Rushing at U of Illinois, should I get recs?

[irishpipes]

I went to U of I. I would suggest getting recs for as many chapters as you can, but it probably won't kill you to miss a few. There always were some houses that made their initial cut based almost solely on whether or not the PNM had a rec (or so the campus rumors said.) With as many PNMs as U of I has, some chapters have that luxury. There also were many strong chapters that did not have a rec requirement.

Also, just a note that traditionally, rushing as a sophomore at U of I is not a big issue like it is at some schools. I would still get as many recs as possible so that the chapters can get to know you before you get there. With so many PNMs it can be difficult to make an impression.

If you want to know which chapters were rumored to have a rec requirement, PM me. It won't be the gospel truth because I obviously did not participate in membership selection for those chapters, and I haven't been an active for years. My sources tell me that a lot has changed since I left U of I, but apparently the same houses have the rec issue.

Good luck to you. Take notes during recruitment, and take them as soon as you walk out the door. Having so many chapters is really confusing.

[UofISigKap]

I personally didn't have recs, and didn't even know about them before recruitment. After I was in though, I wrote them for people I knew from home or friends who I thought would be great assests to my sorority.

Are they helpful? Sure, because houses are made aware of the women in advance and may give more consideration to them more than a woman with no recs.

Are they essential? They definitely weren't in my situation. I came from a high school in Illinois that sends 200 students to U of I each year. Chances are you'll already have people who will know you in the houses. I think that I knew at least one or two people in every house from my high school (and in some houses it was closer to 10), and they knew me. It's not exactly a rec, but there are still people on the inside who can vouch for you.

If I were in your shoes, would I get them? Yes, because on a campus that is as huge as U of I, a rec might be the little extra that will give you a second look at some houses that cut heavily in the first few rounds.

[chitown_baby!]

Wow, thanks everyone for the advice, I am lovin it. This site and you guys are incredibly helpful. I'm so glad and excited that i decided to rush. If anyone has anymore tips, no matter how small, I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks again!

[Zillini]

I went through Recruitment twice at the U of I in the mid 80's. As an incoming Freshman I got recs to every house because that's what I was told to do when I went to an Alumnae Panhellenic meeting held in my hometown. I then withdrew after 3rd stage because I was so overwhelmed by the process. The next year I went through as a Sophomore and didn't bother with any recs, but by then I had a good GPA, was very active on campus and had a lot of friends in a bunch of Chapters. I don't know if that helps or not. It's just my story.

Obviously I don't know how things are today with Recruitment at the U of I. A lot can change in almost 20 years. But when I was on the other side as an active, recs were not that important for our Chapter simply because we didn't get that many. I have no idea how many PNMs participated back then, but it had to be well over 1,000. For some odd reason I distinctly remember all the recs we received easily fit into an average sized 3 ring binder. (By comparison here at the University of Alabama last year we had around 1,200 PNM's go through and our Chapter had at least 25 jumbo-size binders.)

So what's the bottom line? First, listen to anyone that has more current info than I do. Second, recs can only help. They give the Chapter (hopefully) more information than what is required on your Panhellenic application. They also provide a personal opinion about you from an alum member which is very beneficial. My advice is if you can find alum members that are willing to write recs, then by all means do so. You never know when that little bit of an advantage may "put you over the top".