[SmartBlondeGPhB]

I would disagree.

Yes, the chapter will secure the rec IF the girl is outstanding and
IF she makes it to prefs and they want to give her a bid and her GLO
requires one (and she doesn't have one). However, by then, many
outstanding girls without recs were probably already cut in the
earlier rounds simply due to the chapter needing to get down to X
number of women coming back.

I think not having one is worse than having one when you didn't
really need it. No one's going to cut you because you were the only
girl who had a rec. And telling women not to worry about it if most
other girls at her school will have them is doing a disservice.

And besides, the girl is the one who wants to get into a house. She
should be the one putting forth the effort to stand out to the
chapters.