How competitive is rushing at Mizzou?
 

I didn't think it was very competitive, but after reading on here, it sounds like recs are important :( Will they make a difference?

And also, how do I turn rec letters in? When are they due? Thanks so much.

Mizzou has well over 1000 girls going through recruitment each year, and it is fairly competitive. I went into recruitment with recommendation letters to every house, and I had a fairly successful recruitment. HOWEVER, I know many women who went through recruitment with no letters or only a few and still had a very successful recruitment (I will say though, that these women all had very impressive resumes). They definitely will make a difference, and with more girls going through recruitment every year, recommendations are becoming more and more important. I would go ahead and get them for every house that you can.

The women who are writing your recommendations will know how to send them in.

Thanks for your helpful response :)

YOU do NOT turn in your rec letters. You contact sorority alumnae and graciously ask them to submit a recommendation for you. We have specific forms and processes to submit recs to our organizations.

Rec letters should have already been submitted for a Fall rush. If you have not asked for them, I guess better late than not at all. GET MOVING!

Missouri is listed here on GC as one of the schools where you absolutely, positively must have recommendations, in order to maximize your chances of getting a bid:

You Must Have Recs If You Are Attending Any Of These Schools:

All SEC schools (no exceptions!): Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss, Miss State, Arkansas, Vandy, LSU, Texas A&M
Big XII: Texas, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Missouri, Texas Christian
ACC: Florida State, Clemson
Pac 10: USC, Arizona
Big 10: Indiana
Southern Methodist
Southern Miss

On an unrelated to rush note (I just was casually trying to figure out who in the Big XII didn't need recs):

The Big XII has ten teams and the Big 10 has 12 teams.

http://highfivetothat.files.wordpres...lode-again.gif

If it's you rushing, it's competitive.

FYI: Mizzou joined the SEC last year.

Yes! The Big 10 has 12 teams and will have 14 teams the year after. smh :cool:

Who's supposed to be added next? I was a fan of the Nebraska add, but Penn State still makes no sense to me. The only other ones geographically and population-wise that make ANY sense are KU, K-State and Mizzou, and fine, Iowa State. I don't see KU KSU or Mizzou making that move. But I guess geography doesn't play a role any more, so I suppose it could be anyone.

ETA/never mind. Found it - Maryland and Rutgers.

Underwhelming, huh? No offense to any M or R alumni here, but neither one is a good fit for the Big Ten. I have yet to meet anyone who is excited about these additions.

Penn State/State College =/= Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. PSU/SC = Nebraska.

My understanding is that it's all about TV rights. The Big 10 -- the conference that really, really can't count -- is positively printing money with its TV network, but wants more eyeballs on their games in the NYC and DC markets. Thus, Maryland and Rutgers have volunteered to be mid-September snacks for the big boys in exchange for a piece of that pie.

I am pleased about this ONLY because it means I'll get to go to at least one Michigan game every other year without getting on a plane to do it (my dad and I always go to a game every year).

The Big 10 and the Pac 10 and whatever all had that number of teams previously. They have made a decision NOT to change the names even though they have fewer/more teams. They feel it is an "identity" they have built and don't want to change. That's their right - whether it makes any sense to the rest of us.

I have no issue with the conferences with now-inaccurate names not changing their names. They are brands and corporations; the name is not the important thing. Perhaps a little short-sighted of them to have chosen a number-based name in the first place lo those many years ago, but **shrug** that's what we've got to work with now. I mean, the Big East is moving away from the East, and the Big 10 no longer has 10 teams. I can see how we got here, even if it looks a little odd now.

I just am not thrilled about them letting in schools that don't really suit the identity of the conference; and doing it for financial reasons, not reasons of conference reputation. (Thankfully Maryland and Rutgers are both good academic schools.)

But I did not study broadcast journalism, business, or sports management; I suppose this is not my area of expertise.

Hey now, the PAC 10 (PAC 12 now) has changed the name to the correct number of teams. We can count over here! :p Though saying Colorado is part of the Pacific is a little odd..

My understanding re:Maryland joining the Big 10 was that the athletic department is eyeball-deep in debt and needed cash fast, so joining the Big 10 was a quick way to make money. Here's the Sports Illustrated article I read on it: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...ics/index.html

Ah, yes! The sparkling ocean coastlines of...Colorado!:rolleyes: Also, I no longer have any idea who's in what conference now beyond the SEC and ACC. It's been so confusing that I've all about given up on keeping track.

Same here!

Mizzou recruitment is very competitive. They've had 1500+ hopeful young ladies participate the last two years. My daughter is in a sorority there and absolutely loves it! She did not have recs when she went through recruitment, however, in hindsight, she would have requested them. I'm sure she would tell you that the most important thing is to be genuine and let your personality shine through. Good luck!

thanks for the word of encouragement :/ unfortunately i don't have recs so i'm hoping for the best :)

Why don't you have recs?

I keep going back and forth about the question of recs at Mizzou.

First - I am NOT saying that you don't need them. They are very helpful, and having recs is infinitely better than not having them.

But, if you don't have them, I don't think it's fair to say that you are doomed. And everyone is free to disagree with me, but I do not think that Mizzou should be in the list of schools where you absolutely must have recs. Yes, they are good to have. Yes, you should get them. But I know, for a fact, how many recs have been submitted to my chapter at Mizzou. I know how many women going through have not submitted a rec. I know that some people on GC who tell PNMs they must have recs would be really surprised by the number that actually have them.

All of which is to say, OP, please don't be discouraged. Focus on your conversations and the things that you have control over at this point. I hope that you have a wonderful recruitment experience!!

Pbear19, respectfully, here is the problem with your comments...

You can only state this for YOUR sorority. It is not dependent on the university. It depends on the individual sorority.

You have NO IDEA which sororities are required by their national HQ to have a rec from an alumnae (or perhaps an active, if permitted by the individual group) in order to extend a bid. It doesn't matter what school it is. It is required by the sorority. Period.

They may have alumnae waiting to scramble to get recs in the middle of rush for a girl who does not have one, but that is taking a huge chance.

Very true. I can only speak for my sorority. But I know the percentage of PNMs who have obtained a rec to my sorority. Unless they are getting recs for the other 14 and skipping us, I can say that there will be many women who will receive bids without having secured a rec in advance.

Again, I do think that all PNMs should have recs. But I am not sure that we don't do a disservice by scaring them to death if they didn't.

If the list were "these are the sororities you absolutely must have recs for" then I would never dream of commenting. But that's not what we do on GC. We say "these are the schools that you absolutely must have recs for."

The reason is that the requirement for a rec is membership selection information that we do not divulge outside of our organizations.

Isn't it more a school where you should try your damndest to get recs, but if you don't have them all, rush anyway?

Certainly, and I would never want anyone to feel pressured to divulge MS. But if it's sorority specific and not school specific, why on earth do we have lists of schools where PNMs must have recs? I am pretty sure there are plenty of GCers who think it is school specific, and not just MS.

My point is that I don't think Mizzou should be on the list. As DBB said, you should try to get them, but if you don't, rush anyway. I'm trying really hard not to broadcast actual numbers, but I think some people here would be really surprised by the % of PNMs that have actually turned in a rec, at least for my chapter.

I would say so. They aren't as crucial as they are at Alabama or Ole Miss, but you really should try to get one for every chapter. Even if you can get a bid without obtaining recs yourself, it may open more doors, which is never a bad thing.

Just as a reference if you haven't seen them mizzougirl17
PNM's
Fall 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl8MW2iMRZo
Fall 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFXmb2R0SnU
Up front
Fall 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFXmb2R0SnU

Pi Chi song Fall 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h75n4Z2_AiM
Fall 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn4lG-WSc34
Fall 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtNB0ycaJN8

Fall 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F61Hsf_k1QE

I want to give pbear19 some support :)
Recs are VERY handy- they will make the whole experience a LOT easier. BUT, I know for a fact that NOT every girl going through recruitment at Mizzou has recs to all, or any, of the chapters.
Recs will help get you past "paper cuts" but, in the end, it really does come down to your personality and your conversations.
Are they helpful? yes. Is Mizzou uber-competitive? yes.
Are you DOOMED without them? no.
There are 15 wonderful chapters at Mizzou. Not every one of the 1700 + girls going through recruitment has recs.
Trust me.

I am also guessing that the bidded girls who didn't have recs DID have open minds and kept themselves open to every chapter, not just "I will only pledge A, B or C."

Thank you!! I definitely think, if a future PNM finds this site early enough to get recs, she should do everything she can to get them. But if she comes to this site a week before recruitment, not previously knowing that she needed recs, I wouldn't want her to panic or be distressed about not having them. Just focus on your conversation, appearance, and overall attitude, and don't stress about recs when it's too late to get them.

Recruitment starts tomorrow! Good luck to all the PNMs, good luck to all the chapters ! I hope everyone meets quota :)