Writing Recs for PNMs

[DSTCHAOS]

As with letters of recommendations for work and school, I think it's a bad idea to write letters for people you don't know. When you write a letter, you are vouching for that person and that person's promise. When it comes to Delta, I make it known that I don't do letters of recommendation unless I know the person very well. Even then, I make it known that I will respectfully decline writing a letter if I can't honestly and sincerely vouch for that person's potential as an applicant and possible member. I think it's admirable to decline writing a letter for someone if you don't really know them or if you know the letter will be harmfully vague and/or negative.

I know letters of rec are often done as favors because you are close to someone who knows that person, but never put your name and credibility on the line for someone you don't know personally. Knowing someone personally goes beyond having met that person briefly and/or receiving an email introduction from that person.

Besides, not really knowing the person you're writing the letter for often means that you're lying (or stretching the truth) to the organization you're writing the letter to. Particularly if this is your sorority, that isn't a good way to introduce a prospective to the application process. How would we feel if we found out the aspirant misrepresented any other part of their application?

ETA: It's normal to have to ask the person you know some more detailed questions (like GPA, activities, etc.) that may not have come up in your interactions with the person.