Was attending Alabama Preview weekend crucial?
 

I am writing a recommendation for a lovely out of state young lady attending Alabama. She competes at a high level in her sport and one of the prequalification rounds for state finals was the same weekend of Preview.

She was very concerned about missing Preview weekend after she realized how many did attend. I didn't think she should be as she has the grades, activities, looks, personality that will present well in recruitment as well as recommendations. However I later saw where at least 2/3s of the future PNMs DID attend the event. So the sororities have already met 2/3s of the PNMs before the Ice Water Round?

I searched through the threads and couldn't find any reference to what impact attending this event had on a PNM's success in recruitment.

Any feedback on how important this event is for a PNM's rush?

It's pretty important there. They also have parties in the weeks after Preview Weekend and they use the info from Preview to decide who to invite. So she's missed out on a lot. But, that being said, it's not a death knell. You might include that info on your rec and tell her to mention it - if the opportunity arises - during recruitment. "Soooo sorry I couldn't come for preview but I was placing 2nd in skeet shooting for the 18 and older NRA national competition" - or whatever the event was.

Titchou, haven't they cut out a lot of the other spring parties? I know that parties were allowed in various cities during winter break, but I thought that new rules this year eliminated the multiple spring weekends to Preview weekend and maybe one other?

They could have one invitation party after Preview on campus (each group but they didn't have to be the same weekend as others) The city based ones were over after winter break.

Thank you for the advice.

The thought of her skeet shooting was funny. I guess that would be a way to appear unique during recruitment.

I don't think it is crucial -- she sounds like she will be fine. I would imagine that in general OOS PNMs have a more difficult time attending Preview Weekend and subsequent parties than those who live in closer proximity -- and all chapters at Bama pledge an impressive percentage of OOS girls (in some the vast majority are OOS).

It might be a good idea to include a personal letter with your rec mentioning that she was unable to attend that weekend due to her competition obligation -- this will help highlight that she competes at a high level and excells at her sport, which may help her stand out.

I am out of the loop as far as how much of a disadvantage this will prove to be as I attended Alabama in the late 80's, early 90's. However, I think Hartofsec made an excellent suggestion of including a personal letter with your rec...sounds clever & effective!

I am not trying to hijack this thread but have a strange observation. In looking at bid lists & girls who have pledged at Alabama, particularly over the last 2 or 3 years, I've noticed an odd "trend" for lack of a better word & was wondering if you guys found this strange as well. I've noticed several girls, at least 6, who pledged a certain sorority, who all happened to be pledging a house that they were not a legacy to.

In most circumstances, these girls were not just breaking away from what their mom & aunt might have joined. These are girls who went against generations of tradition & many had cousins or sisters who had just graduated. No judgement here! Here's the weird part to me: On Bid Day, Parent's Weekend, etc, there are pics of these girls with their mothers who are wearing pins with the daughters sorority. I think it's cute to wear a pin in support to a football game with the family when everyone is sporting such a pin. However, I find it very strange to see PattyX, who was a "Chi O till I die O", sporting a let's say Kappa pin proudly...just an example. I guess I find it so odd because PattyX is very involved, or was until her daughter pledged another house, in getting girls from her hometown to pledge her original sorority. I have seen pins on Bid Day that moms wear saying "Chi O Parent" & something like that seems much more appropriate to me. Is it just me? I think PattyX looks crazy & you will not convince me it is in support of her daughter...I truly belive some of these mommas think they've gone to "New sorority heaven" & have been re-incarnated!!!!

I doubt seriously that they are wearing the other group's actual badge. Perhaps a Mother's Pin? I don't have a problem with that at all.

I think she's referring to the XYZ supports the Tide buttons worn on game days.

Really? She feels that's odd? Hmmmm.....

Perhaps the legacy chapter, or the legacy, felt that she would shine more brightly somewhere else, and Mom is showing support for her daughter. Perhaps Mom truly meant it when she told daughter that she should go where her heart leads and is happy that daughter did. Or perhaps Mom is upset with the legacy chapter for not extending a bid to the legacy and has vowed that while daughter is in college, Mom will support daughter's chapter.

I've seen more than one mom, and dad, and brother, and boyfriend, wearing two or even three buttons (actually they're stickers). Mom has two daughters in different sororities, or her sorority and daughter's, brothers with sisters in different sororities, boyfriends with a sister in a different sorority.

Not unusual at all.
You need to come back for a football game! (Or women's softball, gymnastics event, golf, etc.)

The XYZ supports our thingamajigs button and sticker are popular at many SEC schools.

A parent who supports her daughter in what the daughter wants to do and enjoys, even if it wasn't what the parent wanted? OMG WHAT ARE THEY THINKING.

Does this sound to anyone else like the part in the insane sorority girl email where she was yelling at her sisters for cheering for the other team?

I'm assuming these are the "pins" (more correctly called buttons) that she means:
http://www.greekgear.com/ilomibu.html

Those are similar(but usually not in mini size)....or it might say "ABC loves the Tide" or "ABC says Go Bama" or the like.