Schools where you absolutely positively need recs

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by Titchou

http://birminghampanhellenic.yolasite.com/

This is the web site. Hart failed to notice the one she posted is not Birmingham, AL.

Please do direct any Birmingham, ALABAMA area women to this one.

LOL - yes it may be very difficult to learn about BAMA recruitment on the Birmingham MICHIGAN site. Although they can probably get plenty of good help from Michigan DGs and Gamma Phis?

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by HQWest

LOL - yes it may be very difficult to learn about BAMA recruitment on the Birmingham MICHIGAN site. Although they can probably get plenty of good help from Michigan DGs and Gamma Phis?

And Alpha Gams. There are lots of us in Michigan.

[HQWest]

Before everyone got all worked up about the websites - remember having good recs from someone that knows you well from each sorority just makes you a BETTER candidate. Not having a rec from a sorority puts you at a disadvantage - it doesn't eliminate you (thanks in part to the hard work behind the scenes of alums like Titchou.)

The other thing to remember might be (especially if you are OOS) that if you are going to a school and you don't know anyone in the sorority and you don't know anyone at home from the sorority that you might really benefit from looking hard at the sororities where you do know someone. It might help later with having friends when you go home for the summer or with networking? Just my 2 cents worth...

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by HQWest

Before everyone got all worked up about the websites - remember having good recs from someone that knows you well from each sorority just makes you a BETTER candidate. Not having a rec from a sorority puts you at a disadvantage - it doesn't eliminate you (thanks in part to the hard work behind the scenes of alums like Titchou.)

I actually kind of agree with you.

But that is not what is preached on this absolutely, positively must have a personal rec/what-do-you-not-understand-about-this/ MAKE-or-BREAK thread:

Originally Posted by Titchou

Not to be snarky, but what part of "absolutely positively need" don't you understand????
Yes, they are needed in the spring. And yes, personal recs are needed. Info only doesn't cut it. They can get that same info from your registration form, FB page, school yearbook. The really true reason for the rec is the intangible - your character. And it isn't a recommendation unless the writer recommends you for membership - and an info only one does carry that recommendation.

Regarding rec-writing practices of which girls are unaware -- those questions/points were ignored:

Notwithstanding the eleventh-hour calls just prior to and during rush, regarding girls that a chapter is interested in but who do not have a rec, I don’t totally understand the practice of writing recs on girls who are unaware that this is being done. If you preach to girls that they must have a rec from someone who can vouch for them personally, then why doesn’t the alum writing the rec just call the girl and request the information from her?

At what point do these skate the edge of the “info only” recs that you say are not acceptable?

Also -- if a PNM is unaware that she has a rec -- and knows that a rec is necessary to pledge -- isn't it possible that she may take this into consideration when ranking her invites?

[WCsweet<3]

Originally Posted by Hartofsec

I actually kind of agree with you.

But that is not what is preached on this absolutely, positively must have a personal rec/what-do-you-not-understand-about-this/ MAKE-or-BREAK thread:




Regarding rec-writing practices of which girls are unaware -- those questions/points were ignored:

Notwithstanding the eleventh-hour calls just prior to and during rush, regarding girls that a chapter is interested in but who do not have a rec, I don’t totally understand the practice of writing recs on girls who are unaware that this is being done. If you preach to girls that they must have a rec from someone who can vouch for them personally, then why doesn’t the alum writing the rec just call the girl and request the information from her?

At what point do these skate the edge of the “info only” recs that you say are not acceptable?

Also -- if a PNM is unaware that she has a rec -- and knows that a rec is necessary to pledge -- isn't it possible that she may take this into consideration when ranking her invites?

She could hope to be the exception if she falls in love with a house. Think of all the stories we have heard. If she likes it well enough putting it higher with ranking won't necessarily hurt her.

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by Hartofsec

I actually kind of agree with you.

But that is not what is preached on this absolutely, positively must have a personal rec/what-do-you-not-understand-about-this/ MAKE-or-BREAK thread:




Regarding rec-writing practices of which girls are unaware -- those questions/points were ignored:

Notwithstanding the eleventh-hour calls just prior to and during rush, regarding girls that a chapter is interested in but who do not have a rec, I don’t totally understand the practice of writing recs on girls who are unaware that this is being done. If you preach to girls that they must have a rec from someone who can vouch for them personally, then why doesn’t the alum writing the rec just call the girl and request the information from her?

At what point do these skate the edge of the “info only” recs that you say are not acceptable?

Also -- if a PNM is unaware that she has a rec -- and knows that a rec is necessary to pledge -- isn't it possible that she may take this into consideration when ranking her invites?

So that if she falls in love with a chapter AND the chapter falls in love with her she can still get a bid.

Think of the "info only" rec like a background check. If a chapter wants to have a good mix of people or wants to build on their existing strengths they might take a chance on someone who is awesome but they just met day one of recruitment.

So Hartofsec - since encouraging young women and promoting your sorority is obviously of interest to you - have you volunteered with a chapter or to help your area Panhellenic?

[brighteyedgirl]

.

[Titchou]

Well, that's what a rec is - an introduction. So if you want the chapter members to know how wonderful you are before you step foot in the house, get recs!

[IUHoosiergirl88]

Recs at Indiana are a great way to get your foot in the door before rush, but the vast majority of PNMs coming through don't have them.

[AZTheta]

excuse me, IUHoosiergirl88, can you please clarify something for me? When you write that "the vast majority of PNMs coming through don't have" recs, do you mean only in reference to your own chapter?

I ask, honestly, because I wouldn't know if a PNM had a rec for ADPi or any other chapter; only for my own chapter.

[IUHoosiergirl88]

Originally Posted by AzTheta

I ask, honestly, because I wouldn't know if a PNM had a rec for ADPi or any other chapter; only for my own chapter.

I say that based on a few things. When I went through recruitment, girls gave the same reaction to recs as brighteyedgirl, they only knew if they were legacy status and had no clue what recs were unless they came from a rec-heavy area. In terms of my own chapter, we didn't see many recs at all, unless the PNMs came from a rec-heavy area (SEC country, primarily). I also was curious as to if this was just us, since we don't have a ton of chapters in the area = harder access to alums and thus recs, so I asked members of other chapters and they said the same thing. We get some recs, but not the stacks and stacks of them you see at an SEC chapter. Legacies yes (some chapters could fill their PCs with legacies), recs...not so much. Sure, it helps get your foot in the door and an early early advantage, but in the long run, they just don't have a ton of weight at IU.

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

I say that based on a few things. When I went through recruitment, girls gave the same reaction to recs as brighteyedgirl, they only knew if they were legacy status and had no clue what recs were unless they came from a rec-heavy area. In terms of my own chapter, we didn't see many recs at all, unless the PNMs came from a rec-heavy area (SEC country, primarily). I also was curious as to if this was just us, since we don't have a ton of chapters in the area = harder access to alums and thus recs, so I asked members of other chapters and they said the same thing. We get some recs, but not the stacks and stacks of them you see at an SEC chapter. Legacies yes (some chapters could fill their PCs with legacies), recs...not so much. Sure, it helps get your foot in the door and an early early advantage, but in the long run, they just don't have a ton of weight at IU.

I agree. IU is not a rec heavy school. Since IU is a Dec & Jan recruitment school, recs are helpful for pre-recruitment activities, but the majority of women don't have them. (to give a rough idea, last year there were approximately 1600 women that went through recruitment, our chapter had about 100 formal recs- incl. legacy forms).

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

I agree. IU is not a rec heavy school. Since IU is a Dec & Jan recruitment school, recs are helpful for pre-recruitment activities, but the majority of women don't have them. (to give a rough idea, last year there were approximately 1600 women that went through recruitment, our chapter had about 100 formal recs- incl. legacy forms).

I concur with FR and IUHoosierGirl88. Recs really just get a girl invited to a pre-rush lunch or dinner. That way the chapter can say they gave the PNM and extra look without committing to inviting her to 14 party. From others I have talked to on campus, 100 recs seems to be about the average for IU. I know some chapters s get a few more and some even get less than 100. I know that it must sound odd that with a recruitment that large and competitive recs just aren't a big deal, but they aren't.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

I say that based on a few things. When I went through recruitment, girls gave the same reaction to recs as brighteyedgirl, they only knew if they were legacy status and had no clue what recs were unless they came from a rec-heavy area. In terms of my own chapter, we didn't see many recs at all, unless the PNMs came from a rec-heavy area (SEC country, primarily). I also was curious as to if this was just us, since we don't have a ton of chapters in the area = harder access to alums and thus recs, so I asked members of other chapters and they said the same thing. We get some recs, but not the stacks and stacks of them you see at an SEC chapter. Legacies yes (some chapters could fill their PCs with legacies), recs...not so much. Sure, it helps get your foot in the door and an early early advantage, but in the long run, they just don't have a ton of weight at IU.

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

I agree. IU is not a rec heavy school. Since IU is a Dec & Jan recruitment school, recs are helpful for pre-recruitment activities, but the majority of women don't have them. (to give a rough idea, last year there were approximately 1600 women that went through recruitment, our chapter had about 100 formal recs- incl. legacy forms).

I think I understand what y’all are saying, but perhaps I’m missing something. Isn’t one of the reasons of securing a recommendation – regardless of the school – is to get that "foot in the door" and perhaps an "early advantage”?

If I remember correctly, IU’s unique recruitment structure is such that quota is not set based on the number of women attending preference. Each chapter bases the number of bids to extend based on the number of “bed spots”. As such, many women do not receive a bid - even some who attend three preferences parties.

So it seems to me that while a recommendation may not be needed to receive a bid (well, other than those sororities that require one), having any type of an advantage (i.e. recommendation) might help a PNM to maximize her options. Of course, once the PNM has her “foot in the door”, it is still up to her to win over the members.

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

I say that based on a few things.

(edited for brevity!) Thanks, I see now. It's a very helpful explanation! It helps to have context. Much appreciated.

ETA: I could veer off on a tangent (no worries, not going to) and wonder if some chapters get lots of recs. But it is a tangent and not germane to the topic and I'm not going to wonder about it. Any more. At all. Ever again.