One suggestion I have for you is online social media. I assume you have a t_witter and facebook, get on either or both and ask if any of your friend are in sororities or have Moms who were Greek. Mention that you are in need of recommendations ASAP. You might be surprised who responds. Possibly one of your guy friends has a sister or mother in a chapter.

Also ask your former teachers. I have written several recs for former students. All of your teachers attended college, so there is a chance that one or more of them is Greek. They also know you, so they can write a better rec than a stranger.

This thread is a very good example of how alumnae panhellenics can vary WIDELY in terms of organization (or disorganization), mission, and membership focus. :)

Keep in mind that most school websites will not say that recs are required, even at the schools where they absolutely are. Recs, while universally known to be needed at some schools in order to receive a bid, are still used on a chapter by chapter basis and are considered part of membership selection. A school/Panhellenic essentially cannot tell you what's required to receive a bid because they simply don't know.

There is a difference between them saying recommendations are not required to go through recruitment vs. them not being required to receive a bid. The former is what's usually stated, and it's true; recs aren't required to participate. However, there's a good chance you won't make it very far without them.

This is why we have a thread here on Greekchat telling PNMs the schools where they'll definitely need recs - because no school's Greek life page is going to do that.

She wasn't talking about the school website, she was talking about an alumnae Panhellenic website.

Would the same apply for them? I would think that any body as a whole couldn't say that recs are required to receive a bid.

Either way, I wouldn't wholly rely on a website to figure out such information. Asking actual people seems the way to go.

I took it to mean that the alum panhel doesn't get together and write recs anymore - not anything about anything any school did or what anyone needed to get a bid.

Ah ok. I see now.

Yes 33girl that is what I meant. But thank you ASTalumna06 for your help!! I figure it is better safe than sorry to have recs because even if they for some reason are or aren't an important factor in receiving a bid, they will help me stand out. I am just so nervous for recruitment! I know that even when you do have rec letters, you don't always receive a bid to where you want to be. I saw a girl on here who had two recs for each sorority at U of A and still did not end up where she wanted! She was happy in the end and had a great attitude about it though. So, I hope I bring enough to the table during rush and get a bid from the sorority I feel most at home! If not, well then I hope I can handle it with as good an attitude as she did!!

I have actually had a lot of luck today since posting this thread regarding people who can write me recs. My mom got a hold of one of her sorority sisters from when she was in her sorority and she said she has some contacts from other chapters who she can explain the friend of a friend situation to and they will probably write them for me. Somebody I emailed also emailed me back! So that is good news. I hoped in the end I am able to get at least one rec for all of the houses! Wish me luck especially since I am doing all of this with such short notice. I will be sure to let the ladies who write me letters know how much I appreciate them, because I really do. I feel so much better now knowing I'm making some progress with this process!