[LAblondeGPhi]

I know this comes months late, but there was a recent thread about creating more west coast-applicable information, and I wanted to chime in.

I used to be an advisor at UCLA, which is not the most competitive recruitment campus, but does have plenty of sorority-savvy PNMs and legacies come through. Out-of-state students are being accepted in increasing numbers, so that brings a different dynamic (read: more intensely prepared PNMs from Texas).

I think that all of the advice on GreekChat will be applicable to ANY west coast school, because there’s very little harm in ever being over prepared. The requirements for letters of recommendation will vary greatly by school; at UCLA, fewer than 10% of PNMs sent in letters of rec., but they were always helpful!

So, here are my top recommendations for UCLA:

#1) Conversation and Personality – This will be the most important piece of your recruitment success at UCLA, by far. Read the posts about appropriate recruitment conversation. Practice being relaxed but not aloof, confident but not cocky, make sure that your general chit chat skills are solid.

#2) Prepare your application with good information and a good picture. We don’t need a laundry list of your activities – especially since MOST students were involved in National Honor Society, California Scholastic Federation, AP and IB classes, etc. We don’t need a list of every club you were a member in. Mention the organizations that are most important on your list, and then all leadership positions you took in any organization. Mention sports and distinguishing activities (you volunteered at a dog shelter, you lead a fundraising campaign at your church, etc.) – things that will make the chapter remember you, and shows leadership and/or social skills. Include a good picture THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU. If the photo doesn’t look like you, then it’s not going to help the chapter remember you, and it’s not going to impress anyone.

NOTE: Facebook is definitely used to get information on PNMs, but because of time constraints, it’s usually used for PNMs who don’t include any information or photos on their application.

#3) Clothing/Hair/Makeup/Presentation
First impressions matter. You don’t need to get crazy, but significantly under-dressing or being slovenly WILL HURT YOU. It’s always safe to dress a little nicer than what Panhellenic recommends. Dress and prepare yourself as if you were going on a first date, followed by an internship interview – adorable, appropriate, pretty, put-together, fashionable, and comfortable for you.

#4) Have a good attitude, and don’t assume anything
CUTS WILL BE HARD. In general, if you’re reading GreekChat before you go through recruitment, you’ll be ahead of most of the PNMs, but you can’t take anything for granted. Legacies are regularly released from their legacy chapters. Every chapter has to make difficult releases, and sometimes the cut off for who is invited back and who is released is a razor thin margin. It can seem random, and in many ways can depend on who you meet, what topic you discussed, your energy level, her energy level, etc.. In pageantry, there’s a saying: “Different day, different judges, different results”; it kind of holds true in recruitment. Deal with it, and try your best.