Do recommendations even matter anymore?

[TeaAddict]

You are right- they probably all get recs these days and someone must be cut. I don't remember even reading thru recs (in the 1980's) but....I know if there wasn't one and we wanted to extend a bid we had to get an alum to meet the girl at a rush party...pronto! I'm starting to wonder how I got asked back to so many parties and got a bid.....without even one rec. I was not familiar with the process at all back then. But maybe it was like that for everyone.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by TeaAddict

You are right- they probably all get recs these days and someone must be cut. I don't remember even reading thru recs (in the 1980's) but....I know if there wasn't one and we wanted to extend a bid we had to get an alum to meet the girl at a rush party...pronto! I'm starting to wonder how I got asked back to so many parties and got a bid.....without even one rec. I was not familiar with the process at all back then. But maybe it was like that for everyone.

You may have had recs and didn't know it.

First round cuts ARE harsher than they used to be. This is to avoid stringing the girls along and to get rid of the closed-minded girls who only want one of the "top tier" groups. (Not saying at all this is the girls you recced, but it is a prevalent problem.) Panhellenic is finally starting to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk.

[AnchorAlumna]

99.9% of the girls I write recs for don't pledge my sorority.

But occasionally.....they do! Happy happy joy joy!!
It's a numbers game.

Years ago, one of the chapters I wrote recs for had a "pledge trainer" who had the "pledges" write thank you notes to the ladies who had written recs for them. It was such a THRILL to get that note! I wish they would all do that.

One of the reasons for writing recs is to include alumnae in the whole process. It's such a great feeling when you do have a girl pledged...it strengthens your support for that chapter, and the entire Fraternity.