Recommendations

[FSUZeta]

instead of thinking conventionally, try thinking outside the box.

instead of thinking,"my friends in sororities might write a rec. for me, but i think that recs. from alums. hold more weight," ask your friends to write one for you. I don't know that an alumna rec. is held in higher regard than a collegiate one, but even if it is, isn't a collegiate rec. better than no recs. at all? if your friends sororities do not allow collegians to write recs., ask them to introduce you to one of their chapter advisors. those women might be willing to meet with you and get to know you well enough to feel comfortable to write a rec. for you.

should you meet with any of these alumnae, have a nice-looking, well-prepared resume' that you can give to them. dress nicely and treat this as if you were interviewing for a job.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Also, even if you aren't sure if someone is in a sorority or not, ASK anyway. You never know if they are. Even if they aren't, you never know who they know who CAN help you.

Exactly, even if someone isn't Greek, he/she may know of Greek women. Even if you just just one Greek, even if it's a fraternity man or a sorority woman whose sorority does not have a chapter at UCF, chances are VERY good that they will know of others.

I say this every time a PNM is getting discouraged looking for recs, and I'll say it again. I am from a small town of 6,000 people in rural Maryland, which is not the cultural South (always a topic up for debate, but it's not Southern when it comes to Greeks). My high school graduating class was about 160. If a PNM came asking me for recs, I could connect her with alumnae and /or collegiates from 20 of the 26 NPCs, and this does NOT include people I know from UMD, only people who live in my town and/or graduated from my high school. I actually started a facebook group for all of the Greeks from my town for this purpose.

Keep trying. What about friends who are already in college? They stand a good chance of at least knowing a Greek. Think about how many people you really know.

[UCFlove]

Oh, I didnt mean to mislead, my friends ARE writing the recommendations, and I'm supposed to go meet with two of their houses. I didn't think to ask about meeting with their advisors. That is a great idea.

I know everyone keeps saying explore every option, and I haven't wanted to sound rude because I know I am asking for help. BUT TRUST ME I have explored EVERY option. All of my direct family liteally lives on farms. Most didnt graduate high much less college, and have NO collegiate connections. I am literally the first collegiate in my entire lineage except one distant cousin who didn't rush.

My teachers and high school councelor didnt either, and my councelor whom I still speak with regularly (and went to UF) said she didn't keep in contact with her friends who rushed and didn't know of any other councelors who rushed.

I have anyone I truly consider a friend about there family background. I have one friend whos mom was a DZ and I was going to meet with her through the week while her daughter is home to see if she had any connections. There may be people in my graduating class who had family, but if i don't know that person it wouldn't be any better than having an alum from an asociation write a informational rec.

I am still waiting to hear from some associations. I'm guessing they meet monthly or weekly?? But, I am prepared. I speak well to others and was a Future Business Leader in high school, therefore I feel very comfortable in interview settings. I also made a social resume using what ADPiUCF suggested on her rec. thread.

I just want everyone to know I am using common sense, and the advice Ive seen on this thread and MANY others. I just have a goal of two recs per chapter because I want to be my best. Im not looking for an easy way. Even those who would write informational recs, I would love to meet with.

Now that Ive wrote a novel.... Thanks again!!

[honeychile]

I've said this before, and it works better for freshmen, but I've seen church bulletins used. Most houses of worship list the high school graduates, and where they're going to college - it's a great time to ask the church/temple secretary to add "Mary Smith - UCF - needs sorority recommendations, can anyone help?"

Trust me, no one wants you to succeed like your fellow parishoners! Maybe you could get listed with this year's class, or even as a special announcement.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by UCFlove

I am still waiting to hear from some associations. I'm guessing they meet monthly or weekly??

Now that Ive wrote a novel.... Thanks again!!

Alot of alumnae chapters/associations don't meet on a weekly basis. I know that within my sorority, most meet monthly or bi-monthly (or more depending on the time of year and what's going on).

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Alot of alumnae chapters/associations don't meet on a weekly basis. I know that within my sorority, most meet monthly or bi-monthly (or more depending on the time of year and what's going on).

I'd venture to say that NONE meet weekly. The chapters in the Greater Baltimore Alumnae Panhellenic include Alpha Omicron Pi, Phi Mu, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Gamma, Alpha Xi Delta, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Kappa, Alpha Gamma Delta off the top of my head plus many more I can't remember. At our recent scholarship banquet, each chapter described their activities. Not a single one met more than monthly. I think it would be really hard to get alumnae together more frequently than that.

[Zillini]

Why not ask your collegiate sorority friends who they had write their recs? Maybe they can arrange introductions.

[UCFlove]

I have one connection through one girl, but the others had no recs.

I figured there weren't very frequent meetings, but do the people that hold the college chairs typically check their emails more frequently? I would guess they do, but I really have no clue.

Things are turning out well though. I have talked to one alum. association now and my friends mom is going to flip through the rolex! YAY

[lawgal]

I think you mean rolodex? Otherwise those watches must have some database.

[UCFlove]

Haha YESSSS! that is what I meant

[Thetagirl218]

I am going to echo what the others have already said! Ask, Ask, Ask!!!!!

I found out after I graduated that many of my friend's mothers were members of sororities!!! At my graduation party, I had some Theta stuff out and one of them stopped by and was like "Oh you are a Theta! I had so many Theta friends in college when I was an AChiO!" While I love Theta, and it was the place for me, the story serves as a lesson to always ask!!!

[Titchou]

The picture should be a small one - wallet size of her senior picture is perfect. I would include the HS sorority on the resume. Some groups require the local rec person to sign a form and she may find this out when she checks on your daughter and they will wonder why it wasn't included.

[SWTXBelle]

If possible, we (my alumnae panhellenic) suggest a close-up picture (a la senior picture) and a full-length.

[ComradesTrue]

Speaking of pictures.... please have her select one that leaves out "props" such as a hat, a dog, a megaphone, or anything else obnoxious or distracting. Just pick a nice picture that looks like her (current hair style, color, etc). The picture does not need to be professional.

[LSU1981]

Question about recommendations at LSU. Possible scenarios:

Is it better to get your own recommendations or is it fine to have the local panhellenic chapter get the recommendation on your behalf and then PNM get letters of support for each sorority on her own?