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However, I find that in most cases (and this has been confirmed by several SEC GCers), the chapter IS NOT going to do it. Sure, they'll do it for some of the girls, but think about how many PNMs there are. They just can't find one for everyone. That's where finding them yourself comes in. Also, I find that MOST of the girls who rush at the bigger SEC schools know the "inside scoop" in terms of the chapter securing recs. So they already know to try and get them. Unforunately, the girls who are not "in the know" (1st generation college students, small town girls, etc) tend to actually believe the official word from Panhellenic and think that every chapter is going to take care of it and they don't need to worry about it. I'd imagine that these are the girls who get cut the heaviest. This is part of the reason why I WISH that some of the school's Panhellenics would start just being honest with PNMs and saying something like "Chapter can't secure recs for every girl, so try your best to secure them on your own." |
while it is stated that it ultimately is the chapters responsibility to find a recommendation for a pnm, i see that happening for girls who are offered bids and who did not have a rec. prior to recruitment starting.
pnms without recs. in a competitive recruitment at a popular(with the pnms)house, often do not fair so well. |
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As we all know, having a rec, like being a legacy, is a guarantee of nothing.:cool: |
So this may be totally irrelevant on this thread by now, but the title totally intrigued me (in fact, I finally got an account just to contribute on here after several months of reading the posts), and so did the discussion I've read so far.
As someone who was reading posts on here about recruitment last summer, I can say that all the old threads and posts and whatevers are extremely helpful. They gave me a really great idea as to what the heck recruitment would be like! I also didn't think anyone was particularly mean either. Anyways, that's my opinion. (and good luck to all pnms!) |
welcome, perfectinpurple.
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Everyone here brings super comments/advice based on countless years of experience and I enjoy reading everything. What I would like to share is something that I know from my experience.
The pnms that standout, are heavily recuited by top chapters, and wanted by numerous groups will have people on the inside getting that rec for them no matter how hard they have to work. If it is required by the org to have that rec for that pnm, they will find it! They will not do this for every pnm coming through as they don't want every pnm and it is too much work, but the pnm's they want -- they will do it! I do agree in part with AnchorAlumna. If the sponsorship chair and her group are doing their jobs properly they have the alum connections and they will find that rec. They are not going to let that pnm they want slip by because of it. I have seen it happen and they work like crazy to secure one. That is their job. When you are competing with other houses to get that pnm, you will get that rec. It is almost like having bragging rights in the end. I have seen it time and time again. They will not lose the chance to pledge her to "XYZ" over her not securing a rec. Competition is fierce at some top schools to pledge certain girls and that is what the org works hard for over the entire year. Looking back, it is serious business and a lot of hussle. You won't do this for 1500 prospects, but you will hussle for those amazing 50 you want. I have seen it happen and it is worth that final outcome in the end. You just feel so amazing on bid day when you see your work pay off. I am getting excited thinking about it. LOL:) |
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Or even an outstanding girl who they just don't know yet may not get the attention she might deserve.
And I'll be honest, not all our chapters are at the competitive level that Baci is rightly mentioning. (I think what she's saying is 100% correct for really strong chapters) There's another big group in the middle who will be a making decisions on a significant part of their pledge class based on girls they meet during recruitment or learn of solely because of recruitment because of recs. These chapters and girls need the recs, even at the info. only level, so they can spot some of the great girls who aren't already on the radar of the one's Baci is describing. It's possible that these chapters are also going to be the ones without the super-effective alumnae committees because the there's probably a relationship between the overall strength of your chapter and your strength in recruitment and alumnae support. Super chapters have it all. Medium chapters have it some. Struggling chapters may struggle. I'd like to think that at the alumnae level, all chapters would get the same assistance, but I'm not sure they do because I think most of us are most emotionally invested with our own chapters of initiation, even 20 years later. |
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Also keep in mind that the majority of PNMs didn't start signing up for Recruitment until the about mid June, plus they have right up until the night before Recruitment starts to sign up. What's known as the "Rec flood" starts in July. So if a chapter were responsible for finding Recs, there's no point in even starting until at least mid to late July. That would leave only a very few weeks to track down those 450 Recs Considering that most of PNMs from Alabama and the surrounding states know the importance of Recs on this campus, it's pretty fair to say the majority of those PNMs without are from a few states away. Yes we have built up a network of known alumnae who we can call for help out of the blue, but I'm sorry to say our network doesn't extend that far. |
I have never understood it to be the chapter's responsibility to find recs. Sure, if you fall in love with a pnm, and she doesn't have a rec, then the chapter is going to be responsible for finding her a rec before extending a bid. But, and I agree with Zillini, in the big competitive systems, there is simply no time before recruitment to start beating the bushes for recs.
In my experience and understanding of the rec process, it is actually the alums responsibility to find and recommend women for our sorority. The alum is fulfilling a responsibility. Without the rec, there is no new member. |
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ETA: <originally posted by carnation: You know who I feel sorry for? The girls who are from non-Greek families or small towns who've been to Orientation at their universities and gotten their Go Greek materials and desperately want to be Greek and don't even know where to start. Some of these girls would make fabulous members. They've asked dozens of women if they're alums but so far, no luck. . . . > |
This is completely irrelevant I think, but if you're a PNM going through recruitment at a small non-competitive school find out if recs are something that happens there.
At my undergrad you'd be looked at like you were trying too hard if you have people sending in recs. My organization's legacy introduction form was the only form I saw as a collegian. This is particularly true of non-competitive, northern deferred recruitment, because if the school is small enough chances are sorority members already know a fair amount about you before you go through recruitment (including any salacious details, true or not, about who you slept with that's a member of what fraternity/campus organization). I have heard of PNMs using recs as damage control, but as I never saw a rec as an active I don't know how true that is, and if it is true, how effective (although I would guess not very). |
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This is true. I can count on one hand the number of recs I saw as a collegian. I'd imagine that the same is true for other chapters on my campus as well. We really only got legacy forms. |
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The only time I knew who was going to college was when my daughter was a senior in high school. It's much more helpful to get lists from the chapters of who has signed up, plus whatever info they have via their Panhellenic. I don't live in a tiny town, but it's big enough that I don't know everybody. |
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I'm not saying that chapters should do the work for the PNMs, but I can completely understand how it might be more difficult for certain girls to find recs (especially when some of them might not even know what it is they're looking for and how to go about getting it). |
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