The 31 Inter-Fraternity Council fraternities overall boasted significantly higher bid acceptances Saturday following annual bid day festivities.
There are 413 IFC pledges this year, a 5 percent increase from 393 pledges in 2003, according to IFC Vice President for Membership Greg Moore.
In addition, there were 705 total rush participants this year, a 13.7 percent increase from 620 rushees last year, Moore said.
"We can attribute these numbers to the IFC's increased communication with Residence Staff and new publicity geared towards University men, like our comprehensive rush booklet," he said.
IFC President Ryan Ewalt said he thinks the increase in pledges is most likely related to the IFC's more strict enforcement of "dirty rush."
According to IFC policies, fraternities are not allowed to take potential rushees to large gatherings, or out of Charlottesville.
Ewalt said eliminating dirty rush levels the playing field for all the men, giving rushees a sense of equality when they begin rush process.
"Increased communication with Residence Staff and the heightened enforcement of dirty rush policies had talk of Greek life on the minds and tongues of first years," Ewalt added.
Delta Tau Delta fraternity had its largest pledge class in four years. This year they extended 18 bids, and all 18 were accepted, compared to 14 total pledges last year, according to Delta Tau Delta President Rob Sears.
"These high numbers are a reflection of the quality of the first-year men," Sears said.
St. Elmo Hall's pledge class more than doubled from last year. Between men going abroad and de-pledging they only had a class of eight last year. This year, however, their pledge class consists of 21 men.
"We had our house renovated over the summer for the 95th anniversary in October, so we think that momentum carried over into rush and resulted in this remarkable increase," Elmo President Nigel Glenday said.
Ewalt also credited the individual houses running a smoother rush with their increases in the number of pledges.
"Houses took a more active interest in recruitment this year and it paid off," Sigma Alpha Epsilon President Gannon McCaffery said.
Not all fraternities saw an increase though. Phi Society President Neveed Kalantar said their numbers stayed consistent with recent years, but that the fraternity was not disappointed.
"We stayed pretty standard, but the numbers fit well with our house," Kalantar said.
Alpha Epsilon Pi also maintained their average number, and for the third year in a row they had 15 pledges.
"The goal for us is to grow, as long as we maintain we're really happy," Alpha Epsilon Pi President Nicholas Shapiro said.
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