Preliminary recruitment numbers for the 2014 season show an increase not only in the number of students registering for recruitment, but also overall placement into greek chapters.
This year, the Panhellenic Council set the quota for each sorority at 35, which is the same number as last year, but all chapters received quota additions.
"This year, no one got more than three chapter additions, but it depends on the year," said Maggie Hayes, coordinator of sorority life. "In Panhellenic recruitment there are two main priorities and that's to get as many, or the ideal all of our chapters, getting to quota, which happened this year. And then our tied priority is to get as many women placed as possible."
Of the 265 women that registered for recruitment this year, 263 of them showed up for round one. On Sunday, 228 of those women received bids, or invitations to join a chapter. These numbers mean that 35 women either withdrew from recruitment or were released.
This year, 90 percent of first-year students were placed in chapters, which is a four percent increase from last year. Upperclassmen women were placed at a rate of 61.29 percent, which is up from a 55 percent placement rate last year.
"We're going to have fewer releases than last year and more withdraws," said Myrna Hernandez, assistant dean of campus life and director of greek life. "That's what I can tell you off the top of my head. We haven't done the math, but that's where we are."
Each fraternity had a soft quota of 27 and a hard quota of 30. However, PJ Mitchell, assistant director of campus life and coordinator of fraternity life, noted that each chapter has the ability to lower their quota if they so choose.
The Interfraternity Council had 199 men registered for recruitment, and 197 participated in the first day. The preliminary numbers show that about 186 men were matched with a house. This year more men registered for recruitment than registered last year.
"I believe our starting number last year was 166, so it was a pretty significant increase," Mitchell said.
The potential infractions within the Interfraternity Council has decreased drastically.
"We had two infractions that are still potentially under appeal, but it was significantly down from last year," Mitchell said in comparison to the 10 to 12 final infractions from last year.
Panhellenic cannot share any infraction information.
Rumors of several students wanting to transfer because of recruitment have been circulating.
"There's a lot of talk right now about people leaving because of what happened this weekend," Hernandez said. "Whether or not that happens or not remains to be seen."
She encourages students to wait before making a decision to leave DePauw because of the outcome of recruitment.
"I think what's important for folks to realize is, now that's going to be a rough number, but about a third of the first-year class is not going to be greek," Hernandez said. "I think in that moment, it feels like you can be the only one."
Mitchell and Hayes offered advice to students who may not have had their desired outcome in recruitment.
"It isn't the end of the line in terms of if you want to join a chapter, and there still are other options in terms of fall recruitment or next spring," Mitchell said. "On top of that, I think too, the importance of building relationships that you have with your friends who are in your class."
Mitchell added that maintaining these relationships can be difficult, as students add greek life responsibilities to their schedules.
"You may have to put a little bit of work into them but for the most part, the relationships come back," Mitchell said. "Don't feel like this is the end of friendships because you're maybe not going to a chapter that some of your friends are."
Hayes encourages women to keep an open mind to going through recruitment again because of increasing numbers of upperclassmen registering for recruitment.
"Sometimes taking that year to really get to know women in other chapters, expanding your network on campus or maybe even find another opportunity outside of greek life helps a lot in terms of putting everything into perspective and really finding the best fit next year," Hayes said, "if they choose to go through again."