Email again with a polite, "thanks for agreeing to write a rec. Do you need anything else from me?"

What will the party break down be for rush this year. Will it change because Ice water parties are the same time as recruitment. Someone told me that it would be 8 philanthropy, 5 skit and 2 pref.

It's my understanding that there is more information about the numbers of parties per round coming from Panhellenic but that it will be announced around the time that online registration goes live. Registration is supposed to be live mid-May.

Thanks for keeping us all informed. I am a first time Mom going through rush and we are from OOS. I think this board might keep me sane.

Online Recruitment Registration will apparently open mid-May and not May as previously suggested.

Please note that it closes on Aug. 29 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
__________________________________________________ _________
*The initiail post in this thread has been updated to include this information

A bottle of good chardonnay might help, too.:p

She is going to become a lot less picky about the quality of that chardonnay toward the end of rush!! ;)

Her local 7/11 better lay in a supply of MD20/20....

I checked today and they were out but promised to have it stocked by September 14.

Good deal. We'll be fresh out in Tuscaloosa.

That sense of humor you have right now? Yeah, that's probably going away too. Hopefully your daughter can go in with as good an attitude and keep it as the inevitable cuts happen. As hard as it is to believe, most cuts really aren't personal.

She has a very open mind. She is cute, has good grades and is not a party girl. She does not have her heart set on a "top house" she just want to be part of group with girls like her. She wants a home away from home.

Sounds like she comes from good stock, doesn't sounds like her PNM is going to be rattled, I think this PNM is going to be appropriately focused on being on her toes to present her best.

It's hard to hold onto this thought, but it is absolutely true.

The Ole Miss online registration system seems to be up at OleMiss.edu

My daughter went through rush and this forum was a great help. For those facing Rush 2014, listen to all these ladies when they say all the houses are great and keep an open mind.
Girls in our hometown requested a couple of recs and several letters for the houses where they could get them. Be sure and write thank you notes to everyone who does a letter or rec for you, it's expected in the South at least.
All of the cuts my daughter and her friends knew of last year were grade risks (and some were legacies). I would not want to send my daughter through it without a 3.0 as the girls who were cut, even though they knew it might happen, were devastated.
As this forum has stressed, PNMs need to clean up their social media and keep it clean. The girls (and advisors) pay a good bit of attention to it. The year she rushed, not only was my daughter friended by some adult rush advisors and lots of older girls, I was also friended by some, as well. So... NO underage drinking, expletives, drama, or PDA. If you pledge, you will be expected to keep it appropriate so you might as well clean it up now.
This goes without saying, but PNMs do not need to show a preference for any house before rush. Some chapters will dismiss girls because they assume the PNM is already set on another house, so say nothing but positive and don't show favor to any house or houses, as you may change your mind during rush or may not have your first choice. All of the houses are excellent, so don't do anything to make any house lose interest. If you post pics on any social media with girls who are already in Oxford, be sure to vary the houses. It's really obvious when a PNM's feed is full of pictures with girls from one house, so be mindful of that, also.

Has everyone sent their thank you letters to their recommendation writers? It's a great way to remind them to write the letter if it slipped their minds, and it's just polite to thank someone for doing such a lovely favor.

Lately, Ole Miss Greek Affairs has been removing and updating information on their web site. Not all of the 2013 information has been purged as of yet, but I'm sure they will be refining it further.

What is the name of the booklet that Ole MIss Sororities put out to introduce themselves to new PNMs? Is there a way to look at last years booklet?

Here's the link to the Angelia 2013 It's an Adobe PDF file so you have to save it somewhere to open it. It's still there, but they haven't added a new 2014 one yet either. I understand the new one is supposed to have more information than in past years.

I hope everyone is aware that the PO Boxes on campus in the Union are going away...be sure you have the most updated address for each sorority. Here is AOII's new address. Some chapters are renting boxes off campus and some in the new Mailbox Center in Crosby Hall.

AOII, Nu Beta Chapter
PO Box 1238
Oxford, MS 38655

Per Ole Miss Greek Life at http://dos.orgsync.com/org/umgreeks/npcchapters on 5/12/2014

Please note that Panhellenic Sororities have updated PO Boxes for the 2014 academic year, and please use the below addresses for mailing recommendation letters.

Alpha Delta Pi
Delta Sigma Chapter
PO Box1178
Oxford, MS 38655

Alpha Omicron Pi
Nu Beta Chapter
PO Box 1238
Oxford, MS 38655

Chi Omega
Tau Chapter
PO Box 8047
University, MS 38677

Delta Delta Delta
Chi Chapter
P.O. Box 607
Oxford, MS 38655

Delta Gamma
Alpha Psi Chapter
PO Box 1300
Oxford, MS 38655

Kappa Alpha Theta
Epsilon Zeta Chapter
PO Box 2289
Oxford, MS 38655

Kappa Delta
Alpha Mu Chapter
PO Box 626
Oxford, MS 38655

Kappa Kappa Gamma
Delta Rho Chapter
PO Box 1400
Oxford, MS 38655

Phi Mu
Alpha Delta Chapter
PMB 307
West Jackson, STE 113
Oxford, MS 38655

Pi Beta Phi
Mississippi Beta Chapter
PO Box 2761
Oxford, MS 38655

AOII's new website at Ole Miss! http://olemissaoii.com/

Thanks Mary for updating :)

Thanks, MP! That was an interesting article. I loved seeing this kind of this first hand perspective about Ole Miss.

Thank you for sharing. Other than his use of "frat", it is well written. I do wonder if he was extended a bid and or joined a fraternity.

For PNMs and their families, important information regarding recruitment generally is located in the Sorority Recruitment forum click here. Or you can navigate to the Sorority Recruitment Forum using the navigation pane on the left side of the page below the top. Read the "sticky" thread topics and ask any Ole Miss related questions generated from your review here in this thread. You are referred out to that forum to avoid recreating the wheel, or in this case many wheels.

Nice article, but why use clip art of a high school cheerleader? Maybe they were afraid that a pic of real Ole Miss cheerleaders (or sorority sisters) would empty Scotland's universities permanently!

I had only noticed the picture of the author back at Edinburgh. You are right... that cheerleader picture was a very odd choice.

Probably because they didn't know who to contact to pay to use an image. It wouldn't have been difficult, but then the time difference (- 6 GMT) and the fact graduation was the 10th so lots of staff have left town . . . and so on.

Recruitment teams are reporting that PNM packets are arriving with "Postage Due" notices attached. This is not how a PNM wants her name to be remembered (with the Recruitment Officer gathering the mail having to wait in the postal clerk line because you skimped on the postage.) Please include ample postage as the packets are heavy and large size envelopes have a surcharge. You've invested in that classy wardrobe, stay classy by purchasing enough stamps.

Wow. If I were the Recruitment Officer, I would tell them to return it to the sender. Beyond tacky.

They're probably so unused to using snail mail that they don't understand the concept of extra postage.

Personally, I adore sending my letters of reference electronically. My work uses a lot of electronic documents and evidence. Still, I remember reading those special handwritten letter recs, with that certain touch of the grand dames, now so many years ago, back when I was helping open and organize PNM information.

My step-daughter and her friends (40's) sent their recs for my granddaughter by snail mail. My old-fogey friend sent hers electronically.

Is the PNM the one sending in the packet, or the Rec writer?

Usually, it's the Alumna Rec Writer sending the packet using the PNMs prepared envelope with stamps on it and the Chapters address on it. A PNM should clarify with the Rec Writer if there is another address that should be on the packet in case it has to go through a Rec Board or a similar area committee.

To estimate the correct amount of postage:
1. In consultation with your Rec Writer determine the FINAL ZIP CODE of the packet.
2. Take a large manila envelope (size appropriate to PNM packet), FILL it with a model packet including any plain sheets to stand-in for your cover letter and up to a 3 page Rec
3. WEIGH this packet for each zip code and add any up-charge for large/oversize envelope. If you do this at Post Office with a clerk they will give you the right postage for every envelope.

All of the foregoing is the reason I adore electronic submission of Letters of Reference. No postage, and if I need to send it to the Recruitment Reference Board Chair for the PNM's school/city then I just have to add a link from a pull down menu and it's automatically shared. Easy Peasey!

Why would a PNM know this? HOW would a PNM know this?
Sorry, the rec WRITER - the alum - should know this info, or at least know where to get it.
I would never expect a PNM to try to find out the intricacies of recs for each and every sorority on campus....and I'd be suspicious if they knew it!

What my dd did (and what I generally recommend to PNMs who ask about assembling these packets) was weigh the completed packet at the post office, using a zip from the furthest possible point to destination address (those chapter addresses listed on the campus Panhellenic site). Then she added some extra postage to each (I would rather spend $30 extra postage -- a drop in the bucket considering -- than have even one returned to an alum or left at the PO with postage due).

She made labels for the manila envelopes that reflected the addresses provided on the campus Panhellenic site -- for those rec writers who need to submit to a local alum club or obtain another signature -- the postage should cover that postal route as it would likely be in the same city (and alum can paste a label or address over the one provided on envelope -- or as with some of these, hand-deliver via local alum club meeting).

That way dd didn't need to ask the rec-writer where the rec was headed next, and it was a little easier than having each one (of many!) weighed after assembly and prior to mailing/delivery to rec-writer.

But this was slightly before the current availability and prevalence of e-submission, so submitting recs electronically would eliminate extra papers and postage.

Currently, however, I think it is still a good idea to just include the addressed envelope with postage in all packets -- a courtesy for those who may not e-submit (and an option in the event of frustrating e-malfunction). That way the PNM doesn't have to ask each rec-writer if they plan to electronically submit or submit via snail mail. On the other hand, if rec-writers plan to e-submit, then they could mention to PNMs in advance that they need not include any addresses or postage in their packets.

Heartofsec's solution works well. 32 years ago, I asked my Rec Writers for the required zip code. They seemed to appreciate that I was trying to give them adequate postage.

Unless an Alumna is going to purchase the postage on her own, she should assist the PNM with know how far the envelope has to go. The Alumna is tasked with knowing the requirements and addresses of her GLO, not the PNM.

My DD and I went to orientation this week and we picked up a Panhellenic Recruitment Brochure. Ice Water Teas are now called Greek Day and you visit all 10 houses. Philanthropy Day is next and you can visit up to 8 houses. Skit Parties are now called Sisterhood Day and you can visit up to 5 houses. Preference is last and you can visit up to 2 houses. This is a change from what I had heard and thought everyone would like to know.