Frustrations with Rec's

OrangeJuice · #1 06-03-2007, 01:51 PM

At U of Illinois, recs just aren't as important. It's quite different than SEC, I think. In fact, I have heard from very reliable sources that many of the top houses throw out recs.

As for this particular situation, I don't know where this person is going to school... maybe I missed it. I'm just talking about my own experiences. I'd agree that recs certainly wouldn't hurt, but if she's going to my school (or probably many of the other state schools in Illinois) she shouldn't worry about them so much.

SWTXBelle · #2 06-03-2007, 02:01 PM

She is going to the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.

AOIIalum · #3 06-03-2007, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeJuice

As for this particular situation, I don't know where this person is going to school... maybe I missed it. I'm just talking about my own experiences. I'd agree that recs certainly wouldn't hurt, but if she's going to my school (or probably many of the other state schools in Illinois) she shouldn't worry about them so much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

She is going to the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.

I would say that recs would be manditory at Arkansas. They may tell you that they aren't, but as a sophomore I would err on the side of caution and secure recs well in advance.

St3ph888 · #4 06-03-2007, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

She is going to the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.

um.. no im not.

SWTXBelle · #5 06-03-2007, 03:12 PM

Sorry - I must have confused you with another PNM. Where are you going?

irishpipes · #6 06-03-2007, 03:14 PM

I went to the University of Illinois and I advise a chapter at the University of Arkansas. The likelihood is extremely high that she will be cut first round by every chapter at Arkansas if she has no rec.

At Illinois, my chapter did not throw away recs, and they were very helpful since there are so many PNMs. There were definitely chapters at Illinois that would not give bids without recs, probably due to a national policy (but maybe they would procure them on their own if they want you badly enough.) There were also great chapters at Illinois that gave bids without recs.

exlurker · #7 06-03-2007, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishpipes

I went to the University of Illinois and I advise a chapter at the University of Arkansas. The likelihood is extremely high that she will be cut first round by every chapter at Arkansas if she has no rec. . . .

irishpipes is telling it like it is.
Or, as the University of Arkansas Panhellenic says -- in italics and boldface on their recruitment info site --
it is encouraged to have at least one letter of recommendation per chapter.

#8 06-03-2007, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Sorry - I must have confused you with another PNM. Where are you going?

Quote:

Originally Posted by exlurker

irishpipes is telling it like it is.
Or, as the University of Arkansas Panhellenic says -- in italics and boldface on their recruitment info site --
it is encouraged to have at least one letter of recommendation per chapter.

Sweetgirl424 is the PNM rushing at the University of Arkansas this Fall.

If you need a refresher: the OP's recruitment situation. DBB was kind enough to quote.

honeychile · #9 06-03-2007, 10:15 PM

Orange Juice, you may know quite a few women who were placed in 12 different GLOs "without a rec", but you really don't know the full story. Some of them may have had a friend or relative send one in without her knowledge, others may have been SO outstanding that the chapter scrambled to find one for her immediately after the first round. I know of more than one GLO which keeps 2-5 alumnae around for the first party simply to somehow get a rec on an incredible PNM.

Yes, there are schools were recs are not expected - but unless you know that every GLO at said schools doesn't require a rec, you are doing a grave disservice to the PNMs!

NUBlue&Blue · #10 06-03-2007, 10:28 PM

When my older daughter went through rush, an alum who wrote a rec for her called me to ask about four girls from our HS who were invited to pref at her sorority at two different colleges. She was our high school's contact person and she needed to secure a rec for every girl who was going to pref in case they were offered a bid BECAUSE IT WAS REQUIRED.

Just because you don't know about it doesn't mean that a rec was not required or secured for the PNM. Think of it like a thank you note. No, it's not required, but it's the right thing to do. Maximize all your options by getting recs to every sorority on campus if possible, whether they say they require it or not.

AlphaFrog · #11 06-03-2007, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeJuice

At U of Illinois, recs just aren't as important. It's quite different than SEC, I think. In fact, I have heard from very reliable sources that many of the top houses throw out recs.

As for this particular situation, I don't know where this person is going to school... maybe I missed it. I'm just talking about my own experiences. I'd agree that recs certainly wouldn't hurt, but if she's going to my school (or probably many of the other state schools in Illinois) she shouldn't worry about them so much.

Illinois is quite different than anywhere else in the country. I doubt many sororities in IL would even know what to do with a rec if they got one. BUT - why take that chance? So what if it goes in the trash? Better to have gotten the rec, and not needed it, than to have not gotten it and needed it.

OrangeJuice · #12 06-03-2007, 02:17 PM

In fact, I remember what one of my gamma chis said when someone in my group asked about recs:
"Sometimes they can help, but you really don't need one." I was one of only a few in my rush group that came in with recs.

As for sororities that have a national rule that they can only pledge women who have recs... I don't know. I'm not sure of any of the official rules. But I know people (some in large, prestigious houses) who came in knowing nothing about the Greek system, much less about getting recs. I know people in these houses here who didn't have recs for the house they ended up in:
1. Pi Beta Phi
2. Alpha Omicron Pi
3. Delta Gamma
4. Kappa Alpha Theta
5. Sigma Kappa
6. Phi Mu
7. AE Phi
8. SDT
9. Delta Zeta
10. ADPi
11. Alpha Phi
12. Tridelts

There are probably more. Those are just the ones I know for sure. I'm really not trying to start a fight or anything. I'm just saying what happens at my school. Or course, this sort of thing varies from school to school. And of course, it wouldn't hurt. I'm just saying recs may not be the be all and end all of recruitment at her school.

AlphaFrog · #13 06-03-2007, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeJuice

In fact, I remember what one of my gamma chis said when someone in my group asked about recs:
"Sometimes they can help, but you really don't need one." I was one of only a few in my rush group that came in with recs.

As for sororities that have a national rule that they can only pledge women who have recs... I don't know. I'm not sure of any of the official rules. But I know people (some in large, prestigious houses) who came in knowing nothing about the Greek system, much less about getting recs. I know people in these houses here who didn't have recs for the house they ended up in:
1. Pi Beta Phi
2. Alpha Omicron Pi
3. Delta Gamma
4. Kappa Alpha Theta
5. Sigma Kappa
6. Phi Mu
7. AE Phi
8. SDT
9. Delta Zeta
10. ADPi
11. Alpha Phi
12. Tridelts

There are probably more. Those are just the ones I know for sure. I'm really not trying to start a fight or anything. I'm just saying what happens at my school. Or course, this sort of thing varies from school to school. And of course, it wouldn't hurt. I'm just saying recs may not be the be all and end all of recruitment at her school.

ILLINOIS =/= ARKANSAS

There are people here FROM Arkansas telling her that YES, SHE NEEDS RECS.

Once again, Illinois is different from the rest of the country.

And, yes, there probably IS a girl or two that got into top houses at AK-F without a rec. But, I still wouldn't recommend going in without one, if people from that school are saying to get them.

SWTXBelle · #14 06-03-2007, 02:27 PM

Also, you don't always know if you HAVE a rec or not. Once you register with your college Panhellenic, those chapters which have to have recs often have alumnae who solicit them - and they can get them without the rushee's (PNM) knowledge. So, your friends (or you, f or that matter) may well have had an information only rec that you didn't know about.

AlphaFrog · #15 06-03-2007, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Also, you don't always know if you HAVE a rec or not. Once you register with your college Panhellenic, those chapters which have to have recs often have alumnae who solicit them - and they can get them without the rushee's (PNM) knowledge. So, your friends (or you, f or that matter) may well have had an information only rec that you didn't know about.

Good point.

Like I've said before in this situation - if you end up preffing at one of those sororities that HAS to have a rec to bid a girl, and you and another girl come up equal on all other counts, but the other girl has a rec, guess who gets the spot?