als463's Recs
 

That's when you write a No Rec for a young woman who can't find the time to respond to you as an alumna doing her a favor. ;)

I wanted to update to share the number of overall recs I have written this year. I've written a total of 7.
*Alabama (5)
*Auburn (1)
*Oklahoma State University (1)

I wouldn;t consider that a "no" rec level. However, I've been doing this long enough to know how to write a "you do not want this girl because" rec. No recs don't list the reason - other than to say call for details. I'd send it in but tell them she never responded to XXX questions and so I'm just doing an info only one.

That works my nerve! Waiting? Ain't nobody got time for that!

The questions she didn't send me a response to were the ones regarding her GPA. Her activities look good, but if she won't say her GPA cause it's not so hot, she's gonna have bigger problems in an SEC recruitment.

I'd just put n/a for GPA and let the chapter deal with it. I don't ever consider a GPA issue as a "no." I think that's a chapter specific decision and I let them deal with it. Most get the PNM's university accepted GPA anyway. So they have the official one.

I am writing 4 rec letters; all to Bama. I'm pretty surprised by all of these Midwestern girls wanting to go down South.

It's warmer down here and rarely snows.

Well, yes. I'm from the South and stayed in the region for college; the summers are overrated :p

Not if you're from up north! I went to high school in St Louis and came back home for college, among other reasons, because I couldn't handle the weather any longer!

I have 4 Alabama rec girls, 1 South Carolina, 1 Chapel Hill, 1 Georgia, 1 Tennessee, 1 Ole Miss....I am getting tired but having fun!! I've been able to help get lots of other recs to other groups for these women too....super fun!! I guess you can call this the Charlotte Rec Crew!

I have a large crew going through!

My girl finally got back to me with all the required information so her recommendation has been officially submitted for University of South Carolina!

ETA: LOLOLOLOL I just saw the first page list of rec crews, love it!

So excited about the USC colonization. Bummed that the UCLA one is being delayed. That's correct, right?

Yay! Can't wait to read all about it!

Jolene, website says UCLA is now Fall 2017

Jolene -- I would say recolonization for AXD at UCLA is hopeful for Fall 2017. Reallly need about 3 chapters to do well in recruiting/retention this next year, so we're not bringing on a new group only to lose another sorority to low numbers. This was a big discussion at the May all-row Advisor meeting.

Because you don't have to shovel sunshine or rain! :)

In this part of the Midwest I was pleased to discover a young lady down the road, whose front yard had the stylized lettersign 'A' of Bama on it during Spring 2015, this summer has a car in her driveway sporting Zeta Tau Alpha letters.

FWIW my Midwestern nephew wants to attend college (in five years) at Auburn or Clemson. His neighbor attends Mizzou.

They have phenomenal scholarships for out of state students. That's why all the young women I know going to Bama are going there. Full tuition, full room and board, and for engineering, they even give a stipend.

Add one more to the Queen City Crew! Am working on another Tennessee girl this week! This has been a marathon July - I'm a recommendation letter machine and loving every minute of it!!!!!!!

I had a PNM ask for a reference for a large SEC campus and I was initially worried and quite biased because her High School GPA was substandard. I met with her anyway, completed the form, remained positive in my writing and advised the chapter to make the best decision for them. Thought that would be the end of it. Turns out she pledged my organization and has been thriving as a chapter member for the last two years. It was a lesson that even as alumnae, what we see on the surface and on paper is not always an accurate indicator of what that young woman sitting in front of us can become.

She was super super involved in a ton of activities and her grades were fair. High enough to rush by IMO low enough to likely get cut by a lot of houses. I guess we'll see. But I found it a little rude she couldn't bother to send a Thank You email when I told her her rec was submitted.

Hope she likes my chapter!

Finding recs?
 

Hi everyone. I haven't had occasion to post before but have lurked for a while enjoying the recruitment stories in particular :-) My daughter is planning to rush at a small Southern college this fall and there is a chapter there from which we do not know anyone who can write her a recommendation. Would it be acceptable to cold contact our local Alumnae Panhellenic to see if she could meet with a potential reference or would that be a faux pas?

I don't think rush is particularly competitive at her school, but her GPA is .02 below the minimum due to some issues she had with sports related concussions during her Sophomore year so an explanation might help what otherwise may be viewed as a grade risk.

Thanks for the advice!

It is certainly worth taking a chance by contacting your local Alumnae Panhellenic. In addition, your daughter might teach out to the alumnae who wrote recs for her, asking them if they know an alumna of YZ sorority, as she is missing that one.

Thanks. BTW I seem to submit lots of recs to FSU it's a great greek system!

Hope its not too late to join. Been absent from the board for a while. Was a big year here in TX - 3 Alabama, 18 Arkansas, 1 College of Charleston, 1 Mississippi State, 5 Oklahoma State, 4 Ole Miss, 1 Penn State, 2 TCU and 2 U of North Carolina.

als463's Recs (update)
 

I have a final tally. It's no longer my "lucky 7" group but, now it's "lucky 9" I guess.

*Alabama (6)
*Auburn (1)
*Oklahoma State (1)
*College of Charleston (1)

I am excited to see where these young ladies end up. I'm probably most excited about my Auburn and College of Charleston ladies. Some of you know why I am excited to hear how my Auburn girl does ;) during recruitment.

I am writing a rec for a girl going to Texas Tech. I am worried. I have talked to her about cleaning up her social media accounts and she refuses to do so. There are not any party pictures, just tons of her and her boyfriend. Some are of them kissing and others are of them in swim suits with their hands all over each other.

How much will this impact her?

I wrote one for a girl going to Alabama.

Is Oklahoma State the 1st recruitment again this year? If so, they start THIS Saturday!
Bid day, next Saturday, August 13. Good luck to all participating!
OSU Panhellenic Recruitment video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEQVCarcfLc

I've got a TCU, Georgia and Bama this year.

I wouldn't worry about it 1-because there's nothing worry can solve and 2-that doesn't sound worthy of worry. None of us pledge future nuns. She's a real person with an actual boyfriend. I don't think they'll read more into it than that.

My niece (a legacy in my organization) is going through recruitment at a Big 12 school. She is the first of my nieces to go through recruitment, so the first legacy, so I am really excited for her! I told her not to listen to tent talk and form her own opinions. She's a great girl with a great resume, but she is competing with hundreds of women with similar or even better credentials. We will see how it goes!

I filled out five recs this season, but I'm fairly certain that all but one has been covered by other alumnae. If I hear the details of the one, I'll add them.

Best of luck to all!

So, my son will be a freshman at the university where I'm a professor. I was talking to our fraternity/sorority coordinator about sorority business and he told me that every year is different, but this year's IFC exec is really organized and they've planned a couple coordinated rush events.

Anxiety level when daughter went through recruitment: 8 out of 10
Anxiety level while son is preparing to rush: 2 out of 10 (this may be an overestimation)

Updating as I've had some recent additions to the Queen City Rec Crew!

4 Alabama
3 South Carolina
2 Tennessee
1 Georgia
1 Chapel Hill
1 Ole Miss

I can't wait to see what happens! Alabama and Georgia in process, SC and TN start Thursday, Chapel Hill to follow, and then will have to wait a while for Ole Miss....

I do this after talking with the girl and then talking to a reliable source who can vouch for the young woman and the type of girl she is and her character. Teachers and guidance counselors will tell you the real deal. Once I have all the basic information on the woman and talk to her, then I begin my 'research'. Getting additional details from a trusted source also helps me write a better rec for her too!

I've done the same PKTKKG because sometimes you will not have the opportunity to be personally acquainted with every PNM.

My niece just received her bid to Tri Delta at Oklahoma State!!!