what is a rec

[carnation]

adpiucf
GreekChat Member

Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: I can't seem to keep track!
Posts: 4,952
Recommendations (NPC)
WHAT IS A RECOMMENDATION
For NPC sororities, a recommendation/reference is an official sorority form sponsoring/endorsing you for membership. Sorority members fill out the forms and send them in on your behalf to the sorority chapter at the college prior to recruitment. This doesn't happen spontaneously: You need to locate sorority women to do this for you.

Some sororities are required to have these references for every woman they initiate, and it is their responsibility to collect them. But on college campuses with a “competitive” recruitment, it is to your benefit to secure these forms in advance before you come to recruitment as a standard pre-requisite. At others campuses, recruitment may be less competitive, but it is still to your benefit to secure these forms as a way for your name to stand out in a positive way prior to recruitment.

Ask current students (better yet: sorority members) at your school what the norm is for recruitment at your school and if it is expected that you secure recommendations in advance.

It isn't a guarantee that because you had a recommendation that you will be given a bid to membership, but it can very much help to even the playing field where everyone else comes in with recommendations. Or at a less competitve recruitment, recommendations can help elevate you above the playing field because you have something the other PNMS do not have.

At very competitive recruitments, it is to your benefit to not only have a recommendation, but to also secure 1-3 letters of support. These 1-2 page letters are sent by sorority members on your behalf as well. They help paint a more well-rounded picture of who you are.

You really should aim to get your recommendations from people who know you best. Start off with your Christmas card list, relatives, friends, teachers, etc. Find a local chapter of a sorority alumnae association or alumnae panhellenic association for hometown advice and possible recommenders.


RULES OF CONTACT FOR POTENTIAL NEW MEMBERS
If someone agrees to help you with a recommendation, you will be expected to provide them with personal information. To help anyone writing you a recommendation or a letter of support, give them a copy of your resume, a photo of yourself and a copy of your transcripts. Do not provide these things until someone has agreed to be your recommendation sponsor.

SOCIAL RESUME
This 1-3 page document should be provided to anyone writing you a recommendation. Include your contact information, any high schools and colleges attended, your year in college (Freshman, etc.), when/where you graduated HS, your activities, accomplishments, scholarships received, list any sorority family members and where they went to school, your SAT/ACT scores, major, community service experience, etc. Please don't include your SSN or Student ID on this resume.

FOLLOW-UP
Make sure to send a formal thank-you note to your recommenders and to follow-up with them once recruitment has concluded! Whether or not you join their sorority, they will be pleased to hear from you and know how things turned out, even if you did not join a sorority at all.


Good luck with recruitment!