[violetpretty]

I have a bunch of friends who went/go to VT. Quota has been steadily rising the past several years to where it is now in the 50s. With 13 chapters, that means about 650-700 are matched if everyone makes quota. I do not know if 900-1000 actually sign up. That is inconsistent with "only 1% not getting a bid". At any school, the vast majority of the PNMs who are not placed are not because they dropped out/didn't rank all of their options.

Recs are nice to have but not vital. It might be a good way to "compensate" for being a junior. Sophomores generally do not have a problem (assuming they don't have any "strikes" against them), but I can't speak to the success of juniors at VT. I hope your grades are good.

My friend who is a Kappa from VT said that there were "so many legacies" when they had about 15 going through. If cousin is your only "legacy" connection, you are not a legacy per AXO's policy, though if she is an active, she may be able to put in a good word for you.

Since quota has been going steadily up, and since a chapter closed for risk management reasons, VT Panhellenic is open for extension. You could ask Ooh La La, a Chi O from VT if she knows anything about the timeline for that. You may consider looking into that opportunity. Colonies want women of all classes, not just freshmen. Of course, there are no guarantees you'd be chosen.