Hart you always give such good advice.

Without divulging private MS information, having it on the standard form makes it easier to check for various information as everything will be in the same place on each piece of paper. When several people on the recruitment team are having to look at the forms and there are 1000 of them, it really helps to have it consistent. We do accept the letters though. Since most recs will be on the form, it's not that difficult to read thru a few letters to supplement the information. But please don't discount the older alum using the form. I know many in their 80's who do because "that's the way it's done!" Precious little ladies! Hope I live to be one of them.

Thank you, Titchou!

While I actually have no idea the reason behond Panhellenic not wanting transcripts etc., I will share something I have actually seen happen more than once.

A PNM's rec transcript not matching the one in the admissions office.
There are some amazing editing tools out there that can change a few grades to make the gpa survive the sorority minimum.
I'm sure someone has heard of this happening before, and it caused a lot of confusion. I'm not guessing that's what happened either, the pnms confirmed it. My job is very creative and I have all the tools to do this in about 5 minutes. Scan it, open it in InDesign 6, clone out the grade and then font match to input the new grade etc. Scary easy

I've viewed every type of "rec" you can imagine as a past chapter advisor. The handwritten letters from a 90-year old alumna are by far the best, those are special in my opinion. The "rec" form that each NPC group provides for alumnae to use is the best (I think). Some have online ones now. I know this year I have asked anyone who needs a rec to send me their information in "electronic format". I did send a typed rec to Alpha Phi when they were colonizing at Alabama. A young lady I knew was going through and she didn’t know any Alpha Phi alumnae and none in her area. So I typed it as a fellow NPC alumna. I know every now and then those can appear.

As far as why the Panhellenic doesn't want their transcripts...I am not sure why they don’t want them. I have heard about PNMs doctoring up their transcripts. Personally, I’m not sure why University Panhellenics don’t check grades when they register using ICS or other recruitment database tools. But I’m sure that’s because of FERPA and other laws and plus that would probably be a headache at larger schools where you have 1000+ PNMs going through recruitment. So just my two cents

Thanks for all the advice and information. Daughter put together a stack of packages to mail or deliver to the women who have offered to write recommendations. We've got 2-3 for each sorority, so hopefully all the ladies will get the recs in on time. Most of them only do a few each year so I don't think we are in crunch time yet.
Thanks again for the help.

Any advice from you ladies for a Midwestern PNM going through recruitment this fall at Ole Miss?

To start: read this thread, read all the stickied threads in the recruitment and sorority recruitment forum.

And if you use the word "sratty", you won't have long to worry in recruitment because you'll probably be dumped right off.:rolleyes:

lol, I had the same thought.

Lol fair. Sorry I'm not the best at coming up with usernames.

Changing the subject. Ole Miss is labeled right off the bat in this thread as having a "competitive recruitment." To better explain that key phrase I'm linking another four page thread from the past. No need to reinvent the wheel.

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=121568

This is quoted from another thread on Greekchat, but it spurred me to search for similar bad advice related to Ole Miss. Didn't find any FaceBook Ole Miss Class groups with bad recruitment advice (it may exist and I didn't find it), but I did find where a PNM was asking a question at Yahoo! Answers, and another at some random sorority advice blog.

The mains questions regarding Ole Miss were:

1) Is it okay to go into recruitment with less than a 3.0 high school GPA?

Correct Answer: It's fine to go into Recruitment with a less than 3.0 HS GPA, however, the Chapters at Ole Miss compete fiercely in academics. If they accept a grade risk (under 3.0 is a grade risk) that PNM has to be very, very special. Every year it does happen that one or two grade risks are offered a bid, and every year there are also a few women with perfect GPAs that go without a bid for some reason or other. Just know that if you have a second recruitment as a sophomore, with a good GPA, your choices will be limited to those chapters that offer bids to sophomores. Not every Ole Miss chapter will offer a bid to a sophomore.

2) How do I find out which chapters are high status chapters and low status chapters at my school?

Correct Answer: This is the wrong question to be asking about Ole Miss or any Greek campus. There is so much interest in Greek Life at Ole Miss that another Chapter is coming on campus this year with the strong possibility of another Chapter in 2015. If you limit yourself to certain chapters, or develop preconceived attitudes about the chapters, you are harming your chances of being a Greek. Some Ole Miss Chapters will release a PNM, in a second recruitment just because they have released that PNM previously. That's just their policy. And some Ole Miss chapters rarely take sophomores. Please form your opinions by meeting the members of the chapters, by observing them before recruitment or meeting face to face during recruitment. You want the chapters to give you a chance by meeting you before they decide, so keep an open mind in return.

Love the second answer!

My daughter and I noticed on another website that the issue of reputation came up. I know gpa's, high school activities, etc. are important, but nobody is saying anything about standards. I have advised my daughter to keep her social media clean and pay attention to how other percieve her. She attended two spring parties and was provided alcohol both times by active members of sororities. With recruitment six weeks into the start of classes, how important is reputation? Does a successful recruitment mean the PNM's stay out of the bars and situations where alcohol is present? My daughter has friends who think it is important to drink with the active members of the sororities. They think it will help in recruitment. What are your thoughts on this sticky subject? The advise my daughter was given by her friends who are active members was to drink a little (you are expected to), but not so much that you get sloppy.

Last I checked, underage drinking was against the law. I have searched and searched this site for answers, but this subject seems to be taboo.

Great. Sorority members giving incoming freshman alcohol and telling them they need to drink it to be Greek.

Risk management anyone? Maybe I'm naive, but I would tell my daughter to put any sorority who gave her alcohol and told her she needed to drink at the very bottom of my invite list. That's a social probation chapter waiting to happen.

1. Do these friends go to Ole Miss? What is good advice at one campus can end a girl's recruitment at another.
2. Definitely keep the social media clean.
3. It is a fallacy that all sorority members drink. I knew women in all of the chapters on my campus who were non drinkers. They generally held leadership positions and were some of the most respected sisters.
4. I have a feeling a MIP would end a girl's recruitment more quickly than a polite refusal of a beer.

ETA: Please don't misunderstand as to the first point of my post. I do NOT condone underage drinking as good advice. Just that campus cultures vary wildly. I do agree with TriDelta Sallie that these girls are huge risk management issues if they are giving alcohol to PNMs.

Exactly what I was going to say.
I feel that drinking with actives would just lead to bad situations. Not to mention all the opportunities for dirty rushing which isn't good for the chapters or the PNM in the end.

As a mom, this is the most confusing part about recruitment. As an advisor to my daughter, I am lost! My older daughter is an active member of a sorority at another SEC school. She said that drinking with actives happens all the time and that sororities look the other way. She said I'm being paranoid and nobody cares if girls drink. Girls with MIP's still get bids to top houses.

I was just wondering how this is viewed at Ole Miss. My daughter has a 3.5 gpa, cheered in high school and has over 300 volunteer hours. I would hate for bad advise to ruin her chances at rush.

As a mom myself, I would be more worried that advising my daughter to drink socially while underage would teach her that rules are arbitrary - that it is ok to break the law if it increases your chances to get into a sorority. I think there is a bigger life lesson here than sorority rush.

I think it stinks that chapter members put you, and your daughter, in this position.

I would put reputation right up there WITH grades - not even as a #2. If you have a crummy reputation, no amount of 4.0s will help you.

I would say that she doesn't have to stay totally away from situations with alcohol present, but she should not be hoisting one herself.
I don't care what older daughter says, PNMs should not risk their fragile reputations by drinking. People are watching, all the time, and talking. PNMs are held to a different, higher standard...especially at Ole Miss, from what I know. It will NOT help in recruitment...in fact, it may deeply hurt. I'm not talking about a glass of wine at home with the parents. I'm talking about 1-2-3 beers at a frat party or somebody's apartment.

It still is!

It does happen, and the vast majority of underage kids can have a drink or two and quit. Yes, some go off the deep end and stay drunk. They don't last long in school. And yes, there are PLENTY of students who don't drink. They're just not as vocal as those who do.

Older daughter, I'm guessing, has a year in college and is now an expert on all things collegiate? ;)
With recruitment being so competitive, I would not give ANY sorority an extra reason to release me. Younger daughter can smile and be polite when she turns down the booze. She can ask for a soft drink, ask for a Sprite or 7-Up, or even water. Be sure she asks for an unopened bottle or can that she opens herself...and don't set it down and walk away and then come back to drink from it.

My best to you...and her!

Why is it confusing? Does she really want to be a member of group that requires she drink while underage to join? Seems like a no brainer to me.

Consider that offering alcohol could also be a "test" of the PNM... let's see how she handles some pressure to do something that she shouldn't. Will this girl turn into a sloppy, bowl hugging drunken embarrassment without the good judgement to know to quit? Or is she mature enough to trust with our letters and reputation?

I would completely stay away from parties. I am not a prude and yes there can be a lot of underage drinking but there are too many other things that can happen In a party environment even if she doesn't drink. All she has to do is get a little too much attention from a guy a member is crushing on or her boyfriend or anything like that. Then the rumors start to fly and every sorority member talks to another and suddenly she's that girl who steals boyfriends or even worse if you know what I mean. Better to be sweet and nice to everyone you meet but stay out of situations where bad things might happen. There will be plenty of fun times ahead once you're going out with your sisters!

What all y'all said.

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This and this. The guy issue is probably even more of a gnarly dilemma than the alcohol issue.

P.S. High school students shouldn't be going to college parties, period, unless they are accompanied by a family member or friend who never lets them out of their sight. If I saw "randoms" who had tried to get into our parties going through rush, I would want them immediately cut...regardless of recs or anything else...it's just not their place.

The issue at Ole Miss is that recruitment is held in late September or early October (maybe into mid October some years). So a PNM will already be on campus and possibly invited to parties (fraternity and otherwise) as a student. Also, recruitment is smack dab in the middle of football season. Drinking in The Grove on a football Saturday? I am shocked. ;)

I understand that. I'm saying that this

is a v.v. bad idea unless you are with friends who will look out for you.

As far as when you actually get to school, in this kind of environment where rush is so competitive, I'm going to say that no, it will not kill you to stay away from parties for a month, unless you want to scuttle your chances for the rest of your college career. There will be lots more parties to go to. Ditto fraternity parties or dates. The last thing you want is for Joe Schmo to invite you over to his house for dinner in September, then walk into rush in October with a chapter you love and find out the president is Joe's on again-off again girlfriend. Make up a hometown boyfriend for a month and a half. Trust me, it is way, way, WAY easier.

I'm not sure about Ole Miss, but back in the UT days (and probably to this day from what I'm told) this sort of thing is how many actives actually meet the PNM's outside of "the process". We always talk about how the NPC recruitment process is so staid and hard to get to know people, I do think there is SOME merit to meeting people in a casual environment.

Trust me, I get "not going out because you could be an idiot or make a foul up" but my guess is that MOST PNM's are hypersensitive to that sort of thing anyway, and are doing everything they can to be on their best behavior. This just gives them a chance to meet other sorority women outside of the formal rush process.

I don't understand if she is talking about regular college parties or pre-recruitment type parties.

I know that groups here have spring and summer parties that are specifically for pre-PNMs. They are "unofficial" but they are how you break into the top groups. If a PNM was invited and didn't attend, I can't imagine recruitment would go well for her.

We are talking about regular college parties at fraternity houses and the like. Not recruitment oriented single sex parties....

I think it's important to be seen as social, but this is graduate level socializing for undergrads. She needs to be there and be a play along girl BUT she needs to not get drunk and ugly, and not slutty. Learning to walk that line of being friendly with guys (and gals) while not appearing to be hitting on him or sucking up to her is really tricky. Unfortunately, the best place to learn how to "work a room" is through sorority membership. So how do you learn how to behave correctly for the best possible sorority outcome? Be in a sorority. Hmmmmm.

Ole Miss is a highly ranked party school, still the University has severe sanctions for underage drinking, both for individuals and for organizations. There is a two strikes policy, only two are allowed. What may be acceptable behavior for one Chapter may not be so for others. Never do anything that allows you to be portrayed in a bad light, and especially so if you would be embarrassed about it if it was the lead story for the news.<meta name="keywords" content="University of Mississippi - Ole Miss,University of Mississippi - Ole Miss greek life,University of Mississippi - Ole Miss summary,University of Mississippi - Ole Miss fraternity reviews,University of Mississippi - Ole Miss sorority reviews,University of Mississippi - Ole Miss greek life, summary, college life, prominent students, chat, school news, events, greek chat"/>

Such great advice you ladies are giving!!!

Let me clarify a few things, (and not completely give my daughter away).

1. We are from out of state and she did not know any girls currently in any sorority. We did attend a Panhellenic event in our hometown where she met alumni advisors for three different chapters. These advisors arranged for her to stay with girls from their respective chapters. She took two seperate trips to Oxford last spring. The purpose of these trips was for her to have the ability to meet sorority girls.

2. Pretty much every weekend in the Spring, the fraternities hold huge "spring parties" (I didn't attend, but I got the impression that they were what we used to call "Keggers" back in the day). Anyway, my daughter and her hosts "facebooked" prior to her trips. All the girls she spoke to told her how much fun these parties were and how she needed to plan her trips on weekends when the best parties were taking place. I was under the impression from the alumni advisors that this was done all the time and kind of standard operating procedure.

Needless to say, my daughter had a great time, was picked up at the airport (80 miles away), treated to nice dinners, alcohol and fun parties. She had a blast sleeping in the dorms and met a ton of girls! This was where she was told that they expected her to drink, but it wouldn't be a good idea for her to get sloppy. She did exactly that. I hope and pray that she didn't ruin her chance to have a great rush because these advisors arranged these trips! She was wary of the fact that these girls could be testing her, and made sure she was on her best behavior!

As a mother, I absolutely do not condone under age drinking, but I am not naive enough to think it is not happening. Older daughter still thinks I am paronoid. (rolling my eyes here). When I tell my daughter that she will have to lay low and not be social for the first 6 weeks of her college freedom, she looks at me like my head is spinning around on my shoulders.

I SERIOUSLY WISH OLE MISS WOULD MOVE THEIR RECRUITMENT TO BEFORE CLASSES START LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!!! This way I stand a chance of not pulling ALL my hair out prior to recruitment. I still have no idea how a week of parties in October is going to help her GPA! Asking an 18 year old social butterfly to lay low is like asking a cat to stay off the furniture.

I'm going to sit her down and make her read all your comments! Now if only you ladies can come visit where we can all sit down and ya'll can advise me on all my problems! LOL ;)

Rush WAS held prior to classes starting back in the dark ages when I was at Ole Miss (80's). I honestly don't know if I could have participated in rush if it was scheduled the way it is now. I really feel for all of the girls on both sides.

Tell your daughter to just expect what is coming, gut it up and get through that week. It will be exhausting, but it will make all the difference. She doesn't have to be a hermit prior to rush, but just act like her grand mother is always right behind her at fraternity parties :D

You don't have to do a rush story, although I would LOVE it!! but you have to promise to come back and tell us where she pledges when it is all over!

HOTTY TODDY!!!

The most important words of advice that we can give you (click here)

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Ole Miss Ice Water Parties happen before Recruitment to let the PNMs get their feet wet before Panhellenic Regsitration Closes. The first recruitment parties at Ole Miss are Philanthropy which are Nike Shorts and the t-shirt Panhellenic gives you. In the past, for Ice Water people have worn an Ole Miss t-shirt with some cute shorts or jeans or a skirt. The key for Ice Water is that you want to be cute, comfortable and memorable! Be yourself!

Remember there are hills, long walks, high heat, humidity, and thunderstorms when choosing your outfit

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In a more laid-back setting, I would be totally down with that. That's how I met tons of rushees. The problem is, this isn't that. This is Ole Miss, where the chapters are struggling to find ANY reason to cut tons of girls because RFM is telling them they must. At 2 AM, "Rita Rushee was seen at PQR Fraternity talking to Boyfriend Brad" is as good a reason as any.

Sorority alumnae arranged for her to go on the trips and to parties where underage drinking is expected and almost required according to your daughter? Alumnae ladies here, is that something that would be ok because it sounds very risky to me?

I seriously can't imagine my daddy and momma being ok with one of us kids traveling far away to meet complete strangers who are college aged especially guys to drink especially when she is still in high school.