People that you would NOT recommend.

[AnchorAlumna]

In, oh, 34 years of writing recs, I think I've written 2 or 3 "no" recs. I don't really remember the reasons now, but I'm pretty sure they were fairly lurid.
There have been girls I was, um, reluctant to sign on. Not because they were so awful, but because I really didn't think they would fit into the chapter, or there were grade problems.
When that happens, I send in the rec as an information-only form and ask the chapter to call me before recruitment starts. I can then tell them my concerns, and let them make their own decision.
Back when I was a collegian, we pledged a girl who had a "no" rec because the alum didn't like the town she was from. Another "no" on a girl that the alum felt would not complete college. In both cases, we should have listened to the alumnae!
Another chapter pledged a girl who had serious mental and emotional issues. There was no rec on her from the alum in charge of getting recs for that high school.
Why?
Because the chapter didn't bother to ask the alum for a rec.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

In, oh, 34 years of writing recs, I think I've written 2 or 3 "no" recs. I don't really remember the reasons now, but I'm pretty sure they were fairly lurid.
There have been girls I was, um, reluctant to sign on. Not because they were so awful, but because I really didn't think they would fit into the chapter, or there were grade problems.
When that happens, I send in the rec as an information-only form and ask the chapter to call me before recruitment starts. I can then tell them my concerns, and let them make their own decision.
Back when I was a collegian, we pledged a girl who had a "no" rec because the alum didn't like the town she was from. Another "no" on a girl that the alum felt would not complete college. In both cases, we should have listened to the alumnae!
Another chapter pledged a girl who had serious mental and emotional issues. There was no rec on her from the alum in charge of getting recs for that high school.
Why?
Because the chapter didn't bother to ask the alum for a rec.

What was so telling about the town she was from? That just seems a little random that it would be actually predictive.

Do some schools not get information about grades separately from the PNMs? It surprises that it would be necessary to make a recommendation based on academic weakness; it seems like that would be evident from other info the chapter would get.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

What was so telling about the town she was from? That just seems a little random that it would be actually predictive.

Do some schools not get information about grades separately from the PNMs? It surprises that it would be necessary to make a recommendation based on academic weakness; it seems like that would be evident from other info the chapter would get.

The alum felt the town was 'wrong side of the tracks." I believe she actually said, "Nothing good ever comes out of that town."
Seems like back then, the only grades they got came from the girl herself. This was before Panhellenics asked for transcripts. Our alum Panhellenic had just started asking for them, so I had a little more info than the chapter had gotten on the info form the girl had filled out.
The grades weren't below the minimum, but they weren't far from it.
Does that make sense?

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

The alum felt the town was 'wrong side of the tracks." I believe she actually said, "Nothing good ever comes out of that town.

Oh dear!

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

Oh dear!

It sounds like the beginning of a short story.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

The alum felt the town was 'wrong side of the tracks." I believe she actually said, "Nothing good ever comes out of that town."
Seems like back then, the only grades they got came from the girl herself. This was before Panhellenics asked for transcripts. Our alum Panhellenic had just started asking for them, so I had a little more info than the chapter had gotten on the info form the girl had filled out.
The grades weren't below the minimum, but they weren't far from it.
Does that make sense?

Yes, it makes complete sense. Fortunately, I've only been asked to do recs for girls that were pretty well matched academically to the campuses at which they were rushing so I never worried about that aspect.

[Zillini]

Originally Posted by wildcatfan

Just curious--when you write a "no rec" for someone, do you elaborate on your reasons/concerns, or just send in your rec form and literally write "NO REC" on it and leave it at that?

Most No Recs I've received over the years simply have "CALL ME!" written on it. Either they don't want to put it on paper or the reasons are too long to write out, sometimes both.

[MaggieXi]

I sent in one no-rec. I had known of this girl for years (she is 6 years younger than me) and met her on several occassions - she was the daughter of one of the VPs my mom used to work for. The few times I had met her I thought she was a real brat. She had been kicked out of one public high school and one private school for drugs and violence (she apparently assaulted other students if they even looked at her the wrong way). I then found out she was going to attend my alma matter for college! I wrote a No-Rec to my chapter and did tell my alumni friends in other orgs about this girl. Luckily for the chapters, she didn't have the grade requirements to go through recruitment and transferred after the end of her freshman year.