[estherjb]

I actually talked to the recruitment advisor at our national office and she was very aware of many of the things we've discussed on this thread. She helped me understand some things about rush that were new to me. Evidently on some campuses where the "good" sororities were getting bigger and the weaker sororities were getting smaller there has been an Early Release policy instituted. As I understand it, houses who do not think there is a likelihood that a rushee will receive a bid are encouraged to release them after first round so that they will go back to other houses where they are more likely to get a bid. The idea benefits the rushee (theoretically) because she doesn't keep strong houses who aren't going to invite her back later at the expense of less popular or less known sororities who would keep her all the way through. Prefs are also weighted to allow smaller chapters to have more girls at their parties than houses who have filled quota repeatedly. This wouldn't lessen the sting of a legacy being cut after first round but the first round cut isn't the slap in the face it would have been before early release was introduced.
But a quota of 56 at a school like Georgia? Bama had quota in the 70's. Maybe the early release policy is causing more girls to drop out and by the time quota is figured the numbers are smaller.