Alabama Recruitment

[TigerOwl]

Another Woo-Hoo! I just found out that two of the PNM's that I wrote for are now both new members of Kappa Alpha Theta! ---and neither girl knew each other. They do now!

[Loyally Kappa]

Hey OleMissGlitter ... I teach at Ole Miss now. Are you still in the area?

[Nhfulmer]

I just heard from a chapter advisor at Bama who had some more information. Every single sorority made quota and those who were under house total were able to bid up to total so each and every sorority at Bama is currently at or above total. This year only 138 girls dropped out or didn't get bids - last year that number was 366. She said each GLO got some outstanding girls and that the entire day was so "Panhellenic". She said there were 10 or 11 buses to take the girls to their respective pledge retreats - they're too big to hold them in the houses.

She and I are both concerned about out-or-state girls not realizing how crucial recs are on this campus. I personally met with girls in SC in mid-July and they didn't have a clue - some of them only had 3 or 4 recs at that point and only had 2 weeks until the date the chapters wanted to have them. I always emphasize the recs and the grade issue to any girls I talk with prior to rush. I'm not sure how they are going to do it but the University has to do a better job of getting accurate information to the PNM's.

It's over for another year and for almost everyone, it was another extremely successful rush. Using the release figures is doing what it is supposed to do and there are a lot of happy and tired women in T'Town tonight.

RTR!

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by Nhfulmer

She and I are both concerned about out-or-state girls not realizing how crucial recs are on this campus. I personally met with girls in SC in mid-July and they didn't have a clue - some of them only had 3 or 4 recs at that point and only had 2 weeks until the date the chapters wanted to have them. I always emphasize the recs and the grade issue to any girls I talk with prior to rush. I'm not sure how they are going to do it but the University has to do a better job of getting accurate information to the PNM's.

RTR!

Do you feel that the Bama Panhellenic does a good job of communicating to PNMs that THEY need to be securing recs?

I know that there are sometimes issues with some SEC schools continuing to perpetuate the myth that "it's the CHAPTER'S JOB to get recs for PNMs."

Note: not saying that the chapters NEVER do this, but the sororities generally aren't going to do it.

I also know that there's a resolution stating that they HAVE TO say that, but I really think that that needs to be changed.

[Nhfulmer]

Since I'm in NC, I'm not sure what Panhellenic is tellling the girls and/or how they are informing them. I do know that after I talked with the girls in Charlotte, they told me that I had given them far more information than they received during orientation. All of "my" girls were completely covered. If there is someone who is having trouble securing a rec for a certain group, I run it through Alumnae Panhellenic (I am a member of the Executive Board here) and we get her covered. If it weren't for my Panhellenic sisters, I don't know how we would do it.

One thing I do know is that the mothers need to hear this probably more than the girls. The ones who are not from SEC territory don't believe until they hear it from another adult and, let's face it, the responsibility really lies on them.

We will be trying to solve the problem but even with this situation, the numbers were still phenomenal and the system is working.

[LXA SE285]

With the bumper crop of NMs at Bama this time around, I hope SDT can do well with their informal recruitment. They seem like a dedicated, hard-working group of women, and it's great that they get so much support from their national.

[Nacre]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Do you feel that the Bama Panhellenic does a good job of communicating to PNMs that THEY need to be securing recs?

I know that there are sometimes issues with some SEC schools continuing to perpetuate the myth that "it's the CHAPTER'S JOB to get recs for PNMs."

Note: not saying that the chapters NEVER do this, but the sororities generally aren't going to do it.

I also know that there's a resolution stating that they HAVE TO say that, but I really think that that needs to be changed.

My daughter was in this boat. She quit rush this year after her one preference party. She felt like it wasn't right for her.

She has a 3.5 GPA, good activities and was a competitive dancer on a national level. Her down side - she is from out-of-state and doesn't know a single person at Bama. We had a very hard time getting recs.

In April, she went to an LSU Panhellenic tea. She was told the group couldn't write her recs because she was going to an out-of-state school. So we asked friends, teachers and neighbors. (Hours of work!!!) I was told by everyone I asked that it is the Chapter's responsibility to secure recs for the PNMs. I was informed over and over that if a house likes a girl and they don't have a rec of file, during rush they will put the girl in a room to meet an alumna. The alumna will interview the girl and then write a rec. Impression is that this is the best way to get a rec. Most friends and neighbors felt like it was a waste of time to write her one.

I'm a Kappa and this spring's issue of The Key had an article about membership. The article stressed that it is the Kappa's responsibility to secure a reference of a girl. Foolish me, I figured Kappa's philosophy was probably the norm.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by Nacre

My daughter was in this boat. She quit rush this year after her one preference party. She felt like it wasn't right for her.

In April, she went to an LSU Panhellenic tea. She was told the group couldn't write her recs because she was going to an out-of-state school. So we asked friends, teachers and neighbors. (Hours of work!!!) I was told by everyone I asked that it is the Chapter's responsibility to secure recs for the PNMs. I was informed over and over that if a house likes a girl and they don't have a rec of file, during rush they will put the girl in a room to meet an alumna. The alumna will interview the girl and then write a rec. Impression is that this is the best way to get a rec. Most friends and neighbors felt like it was a waste of time to write her one.

I'm a Kappa and this spring's issue of The Key had an article about membership. The article stressed that it is the Kappa's responsibility to secure a reference of a girl. Foolish me, I figured Kappa's philosophy was probably the norm.

See, and that's unfortunate. Also, that "put in a room with alumnae" scenario sounds a bit farfetched.

Also, I'm not saying that they will NEVER secure a rec for a PNM, but it doesn't happen alot. There are too many PNMs for them to do it.

I'm sorry things didn't work out, but perhaps she should have continued with recruitment and given her one chapter a chance? I mean, she did still have one option...

[DoctorD]

Originally Posted by Nacre

My daughter was in this boat. She quit rush this year after her one preference party. She felt like it wasn't right for her.

She has a 3.5 GPA, good activities and was a competitive dancer on a national level. Her down side - she is from out-of-state and doesn't know a single person at Bama. We had a very hard time getting recs.

In April, she went to an LSU Panhellenic tea. She was told the group couldn't write her recs because she was going to an out-of-state school. So we asked friends, teachers and neighbors. (Hours of work!!!) I was told by everyone I asked that it is the Chapter's responsibility to secure recs for the PNMs. I was informed over and over that if a house likes a girl and they don't have a rec of file, during rush they will put the girl in a room to meet an alumna. The alumna will interview the girl and then write a rec. Impression is that this is the best way to get a rec. Most friends and neighbors felt like it was a waste of time to write her one.

I'm a Kappa and this spring's issue of The Key had an article about membership. The article stressed that it is the Kappa's responsibility to secure a reference of a girl. Foolish me, I figured Kappa's philosophy was probably the norm.

FWIW, I can speak to what my home chapter does that is obvious to anyone who is an alum - I can't speak for what they do during recruitment (and, fwiw, this is at another SEC school). Prior to recruitment, all alums that they have email address for are sent a list of women going through recruitment so that if anyone knows anyone, they can submit a recommendation.

If one thinks about the sheer volume of women going through recruitment at these flagship state schools, plus the work that the collegiate women go through putting on recruitment.... the work that goes into securing recommendations has to go elsewhere. I think that many NPC groups have the same stance as what you say with Kappa above, but when push comes to shove - this is a much easier task for a collegiate chapter when there are 150 women or less going through recruitment compared to 1200+.

And with the way recruitment is structured, what is most important in my mind is that the PNMs are meeting current collegiate women, not alumnae. I can't imagine the scenario you suggested above being the case where PNMs are put in a room with alumnae to get the recommendation. But that's just me.

I personally have never had that experience with an alumnae panhellenic group - I seem to remember that the group I was affiliated with when I lived south of Atlanta wrote recs for lots of women who were going to lots of schools, not just those in state. GPhBLtColonel can speak to that better than I.

Hugs to you and your daughter.

[catfan]

I've been following this tread since the beginning, and am wondering if Alabama Panhellenic is really telling the PNMs what the process is truly like. Grades, alumni recs, and friends in houses do play a part in the bid process, but sounds like luck has as much a part. My daughter plans on attending Bama as an oos student next year and is a DG and AGD legacy. Other family members are KD, KAT, DZ, DDD, so recs aren't an issue for most houses. Although none of us attended Alabama. She would prefer to wait until her sophomore year to rush, but that might not be a good idea at Bama. Looks like upperclass women don't have as great an opportunity. I'm starting to worry about the OOS issue, she too doesn't know anyone at Bama.

[Loyally Kappa]

I think that when you're hearing "it is the Chapter's responsibility to secure recs for the PNMs" that it means that under no circumstance is the chapter to invite a girl to the last round of pref parties UNLESS they have a rec from a Panhellenic alum. I think this is the norm for other sororities too.

Case in point. I used to teach at a small, rural school where very few of the girls went to college, much less through sorority rush. About ten years ago, on a Thursday in August, a alum friend (Chi O) called me late at night to ask me about a girl I had taught when she was in 7th grade! They liked her and apparently had no rec. She was a great girl from a nice family. I think the point is that no one will be offered a bid at some sororites with absolutely no alum rec at all.

But I may be wrong.

Personally, I was proactive with my girls years ago. When each of them was entering 9th grade (high school) I told her that I could not personally get her in a sorority, that they had to be nice, keep their grades up and impress the alum local ladies.

Originally Posted by Nacre

My daughter was in this boat. She quit rush this year after her one preference party. She felt like it wasn't right for her.

She has a 3.5 GPA, good activities and was a competitive dancer on a national level. Her down side - she is from out-of-state and doesn't know a single person at Bama. We had a very hard time getting recs.

In April, she went to an LSU Panhellenic tea. She was told the group couldn't write her recs because she was going to an out-of-state school. So we asked friends, teachers and neighbors. (Hours of work!!!) I was told by everyone I asked that it is the Chapter's responsibility to secure recs for the PNMs. I was informed over and over that if a house likes a girl and they don't have a rec of file, during rush they will put the girl in a room to meet an alumna. The alumna will interview the girl and then write a rec. Impression is that this is the best way to get a rec. Most friends and neighbors felt like it was a waste of time to write her one.

I'm a Kappa and this spring's issue of The Key had an article about membership. The article stressed that it is the Kappa's responsibility to secure a reference of a girl. Foolish me, I figured Kappa's philosophy was probably the norm.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by Nacre

My daughter was in this boat. She quit rush this year after her one preference party. She felt like it wasn't right for her.

She has a 3.5 GPA, good activities and was a competitive dancer on a national level. Her down side - she is from out-of-state and doesn't know a single person at Bama. We had a very hard time getting recs.

In April, she went to an LSU Panhellenic tea. She was told the group couldn't write her recs because she was going to an out-of-state school. So we asked friends, teachers and neighbors. (Hours of work!!!) I was told by everyone I asked that it is the Chapter's responsibility to secure recs for the PNMs. I was informed over and over that if a house likes a girl and they don't have a rec of file, during rush they will put the girl in a room to meet an alumna. The alumna will interview the girl and then write a rec. Impression is that this is the best way to get a rec. Most friends and neighbors felt like it was a waste of time to write her one.

I'm a Kappa and this spring's issue of The Key had an article about membership. The article stressed that it is the Kappa's responsibility to secure a reference of a girl. Foolish me, I figured Kappa's philosophy was probably the norm.

In Louisiana the alums usually do the recs without requests from the girls (at least that's how my DG friends in the town where my family is from gather and do them). Here in AL, they don't much do that. Each woman is on her own. I'm surprised though that the alums there don't know that as we get a lot of LA girls at Bama. You don't say where in LA you are from but there are several alum Panhellenics there that could have helped. I'm sorry you got such bad advice. It is frustrating when you aren't familiar with a campus. Perhaps she'll be able to go thru as an upperclassman....if she's still interested.

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Do you feel that the Bama Panhellenic does a good job of communicating to PNMs that THEY need to be securing recs?

I know that there are sometimes issues with some SEC schools continuing to perpetuate the myth that "it's the CHAPTER'S JOB to get recs for PNMs."

Note: not saying that the chapters NEVER do this, but the sororities generally aren't going to do it.

I also know that there's a resolution stating that they HAVE TO say that, but I really think that that needs to be changed.

At least on its web site Bama's Panhellenic encourages PNMs to get recs:

http://www.uapanhellenic.com/recomme...nformation.php

The statement's not as strong as it could be, but at least it's a little better than the "it's the sororities' responsibility" horseshxt we still see some places.

[aopirose]

One of my MIF girls went Gamma Phi Beta!

[mommamagnolia]

Originally Posted by Nhfulmer

RTR!
_________________
Old Sorority Broad

Nhfulmer--
I just had to comment on your signature in your posts. "Old Sorority Broad" ROFLMAO!!