Alabama Recruitment

[F50437]

bamamom90:
My heart bleeds for you, which is why I’m risking responding. I post very rarely. I know a young woman (not from Alabama but from “up north”) who started UA in the fall of 2007. She decided to go through rush at the last minute without recs, etc. She received an invitation to one pref party and dropped out (I think before the party). She had a successful rush the next year and is now a proud sorority sister of a sorority which originally cut her as a freshman. I don’t think that grades are her strong point. I will get tripe for this but here goes…I was in a very small city in Alabama having lunch in March of 2009. One member of the group asked about the family of the Alabama resident in the group. He said that his daughter was having the time of her life. She was attending teas at UA and was going to live in Tutwiler (just like her mother did) even though she was eligible for the honors dorm. This happened before she even graduated from high school. I really do think that rush is especially hard for a freshman from out of state at UA. I think that many in state girls have someone pulling for them on the inside way before rush starts. Check out the post by a father of a U GA girl from out of state on another recruitment thread. However, because there is a separate quota (which to my uneducated eye seems pretty high) for upper classmen, it might be easier at UA for a sophomore at UA than at some other schools. In fact I wonder if the upper classman quota at UA is purposefully in place in order to pick up more out of state students. If your daughter likes and knows about football, have her check out the “A Team.” It is a group which escorts potential football recruits during games. She will have to sit with them and their families. But she will be on the field when the games start.

[Loyally Kappa]

This is true. Both of my daughters spent several weekends at spring Panhellenic events when they were seniors in high school. They received a lot of hand-written cards in the mail from girls they knew. I think the rule is that actives can make contact with and invite girls they personally know from back home or perhaps relatives. There are also some rules about when contact has to end prior to summer. Obviously, this is boon to the Alabama high school girls.

But ya know, they DO call this recruitment ...

[QUOTE=F50437;1836523]bamamom90:
I was in a very small city in Alabama having lunch in March of 2009. One member of the group asked about the family of the Alabama resident in the group. He said that his daughter was having the time of her life. She was attending teas at UA and was going to live in Tutwiler (just like her mother did) even though she was eligible for the honors dorm. This happened before she even graduated from high school.

[Nhfulmer]

Originally Posted by F50437

bamamom90:
My heart bleeds for you, which is why I’m risking responding. I post very rarely. I know a young woman (not from Alabama but from “up north”) who started UA in the fall of 2007. She decided to go through rush at the last minute without recs, etc. She received an invitation to one pref party and dropped out (I think before the party). She had a successful rush the next year and is now a proud sorority sister of a sorority which originally cut her as a freshman. I don’t think that grades are her strong point. I will get tripe for this but here goes…I was in a very small city in Alabama having lunch in March of 2009. One member of the group asked about the family of the Alabama resident in the group. He said that his daughter was having the time of her life. She was attending teas at UA and was going to live in Tutwiler (just like her mother did) even though she was eligible for the honors dorm. This happened before she even graduated from high school. I really do think that rush is especially hard for a freshman from out of state at UA. I think that many in state girls have someone pulling for them on the inside way before rush starts. Check out the post by a father of a U GA girl from out of state on another recruitment thread. However, because there is a separate quota (which to my uneducated eye seems pretty high) for upper classmen, it might be easier at UA for a sophomore at UA than at some other schools. In fact I wonder if the upper classman quota at UA is purposefully in place in order to pick up more out of state students. If your daughter likes and knows about football, have her check out the “A Team.” It is a group which escorts potential football recruits during games. She will have to sit with them and their families. But she will be on the field when the games start.

If you check the list of 1200 young women who accepted bids yesterday, many of them are from out of state. I didn't count but the number I've heard is that about half of last year's pledges were from out of state. Someone is getting the message and taking care of business. My girls from Charlotte were all covered and it looks as though about 15 of them are proud new sorority members. I know it looks like it would discriminate against out of state students but it really doesn't if they will take care of business - the problem is in getting them to believe that it is necessary.

Someone posted about a Louisiana Panhellenic not writing out of state recs. That is just plain ridiculous. I'm on the Executive Board of our local APH and we help any girl - regardless of where she is going.

In response to another post, as an advisor I have met and talked with a rushee and then signed a rec; however, this was at a school on the opposite end of the spectrum. At that school, we often didn't even know who was signed up for rush until the first day of parties and none of the five sororities on campus gave a second thought to recs. It just depends on where you are and at Bama, it's required.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by Nhfulmer

If you check the list of 1200 young women who accepted bids yesterday, many of them are from out of state. I didn't count but the number I've heard is that about half of last year's pledges were from out of state. Someone is getting the message and taking care of business. My girls from Charlotte were all covered and it looks as though about 15 of them are proud new sorority members. I know it looks like it would discriminate against out of state students but it really doesn't if they will take care of business - the problem is in getting them to believe that it is necessary.

Are you insinuating that the chapters are scrambling to secure recs or that these out of state PNMs were actually prepared and secured recs for themselves? I am assuming the latter for the most part.

[kk_bama]

I don't really know of any chapter would bother to scramble to get recommendations during Recruitment.

It's more of a too bad, so sad situation. If you don't have your ducks in a row by the time Recruitment begins, you're probably going to get cut by the chapters that absolutely require a rec for a bid.

Your best bet is to start 6 months to a year prior to Recruitment obtaining recs for every single sorority. Contact your local alumnae Panhellenic, go to your high school counselor, ask if your teachers were in a sorority, quiz your mother's friends, etc. It's not that hard. Don't put all your eggs in a basket or two thinking that you'll get a bid to one of the 3 sororities you managed to get a rec for.

My favorite recs to look through are the most complete ones. A fully complete rec packet should include, IMO:

-The most updated reference form from your nationals (some that we get are YEARS old photocopied from an old sorority magazine).

-A detailed resume that includes high school class rank and any family greek affiliations (doesn't hurt to list aunts & cousins in addition to sisters, mothers, grandmother & great-grandmothers). We get a lot of great resumes but they are sometimes missing those items.

-Complete high school transcript.

-At least a headshot and a full body photo. Some girls do a cute color full-page photo collage showing them in all their various activities. I love these. So fun to see the girls in their prom dresses, sports uniforms, with family, etc.

-Sometimes we get a handwritten note or typed letter from the alum in addition to the recommendation form. Going into detail about how you know the PNM is great and the fact that the alum went the extra mile means a lot.

[Loyally Kappa]

I'll see that two cents and raise it three!

Originally Posted by kk_bama

I don't really know of any chapter would bother to scramble to get recommendations during Recruitment.

It's more of a too bad, so sad situation. If you don't have your ducks in a row by the time Recruitment begins, you're probably going to get cut by the chapters that absolutely require a rec for a bid.

Your best bet is to start 6 months to a year prior to Recruitment obtaining recs for every single sorority. Contact your local alumnae Panhellenic, go to your high school counselor, ask if your teachers were in a sorority, quiz your mother's friends, etc. It's not that hard. Don't put all your eggs in a basket or two thinking that you'll get a bid to one of the 3 sororities you managed to get a rec for.

My favorite recs to look through are the most complete ones. A fully complete rec packet should include, IMO:

-The most updated reference form from your nationals (some that we get are YEARS old photocopied from an old sorority magazine).

-A detailed resume that includes high school class rank and any family greek affiliations (doesn't hurt to list aunts & cousins in addition to sisters, mothers, grandmother & great-grandmothers). We get a lot of great resumes but they are sometimes missing those items.

-Complete high school transcript.

-At least a headshot and a full body photo. Some girls do a cute color full-page photo collage showing them in all their various activities. I love these. So fun to see the girls in their prom dresses, sports uniforms, with family, etc.

-Sometimes we get a handwritten note or typed letter from the alum in addition to the recommendation form. Going into detail about how you know the PNM is great and the fact that the alum went the extra mile means a lot.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by kk_bama

I don't really know of any chapter would bother to scramble to get recommendations during Recruitment.

It's more of a too bad, so sad situation. If you don't have your ducks in a row by the time Recruitment begins, you're probably going to get cut by the chapters that absolutely require a rec for a bid.

Your best bet is to start 6 months to a year prior to Recruitment obtaining recs for every single sorority. Contact your local alumnae Panhellenic, go to your high school counselor, ask if your teachers were in a sorority, quiz your mother's friends, etc. It's not that hard. Don't put all your eggs in a basket or two thinking that you'll get a bid to one of the 3 sororities you managed to get a rec for.

My favorite recs to look through are the most complete ones. A fully complete rec packet should include, IMO:

-The most updated reference form from your nationals (some that we get are YEARS old photocopied from an old sorority magazine).

-A detailed resume that includes high school class rank and any family greek affiliations (doesn't hurt to list aunts & cousins in addition to sisters, mothers, grandmother & great-grandmothers). We get a lot of great resumes but they are sometimes missing those items.

-Complete high school transcript.

-At least a headshot and a full body photo. Some girls do a cute color full-page photo collage showing them in all their various activities. I love these. So fun to see the girls in their prom dresses, sports uniforms, with family, etc.

-Sometimes we get a handwritten note or typed letter from the alum in addition to the recommendation form. Going into detail about how you know the PNM is great and the fact that the alum went the extra mile means a lot.

This post should be made into a sticky for some of the SEC schools.

Thanks kk_bama!

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by kk_bama

My favorite recs to look through are the most complete ones. A fully complete rec packet should include, IMO:

-The most updated reference form from your nationals (some that we get are YEARS old photocopied from an old sorority magazine).

-A detailed resume that includes high school class rank and any family greek affiliations (doesn't hurt to list aunts & cousins in addition to sisters, mothers, grandmother & great-grandmothers). We get a lot of great resumes but they are sometimes missing those items.

-Complete high school transcript.

-At least a headshot and a full body photo. Some girls do a cute color full-page photo collage showing them in all their various activities. I love these. So fun to see the girls in their prom dresses, sports uniforms, with family, etc.

-Sometimes we get a handwritten note or typed letter from the alum in addition to the recommendation form. Going into detail about how you know the PNM is great and the fact that the alum went the extra mile means a lot.

Also
--Home Address
--Parents' names
---Their colleges and Greek groups, and what they do for a living (nosy? Yes...but I want to know the sorority bill will be paid)
--ACT/SAT scores

I am building an Excel spreadsheet for Alabama's recruitments (darn those UA people for not posting it that way to begin with!!) that you can sort for sorority, hometown, state, etc. If anybody wants a copy, DM me your e-mail address and I'll e-mail you a copy. It may be tomorrow before I'm finished.

[Loyally Kappa]

I'm thinking the latter, that the out of state girls showed up with recs, resumes, and photos already AT the chapter houses BEFORE rush. I mean, the addresses of the rush chairmen are posted.

Geesh ... is anyone really so naive as to think that all you have to do is pay the rush fee and then show up to enjoy the door songs?!?

Originally Posted by violetpretty

Are you insinuating that the chapters are scrambling to secure recs or that these out of state PNMs were actually prepared and secured recs for themselves? I am assuming the latter for the most part.

[BlueCarnation]

Originally Posted by Loyally Kappa

I'm thinking the latter, that the out of state girls showed up with recs, resumes, and photos already AT the chapter houses BEFORE rush. I mean, the addresses of the rush chairmen are posted.

Geesh ... is anyone really so naive as to think that all you have to do is pay the rush fee and then show up to enjoy the door songs?!?

To be fair, I think it depends on where that person is coming from. Looking at the list, not a lot of girls are from the midwest, but at many schools up here, you just don't need recs, and if that's what they know, they just don't think of it. I decided to rush about a month before I got to school, so I would not have had a clue, other than from a few of my friends' moms who were in sororities. Maybe these days girls are thinking of these things earlier, and it's more a part of the culture in certain areas to know early in high school that you are going to be in a sorority, but for many people, this is a whole new ballgame.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by Loyally Kappa

I'm thinking the latter, that the out of state girls showed up with recs, resumes, and photos already AT the chapter houses BEFORE rush. I mean, the addresses of the rush chairmen are posted.

Geesh ... is anyone really so naive as to think that all you have to do is pay the rush fee and then show up to enjoy the door songs?!?

Oh, I know the answer. I was just trying to figure out what Nhfulmer was trying to get across.

[Nhfulmer]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

Are you insinuating that the chapters are scrambling to secure recs or that these out of state PNMs were actually prepared and secured recs for themselves? I am assuming the latter for the most part.

I'm saying that the out-of-state PNMs must have been prepared - I know the ones I worked with from Charlotte were - as well as girls going to Clemson, Duke, Chapel Hill, NC State and South Carolina. Alumnae Panhellenic held a tea for girls & mothers and each girl brought enough pictures & resumes to distribute to the alumnae who were there. We also had an opportunity to interact with them and to form an initial opinion. We plan to do this again next year on a larger scale.

[FSUZeta]

i feel that an alumna interviewing a pnm during a recruitment event would be a recruitment infraction and thus would not be done.

i think that loyally kappa has probably the actual interpretation of the "it is the responsibility of the chapter to find a rec. for a girl."

[LadyLonghorn]

I have to say this. It's a little hard to take the PNMs and moms who come here to complain about having had no options/being cut when the truth is most of them admit they DID still have one or more chapters left on their party schedules when they dropped. But of course it was the dreaded "I just felt like I didn't fit in/click with chapter/s."

Those of us who have been on Greekchat for any length of time know that you're not complaining about being cut from the "top tier/beautiful model/rocket scientist/fraternity favorite/insert your tent talk hyperbole here chapter." It's because you didn't want the "struggling/smallest/fatty/ugly/lamest/insert your tent talk smash and bash here." The PNM was too good to be one of those.

You know what? Those were the women who wanted you; poor GPAs, lack of recs, poor social skills, out of state residence, body odor or other real or imagined issue. The truth is, the PNM rejected them and rejected the Bama Greek system. The Bama Greek system did not reject them.

Oh, and I am kind of astonished that anyone would think a 3.0 GPA coming out of high school equates with Phi Beta Kappa type expectations.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

I have to say this. It's a little hard to take the PNMs and moms who come here to complain about having had no options/being cut when the truth is most of them admit they DID still have one or more chapters left on their party schedules when they dropped. But of course it was the dreaded "I just felt like I didn't fit in/click with chapter/s."

Those of us who have been on Greekchat for any length of time know that you're not complaining about being cut from the "top tier/beautiful model/rocket scientist/fraternity favorite/insert your tent talk hyperbole here chapter." It's because you didn't want the "struggling/smallest/fatty/ugly/lamest/insert your tent talk smash and bash here." The PNM was too good to be one of those.

You know what? Those were the women who wanted you; poor GPAs, lack of recs, poor social skills, out of state residence, body odor or other real or imagined issue. The truth is, the PNM rejected them and rejected the Bama Greek system. The Bama Greek system did not reject them.

Oh, and I am kind of astonished that anyone would think a 3.0 GPA coming out of high school equates with Phi Beta Kappa type expectations.

This is why I <3 LadyLonghorn.

Seriously peeps, at the end of the day you/your kids are free to accept/decline any invitations.

But when you have options and drop out, you kind of forfeit the right to complain about the process.

I can sympathize with the moms whose kids are cut completely, but if your kid just decided that she didn't like her remaining chapters and dropped out, it is hard to feel sorry for them.