Recommendations vs. Recs?

[WregleXO]

Weighing in as an Auburn person - you will need a rec (which is the formal form that each sorority has and has to be signed by an alumni of that soriority). Letters of recommendation help keep your name in front of the group (we usually knew if a rushee had a couple of recommendation letters) but you do not want to go overboard as that will also make you stand out. Good luck at Auburn - will be keeping my fingers crossed for you and would love to hear back on your experience.

[Titchou]

I always wonder when we only get a rec from the mom....in fact, I'll personally check the woman out. I also double check out legacies who don't have a rec! (I'm a snoopy, suspicious person by nature)

[Barbie's_Rush]

Originally Posted by Titchou

I always wonder when we only get a rec from the mom....in fact, I'll personally check the woman out. I also double check out legacies who don't have a rec! (I'm a snoopy, suspicious person by nature)

Agreed. I always wonder when we don't get any rec from a mother's collegiate sisters. It makes me think mom really didn't stay involved because the sorority isn't important to her and she may pass that attitude down to her daughter. Or mom only remembers she's a sorority woman when it means her perfect pretty princess deserves to be in the top chapters.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by Barbie's_Rush

Or mom only remembers she's a sorority woman when it means her perfect pretty princess deserves to be in the top chapters.

This!

[gee_ess]

It is overwhleming for the pnm to worry about who is sending the rec, who is sending letters, etc. And, truthfully, at competitive schools, this is not really a pnm's job. You just need the recommended amount.

If someone wants to write a rec for you, great. She will probably ask you if someone is writing your official rec form. If you know someone who is, you can have the next alum write a letter of recommendation. But, it is not important that you keep that straight. If more than one official form shows up at the house, no big deal. Just smile and be gracious toward whomever offers to write you a rec. This will result in either an official form showing up at the chapter or a letter. Either will be helpful and counts toward the rec count we are always talking about on here.

Also, if someone is willing to organize all of your recs, and send everything in together, great. But that is not important either. Each alum can send in her own rec to the chapter (provide everyone with SASE to the chapter). In some cities, the alumnae organizations are very organized and they coordinate a packet of info on each pnm for the chapter, but that is not up to you.

DO register with your local alum panhellenic org in your town(if there is one) These women help with OOS recruitment and will help you find recs if needed.

So, bottom line - recs and rec letters are both good and can be interchangeable and you should not stress about it (other than making sure you have the amount needed for your school). The women who write them will know what their GLO needs.

[CopterDad]

^^^Ringing true for my daughter^^^

We had no local panhellinic out here in the sticks to organize recs, so we just asked all of our recommenders to fill out the official form for their sorority and send it along with pictures, resume, and transcript directly to the chapters at the school.

Once the PNM and her family find alumnae for 15 or more sororities, prepare pictures, resumes, transcripts, introductory letters, thank you notes, thank you list for results next fall, SASE to the houses, meeting the alumna the PNM doesn't personally know, etc., she should be stress free until she realizes the importance of summer conduct!

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by CopterDad

^^^Ringing true for my daughter^^^

We had no local panhellinic out here in the sticks to organize recs, so we just asked all of our recommenders to fill out the official form for their sorority and send it along with pictures, resume, and transcript directly to the chapters at the school.

Once the PNM and her family find alumnae for 15 or more sororities, prepare pictures, resumes, transcripts, introductory letters, thank you notes, thank you list for results next fall, SASE to the houses, meeting the alumna the PNM doesn't personally know, etc., she should be stress free until she realizes the importance of summer conduct!

Well, I should hope so. She shouldn't have much time left for summer misconduct. By the way, CopterDad, you forgot to mention

* the time it takes to locate a pure white dress,
and
* the time she'll have to spend breaking in all the shoes she plans to wear.

[CopterDad]

Originally Posted by exlurker

Well, I should hope so. She shouldn't have much time left for summer misconduct. By the way, CopterDad, you forgot to mention

* the time it takes to locate a pure white dress,
and
* the time she'll have to spend breaking in all the shoes she plans to wear.

Haha. I've already forked out for a cocktail dress in the color that the Greek Life Office said the PNMs "typically" wear. We took "typically" to mean that "you will look like a fish out of water if you don't wear this color."

[violetpretty]

What is SASE?

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

What is SASE?

Self-addressed stamped envelope

[Mevara]

It seems as long as a pnm puts a little effort out they can get a letter of rec from any chapter.

Recs are important for competitive schools, but what is the use if every pnm gets a letter of rec for each chapter? Then what, do you have to get 2 letters of rec for each chapter to stand out? Once every pnm gets 2 letters of rec then do you need to get 3, so forth and so on?

[Barbie's_Rush]

Originally Posted by Mevara

It seems as long as a pnm puts a little effort out they can get a letter of rec from any chapter.

Recs are important for competitive schools, but what is the use if every pnm gets a letter of rec for each chapter? Then what, do you have to get 2 letters of rec for each chapter to stand out? Once every pnm gets 2 letters of rec then do you need to get 3, so forth and so on?

If you work hard enough, you probably can get a rec for each chapter at a school. But you would be surprised how many girls don't, whether they don't want to try hard enough or they already have their minds made up about where they want to be and don't bother with recs for other chapters. This happens a lot at my school. In many chapters you will get cut after the first round if you don't have a rec. Well, if you get cut from your top choices for other things, and you get cut from those middle chapters because you didn't bother to get a rec since you knew you couldn't possibly belong there, you are stuck with very few options after the first round. Then you come to greekchat and complain about how unfair and mean all the sororities at your school are.

[aopirose]

Originally Posted by Barbie's_Rush

If you work hard enough, you probably can get a rec for each chapter at a school. But you would be surprised how many girls don't, whether they don't want to try hard enough or they already have their minds made up about where they want to be and don't bother with recs for other chapters. This happens a lot at my school. In many chapters you will get cut after the first round if you don't have a rec. Well, if you get cut from your top choices for other things, and you get cut from those middle chapters because you didn't bother to get a rec since you knew you couldn't possibly belong there, you are stuck with very few options after the first round. Then you come to greekchat and complain about how unfair and mean all the sororities at your school are.

***golf clap***

[Zillini]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

So you'd prefer the mom send a rec than having her get two sisters to send recs?

No, I'm saying they should all send recs. Remember, this is Auburn.

Originally Posted by Mevara

Recs are important for competitive schools, but what is the use if every pnm gets a letter of rec for each chapter?

The purpose is that if everyone else has a rec and you don't, then you may get cut.

[Psi U MC Vito]

I'm lane swerving so any NPC feel free to correct me. It has been my impression that most NPCs require a PNM to have a rec before being offered a bid. Perhaps at less competitive schools a chapter would go out and try to secure one themselves for somebody they really like. But at competitive environments, they wouldn't have the time for that.