My bad - I actually fired off that posting without really doing my due diligence and thinking it through.

Yes, groups vary in the way they use/give weight to recs,letters, etc. At Arkansas it does not hurt to have more than one of either of these things. Irishpipes is right - accept what anyone will do/write for you.

Sidenote:
I think one thing that makes the PNMs so crazy is that they worry/fret about the terminology and then worry further about the supposed correct "recs to letters" ratio. I have always encouraged PNMS to simply ask sorority women for a recommendation and let the alumna worry whether she is going to write a rec and/or letter. A rec IS a letter of recommendation (of sorts). If you are asking an alumna for help, you are asking for a recommendation to her glo. It may come in any form the alumna sees fit to put forward.

Thank you for all the helpful responses on recs and letters!!! My friend felt the letters would give more detailed information on her from people she knows instead of a standard rec form (let me just say, I have no idea what a rec form even looks like so if this sounds stupid, it's just because I don't know what I'm talking about!). I do like the idea of the people who know me well being able to really talk about my strengths since I don't stand out by being a legacy. I am completely open minded but know it will be tougher for me than my friend who is a legacy. I am so excited and nervous for her but I think if I do decide to go there, her experience will be helpful.

And I can't even imagine how everyone keeps track of all that paperwork coming in!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The timing of most colonizations makes me anxious for the PNMs. If a PNM does fall in love with a colonizing group during round 1 but later winds up with a bid to an established house, then she's faced with an incredibly tough decision. How can she decline the bid (i.e., a sure thing) to a house she likes very much to pursue a shot at the colony (i.e., not a sure thing at all) that she loves? If she goes for the colony, she risks having no house at all. :(

I believe that if she signed a bid card she eliminated herself from the colonization process. It would be the same as if she signed a bid card, received a bid and then turned the bid down, which action would require her to wait the requisite year before participating in recruitment again.

I believe that the proper procedure would be for the PNM who is interested in pursuing the colony to formally withdraw from recruitment thru Panhellenic sometime prior to the signing of a bid card during regular formal recruitment. I believe that the pnm could actually attend Pref. parties and then make the decision to accept a bid from her pref. sororities by signing a bid card or to pursue membership in the colonizing sorority by not signing a bid card at that time.

Please,would someone more knowledgeable than me clarify the exact process.

The recommended procedure is --
If a PNM signs a bid card pref night she is saying she will accept the bid offered or wait one year to go through recruiment again. Someone who declines a bid would not be eligible for the colony - but she could try again the following year.

Quite bluntly, that's the kind of balls most colonizing sisters need to have. Especially at big schools. The timing of these things aren't accidental, trust me.

Random piece of information concerning Arkansas sororities.
On Twitter it was announced that the University of Arkansas Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter received the top award at their national convention last night. Greek Life at Arkansas is very strong. Congrats to the Kappas!

Yay Kappas!:):):)

She's not going to have enough time to "fall in love" during Round 1. It's a blur. And they probably will meet national people, members from another chapter and alumnae. There isn't a chapter there so anyone they "fall in love with" is not going to be around anyway....except for maybe the few who will be advisers. It's not a problem!

No RECS ... Should you drop out?
 

If a PNM does not have recs for any of the houses she is invited to for the 3rd round, should she just drop out and write it off as a lost cause? This PNM spent months searching for recs but her small town size, multiple states away didn't have good contacts, and neither of her professionally placed and well off parents were Greek, or had contacts wither.

The rec search became a melt down for her, including contacts with Panhellenic alumnae groups. Many chapters she could secure recommendations from do not have chapters at Arkansas.

Would a parent best advise to quit before watching tragedy? And heartache? Is there simply no way to be Greek at Arkansas without a recommendation?

OMG, no!!! She should NOT drop out now! The majority of houses cut for recs very early in recruitment so she is likely past that hurdle by now. If she is invited back for Round 3, the houses are very interested in your daughter. If she is invited to Pref AND she maximizes her options by listing each house she attends on her pref card, she is guaranteed a bid to one of those houses. Chapters know if they invited a PNM to pref that she will be somewhere on their bid list.

In the event that she does not get a bid, Delta Gamma is colonizing at Arkansas next month so that is a possible second chance to go Greek. She will need to find a rec if she goes through DG's recruitment process.

If the chapter wants her - they will work out a rec for her....

She may well have a rec that she knows nothing about, possibly written for her by an alum in her state.

Thanks. She has an amazing confidence and resolve. (I could use a dose suspect!)

When I look at the list of amazing houses she's visiting I know it will all turn out but as you can imagine all I was reading about required recs was freaking me out! I'm much more comfortable now having had this valuable input. She will find her letters. Thanks to all that calmed my nerves

Only a few more days to go.

Wine. I recommend wine.