Recommendation Caution to PNM's

[alum]

Originally Posted by CallieQ

To how many schools did you all apply? My list just seems to get longer, not shorter!!

In our area, the top echelon of hs seniors tend to apply to 6-8 colleges, usually broken down into several reaches, several matches, a couple of safeties. According to our cousins, this is the case in their Boston suburb as well. A lot of kids who are shooting for an Ivy may apply to all the Ivies just because admissions is such a roll of the dice at those schools. There are so many applicants with perfect GPAs, 2400 SATs, multiple 800 SAT IIs, who also have amazing ECs.

[fantASTic]

Alum: same here. In my experience, too, colleges will take a kid with a 3.4 and multiple AP or IB classes over a kid with a 4.0 who slid by on all lower level classes.

And if your ACT and SAT scores don't back up that 4.0, too, then it won't count for much.

But, good luck and have a good day

[KSUViolet06]

I posted this in another thread about recs and I thought it might be helpful if I posted it again here:

Girls, understand that getting recommendations can be difficult, especially if you don't live in an area with lots of greek women or you don't have many greeks in your family.

It just takes persistence. You have to exhaust all of your available resources & contacts. Think of EVERY place you go regularly where there are women who know you well. Any of them could be a sorority alumna.
Some of these places include:

*school (teachers, counselors, coaches)
*church or other place of worship ( sorority women might attend your church service or lead your bible study)
*camps you attend(ed) (your camp counselors might be sorority women)
*work (co-workers or their family members might be greek)
*your parents (their co-workers or friends, get their Christmas card or email lists out)


Also, you can even ask the MEN you know. For example, your dad's bowling buddy might me married to a sorority alumna or have a daughter who is Greek.

Good luck ladies!

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Good post. As an addition, if you know sorority women who are not in the groups that have chapters on your campus, ASK THEM ANYWAY. They are likely to know more sorority women, or be able to help point you in the right direction. Off of the top of my head, I could think of at least 5 orgs I could help with, and most other sorority women have that same ability.

[dukemama]

I agree, definitely ask ANYONE you know for recs. I wasn't a Greek in college and even I could direct a PNM to alumnae in at least 4 different NPC sororities.

[FSUZeta]

and don't give up! i was from a very small town and managed to have recs. to most of the sororities at fl. state. some were from friends families, my family, teachers, fellow church members, parents friends. when you find one sorority member, most likely they will know an alumna of another sorority. network!!

[KSUViolet06]

I posted this in another rec related thread, but I'm going to post it again here because I think it's important for girls to know this:

Some school's recruitment websites & guide books will tell you:

"It is the responsibility of each sorority to secure recommendations for each potential member."

This isn't always the case.

At most large schools like LSU, UGA, Bama & Ole Miss, there are HUNDREDS of girls rushing. It is nearly impossible for every sorority to get a rec for EVERY SINGLE girl.

So don't depend on the sorority to get them for you, even if the website, recruitment book, greek life office, etc says they will.

If you get recs for yourself, you can guarantee that you'll have them when recruitment starts.