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The thing that I think turned things around for my chapter was really spending a lot of time pre-recruiting (we have deferred recruitment) in addition to a new PR plan. When we got to know our rush crushes very closely outside of recruitment it was a lot easier to get them to forget about a stereotype and join the group with the girls they love. Sometimes all it took was three or four sisters being very close with them and really motivated to represent the chapter well. I think the important thing for us was that we didn't get to know them as sorority women.. we actually became friends and naturally introduced them to our friends (and v/v they introduced us to other freshmen). It becomes a lot easier when you know the girls to make them feel chosen-- they obviously know that you want them to be your sister since you are already friends..
My pledge class was about a third of quota my freshman year bringing our chapter size to about half of total.... Once our class got initiated, we got motivated and determined to turn it around. We took almost 2/3 of quota the next year and my class alone knew almost every one of the new pledges personally before recruitment began. We kept it up the next year with close to 2/3 quota and then my senior year we took something like 3 less than quota (with only 3/7 actually making quota) and ended up over total.
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