We're here :)
 

I agree with GatorGirl's first post.. I read the stickies and even asked a question about recommendations. I know it was little controversial and some people didn't stand by it.. some did.. it was very helpful and even those who didn't agree didn't become rude.

I think its just hard to know how some things are meant to be taken when you don't actually hear a person say them, ya know?

Personally I'm just trying to lay low and take in the advice till Fall since the veterans suggest keeping it discreet.. ESPECIALLY since my school is in my name lol.

But regardless, only like a month to go!! YAY. Good luck to the other Fall PNMs! :)

So, I admit it. I'm a lurking PNM who's been scoping out the advice and other tidbits y'all have been kind enough to leave for us clueless ladies, but I do have a question that I cannot seem to find an answer for. I can look up the quota for my school, but not only do I have no frame of reference (is that enough for most of the girls who rush (Its a small school with very few sororities, and therefore few russees)), but I cant seem to figure out what a quota is. Is it the number of girls they can take, will take, must take, or is it that they can/will/must take within a certain number of that numer, like a standard deviation, or is it a guideline? Our houses are not live in (I may have just given away my school, so if you know please dont "out me") so I know it isnt an issue of number of beds. If someone could explain this, or send me to someone who can, I would be much obliged.

Thank you all so much for your help, I hope to have a success story to post for you all soon.

Me

Generally speaking: Quota is the max number of girls that a chapter can take during formal.

It is based on the number of girls attending Preference parties and the number of chapters participating.

Example: if a school has 4 sororities and 60 PNMs attend at least one pref party, quota is about 15.

Since you asked...
 

At the risk of sounding like one of "those moms," my daughter is going through recruitment at an SEC school this year. Even though I am a member of a NPC group, this has been totally different experience. Basically I just showed up at rush and joined a sorority. Thanks to GC she has a better idea of what to expect and knows not to give one word answers, never set anything on fire, and stay out of the way of Chuck Norris.:) Thanks GreekChat!

Don't worry, the PNMs are coming. And they're looking for recs!

my little sister is one of those PNMs and she will probably be around here searching for recs, she emailed the alumnae panhellenic and wrote letter to some of our aunts but no one has responded yet. So since she is going to an SEC school she will probably come to me soon freaking out, then I will probably come to you guys, :rolleyes:

I'm going to venture to say that it's not about GreekChat having some recommendation hangup.

It's just that, generally speaking, a rec is going to come from someone who actually knows you or can find someone who knows you. Sending stuff that can't be verified through a random website isn't how most of us like to find out whether people are worthy candidates for our organizations.

It's possible that someone will take pity on you and try to find an alumna to refer you to in your area by looking stuff up on the private side of our national website, but that's asking a whole lot of someone who doesn't know you at all, especially when it looks like a lot of PNMs aren't working really hard at this recommendation thing in real life.

I'm not accusing anyone who has posted here of not working hard on find her own recs, but I want to make clear that asking for help here should be an absolute last resort and even if you do ask, that people are often going to be reluctant to help you since you might be a 63 year old creepy guy who is just trying to chat up people on the internet.

It's getting kind of late for most of the SEC recruitments just to be getting the ball rolling on contacts. (The chapter of my org at Auburn likes to get recs by the 15 of July). Have you thought about trying to contact people you know from your own college in the different NPCs and seeing if actives can write one from her or if they know recent alumna who can help?

In their defense, not every town has an organized local alumnae panhellenic with a well-oiled rec writing machine.

But googling and then hitting up random strangers isn't where it's at.

Almost everyone who wrote a rec for my daughter asked her what other recs she still needed. Frequently they could point her in the right direction. She also asked friends who they got certain recs from, usually it was someone's mom that she knew. There are still three groups that she does not have a rec for, but she just figures she won't get her heart set on those.