4    

Cob allows some houses to be choosier than they maybe would get to during formal recruitment. Being able to be selective like top houses helps middle tier houses and too bottom tier houses catch the girls that crawl through the cracks and better their houses even more. This is one reason why so many people think cob is great, not shameful. It's only shameful when you have to recruit a ton of people just to meet a quota.

By: Top
#5  by: hmmm...   
#5    

I think COBing is a way for lower tier houses to have a chance at being selective. It must make them feel good about themselves, I guess. But why the secrecy? Why the suspense. If you are COBing, let people at least know the rules and the expectations. CAn't for the life of me figure out why a house wouldn't want to know all of who is out there so that they know they're getting the best. If I were interested in COBing and got jerked around by some third-rate rush chairman who wasn't polite enough to answer emails one way or another, I wouldn't feel bad about myself. I would just think the house was rude.

By: hmmm...
by: Over itFeb 5, 2014 7:02:26 AM

To be honest, They probably don't even know themselves. They may be waiting for their chapter to keep recommendations coming in before they open it to some girl they don't know. It sucks when you don't know anyone, but if you live in a dorm you should have plenty of girls in Greek life that know someone in a house that cobs. That's how I got my connection to aphi. If you absolutely don't know anyone, formal recruitment is your best chance. No one is trying to hurt your feelings, but there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes for cob - not just a silly email thread going back and forth between a recruitment chair and a potential member. Some advice- You need to relax and make some networking connections, make some friends in your dorm, and stop relying on a gossip site for information when a lot of it is speculation to begin with. We're trying our best on our side, please be courteous and patient!!

By: Over it
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#6  by: Here's a hint   
#6    

If you are a rush chair and you are COB-ing, ANSWER THE EMAILS FROM PEOPLE INQUIRING ABOUT COB-ING. At least let them know what's going on. Stop jerking them around.

By: Here's a hint
by: HahaFeb 5, 2014 4:29:37 PM

We're not obligated to answer anything. Here's a hint for you. Sometimes we have girls in our house who know you and have already added you to the blacklist. Sometimes your impression during formal recruitment was so terrible we've blocked your emails. Being Greek is not a right, you have to earn it by being the best and sometimes you have to know people. It's no different than having Rec letters during formal recruitment.

Check your attitude because it sucks.

By: Haha
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by: not reallyFeb 5, 2014 5:11:36 PM

Expecting basic courtesy is not a reflection of a sucky attitude. If you already have met someone once and blackballed that person, fine, though I will bet my first year's salary that no emails have been blocked. I get that your house is run by women who don't know the first thing about manners, but all I am asking is that you hit "reply" to their email and copy and paste these words: "Thanks for your interest in our sorority. At this time we are not planning any COB functions, but best wishes to you in the future." That's how women with class do it. That's how my house would do it if we ever COBed, and that's probably why your house finds itself desperate for new members.

By: not really
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by: funnyFeb 6, 2014 9:44:06 AM

Wow. Way to insult anyone who wants to improve the process. As it turns out, I am in a sorority. I am extremely happy there and the reason I am concerned about COBing is because it seems to be an inherently unfair system. My house isn't COBing and, to my knowledge, never has But that doesn't mean I can't have legitimate concerns about PNMs who just want their emails to be answered one way or another. I also have to say that it's funny that someone who is in a house that COBs has no empathy for those who are going through this difficult process. Add to that the fact that you actually said: "You aren't good enough." REALLY??? Is this what it has come to? Bottom tier houses getting off on insulting people just for wanting to be Greek. I'm sure this somehow makes you feel better about yourself and your house, but it's just inappropriate to say that about anyone, much less someone who would like to potentially join your admittedly struggling house.

By: funny
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by: really?Feb 6, 2014 10:09:36 AM

how can you possibly improve a system your house has never taken part in? all i've seen you do is insult the girls who cob when you have no knowledge of the process.

By: really?
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by: WowFeb 6, 2014 4:22:00 PM

Y'all are rude as spit. I can't believe the stuff y'all are saying to these girls who are in houses that are COBing. You realize that COBing is a race, right? A race to get the best girls to pledge your house and close those spots. It's not like recruitment where you can spend hours and hours discussing the merit of each PNM and talk about whether she fits in. A good indication of whether she fits in is does she have friends in the house. If you spend half a school year on this campus and don't even meet one girl in my house then maybe you don't have the sort of personality that meshes with what we have going on.

And y'all are rude for assuming that all houses that COB do it because they have to. AXO and APhi don't have to COB, they do it because they like filling those spots with new sisters. And Sigma Kappa is COBing because PHA is still letting them recruit up to full chapter size because they're only a year old. Sigma Kappa is going to be the biggest house on campus after this next fall recruitment because they don't have any graduating seniors and they'll still get a full PC of about ninety girls. Even Phi Mu doesn't HAVE to COB but they do it because they like having more girls. The only house that has to COB because of numbers is Sigma. So don't sling around insults about COB, acting like these houses NEED new girls because they don't.

I don't understand how you're going to sit back and pretend you're concerned that PNMs when you're insulting your fellow greek women

By: Wow
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#7  by: same   
#7    

I agree with "here's a hint". I had a friend in a house ask the rush chair about cob stuff and she told me to email her so I did. I have multiple friends in the house and I think I would've really had a chance but the recruitment chair never emailed me back and I found out I was a couple days too late. But an email saying that they already started the process would've been much more polite than leaving me hanging without an answer.

By: same
#8  by: Seems to me   
#8    

There is a perfectly good way of choosing new sorority members that is known as recruitment. Anyone who applies by the deadline can play. Everyone who participates gets to see every house and gets to be considered as a potential member. That happens every August and it has helped make our fine Greek system what it is. Then there is COBing, a secret way of choosing member based on who you know, not who you are or what you have to contribute. It is inherently unfair and Panhell really needs to step in. How do we know houses aren't discriminating? They may be refusing to consider people because of their race, religion or whatever, and that's just not right. At the very least there should be a complete list of the houses that are COBing, how many they plan to take and whom to contact.

By: Seems to me
by: EnoughFeb 5, 2014 6:45:53 PM

Every house has to go through Panhell to cob to prevent such things. I'm sorry cob didn't work out for you, we all would encourage you to go through formal recruitment this fall. Rushing as a sophomore is difficult, but not impossible. Do your best to make friends in the houses you are interested in, make good grades, and get involved on campus. Remember- many houses were only taking a couple girls and therefore were not able to open up a major even to discuss hundreds of women for just a couple spots. And if you think the process is unfair, think about what the so sororities have to do to prepare for a cob event during classes. These ladies are bending over backwards to find new members for their house, setting up socials, making sure their members can attend the socials, and then discussing with their house about pnms to invite into their chapter. Can you imagine doing all of that with hundreds of girls when you only need 2 or 3? That seems absurd when a house can just offer names of girls they personally know would be good fits to their sisterhood. Please stop making this all about you without thinking about what it would be like to be in the other persons shoes. It's just not worth it to out that much time and effort into an event when you can pledge a few girls without the hassle. That's why there's formal recruitment where everyone is on an equal playing field. And houses that do publicly cob do so so they can hold large cob events bc they need more girls----

By: Enough
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by: EnoughFeb 5, 2014 6:48:12 PM

To fill spots. If you really wanted to go Greek and do it through cob you shouldn't have crossed off these houses off your list. It narrows your playing field even further bc there's already such a small percentage of houses to choose from.

By: Enough
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by: BingoFeb 5, 2014 6:54:45 PM

As a woman whose house COB'd this semester we had several girls who were on our bid list and didn't show up for preference because they thought they were "too good" to join us, suddenly want to COB and think just because we liked them during recruitment that they had a sure spot.

If you wanted to wear my letters, why didn't you give us a chance during recruitment? It's a little insulting that there are some women here who think they're doing US a favor by wanting to be in our house.

By: Bingo
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#9  by: Well, I never   
#9    

I have NEVER had anyone be so rude as the sorority girls answering this thread. You're just making excuses for your complete lack of curtsey or even giving a crap about basic human dignity of the girls WANTING to be a part of your sorority. How dare you? Just who the F do you think you are? Oh, right. You were the lucky ones who got in last fall and now turn your noes up at the girls who are asking about becoming your friends. Did you forget that it was YOU who wanted in last fall? These girls want to work beside you, care about you, and share all the experiences that they watch others do. Most likely they were brokenhearted during formal recruitment, but desperately want to join and are willing to humiliate themselves, begging to get in--again. You'd think you's want those types of girls. Ones who know what they are missing, girls who are bold enough to ask for it...even after rejection. God, you women are complete c...never mind. All that girl was asking was for you to send a generic email saying thanks but no thanks. Blacklist THAT, Bit@h.

By: Well, I never
by: Sugar coatFeb 6, 2014 3:35:08 PM

You asked for a honest answer and you got one. You didn't like the answer, and then you attacked Greek life. Of course we're going to stand up together and defend what we love. I'm not being nice and sugar coating it for you anymore. The reason you didn't get asked to join a house is probably bc of the immaturity the girls saw in you or have heard about you. You do t have any friends on Greek life for a reason, and it's not because we didn't have the "courtesy to email you back" it's because you're downright crazy and no one needs a drama queen as a sister. Not even our "crazy mean girl" house wanted you so that just goes to show you that you do have a major problem. I'm not sure any house on campus would want a sister that goes out of their way to point fingers and blame others acting like they're in middle school still.

By: Sugar coat
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by: C'mon, really?Feb 6, 2014 3:40:04 PM

And Sugar coat, YOU are what is awful about Greek life. I am so happy I am in a house I love and never had to bed and plead to be considered by your bottom feeder house. You have no way of knowing whether someone has friends who are Greek or not. You have no way of knowing whether someone went through rush in fall or not. You have no way of knowing whether someone is a drama queen or is crazy. You just chose to paint anyone interested in being treated fairly with a broad brush. You are one of the worst representatives of Greek life I have ever come across. You should be ashamed of yourself.

By: C'mon, really?
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by: Sugar coatFeb 6, 2014 3:52:41 PM

Why is it that the crazy delusional ones are quickest to blame everyone else, but fail to see the truth about themselves? So sad. When you mature over the age of a pre-teen and start to recognize the problems that only you can change, maybe you can make some real friends instead of viciously attacking a life you know nothing about but still envy everyone involved. Jealously is a dangerous trait to have. Please find a new outlet to "let your crazy out" bc we don't really want you here (obviously). See ya never , GDI.

By: Sugar coat
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by: AggFeb 6, 2014 3:56:22 PM

Who cares? Oh right, no one! Stop giving the psycho the time of day. There's no way you're actually in a house here. No one would be stupid enough to give someone that crazy a bid. Sugar coat said it right, there's no room for GDIs on this site.

By: Agg
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#10  by: Now we know   
#10    

I guess there really is a difference between top tier houses and bottom tier houses, at least according to this thread. Top tier houses like to choose their members through fall rush, where everyone has a chance and the playing field is level. Bottom tier houses like to play little games while COB-ing, rudely ignore emails and say insulting things about potential new members who dare to be interested in their houses in spring. I guess that makes the bottom-tier houses feel good about themselves -- why I don't know.

By: Now we know
by: LogicFeb 6, 2014 9:49:52 PM

I'm sure you can understand the daunting task of replying to an upwards of 200 emails while balancing school, sorority meetings, clubs, scanning through resumes, setting up cob events, and meeting pnms. I'm so sorry you're feelings were hurt because you didn't get an email back. Just know there will be many aspects in life where you won't get a response back on why you were rejected. No one is being petty. If the recruitment chair has 200 girls, she will most definitely pick the top 10 best women based on grades, looks, involvement and activities. No one has the time or energy to meet with and talk to all 200 girls. I also believe every house gets to choose their members in the fall and not just bottom tier houses cob.

By: Logic
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