formal recruitment held during summer or when school starts? pros and cons

[12490x]

My school has always held formal recruitment about 2 weeks before school started, but this year they decided to hold it the first week of school... I really don't understand this.

When recruitment was held during the summer the PNM's stayed in a dorm room with a PNM roommate and their gamma chi's lived on the floor as well. The girls quickly bonded, and when bids were recieved, it was exciting to already have friends in your sorority. The gamma chi's were there 24/7 and were open to talk at any time about anything. We walked to sorority row together for parties, we walked back together. We had nightly slumber parties, we ate lunch and dinner together. The only drawback to this was that the recruitment fee was $270. (if you didn't get a bid, no refunds)

This year it will be held during the fall. The PNM's will stay in their assigned rooms for the year with their assigned roommate: maybe a greek, maybe a PNM, maybe neither. The gamma chi's stay in their rooms. The women are basically scattered. The first day for parties is 4:30pm-10:20pm. Girls will be in class, have to do homework, get prepared for the semester. The only positive I can think of doing it during school is that there will not be housing fees, maybe just a fee for the "meet the greeks" day t shirt.

Since it's less money, maybe more girls will participate? But, my school does not hold a "small" recruitment.. there is already a good number of girls going through. What are some potential reasons why they changed it?