Hopeful 2011 SEC PNM from "The North"

[blondieee3]

Originally Posted by groovypq

I just had to chuckle at this. I used to live in NoVa, and my southern (i.e. North Carolinian) friends swore up and down to me that I did NOT live in "the south!" Being from Pennsylvania, I didn't get it at first - I thought anything below the Mason-Dixon line was the south. But I learned.

Anyway, blondieee3, you're off to a good start, and you've gotten some good advice here. Good luck!

Haha that's so funny! It's actually pretty crazy that within the same state, you can go from big city "yankee" life, to tiny little farms with confederate flags. Same goes for North and even parts of South Carolina. I think what strips NoVa of it's right to remain Southern would be the diversity and number of transplants. I live near Fairfax but what many consiter the D.C. suburbs and almost everyone I know's parents work for the Government in some way or the Military. Few few people have lived here their whole lives and even fewer have parents native to the area. My parents were both in the Navy with my mom originally being from Northbrook, Illinois and my father from Southern California. And when retired from the service, now work for the Gov. Hahaha typical "DMV" lifestyle I guess.

[Katmandu]

Good luck! When getting recs, begin with who you know and move out in expanding circles. Your cousin probably had friends or classmates in other sororities at UF. Ask her if she can contact people. Those friends may have friends as well.

As others have said, you probably know more sorority women than you think. Some of your teachers are greek, some of your parents' friends are greek. Some of your friends' older sisters or parents are greek. If you know a fraternity man, (father's business associate, golf partner, etc.) he probably knows a sorority woman--perhaps his wife or daughter.

My best advice for a great recruitment next year? Enjoy THIS year. Try something new and challenging. Study hard and maintain or improve your grades. Practice being a great conversationalist. Make graciousness a habit. Meet new people and take a genuine interest in their activities and thoughts. This will make your senior year so full and rich that you will enter recruitment with a great spirit and attitude.

[southbymidwest]

Originally Posted by Katmandu

Good luck! When getting recs, begin with who you know and move out in expanding circles. Your cousin probably had friends or classmates in other sororities at UF. Ask her if she can contact people. Those friends may have friends as well.

As others have said, you probably know more sorority women than you think. Some of your teachers are greek, some of your parents' friends are greek. Some of your friends' older sisters or parents are greek. If you know a fraternity man, (father's business associate, golf partner, etc.) he probably knows a sorority woman--perhaps his wife or daughter.

My best advice for a great recruitment next year? Enjoy THIS year. Try something new and challenging. Study hard and maintain or improve your grades. Practice being a great conversationalist. Make graciousness a habit. Meet new people and take a genuine interest in their activities and thoughts. This will make your senior year so full and rich that you will enter recruitment with a great spirit and attitude.

DING! Katmandu is right on. As a fellow NoVAite, (and yes, we are considered Northerners, you aren't Southern until you hit Richmond!) I can tell you that there are a lot of SEC/ACC/Big 12 grads in this area who "get" the importance of recs. (Not to disparage those from other areas of the country, but recs aren't always of such importance elsewhere in the US.) Starting off asking your friends' moms and older sisters, your mom's friends, your favorite teachers if they are sorority members and would be willing to write a rec for you is a good first step. You could even connect with other girls in your class that are thinking about joining a sorority in college and help each other find women who would be willing to write recs for the girls in your future sorority member group. Ask nicely, be gracious, and give them enough time to write them!

Keep those grades up. I know, there are so many other things to distract you during Senior year, and you are feeling burned out, but still... keep 'em up. GPAs count. Is your GPA based on the old 94-100 A scale, or the new one?

Southern schools have become increasingly popular with NoVA kids. So. Carolina and Alabama, along with Clemson, seem to be popular schools at my daughters' high school. I know girls that have had successful recruitments at both universities, and are very happy. Good luck and have a wonderful senior year! I am assuming you are a ram, bruin or bulldog?

[DrPhil]

LOL. This is funny.

NoVA is the south, as are D.C. and Maryland. That's both regionally and culturally. Of course, it is often not considered south if you're regionally and culturally comparing it to places further south.

City living and a Northern influence (transfers and commuters) does not make a place nonsouthern. Some of the "biggest bamas" and "most country folk" live in NoVA, D.C., and Maryland.

[southbymidwest]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

NoVA is the south, as are D.C. and Maryland. That's both regionally and culturally. Of course, it is often not considered south if you're regionally and culturally comparing it to places further south.

I think you will find most Southerners do not consider Northern Virginia, Maryland and DC to be "true southern". Voting in these areas tends to skew more liberal as compared to areas further south. A substantial number of people living in these areas are not originally from there, they are from all over the US and have moved there because of military, government or business requirements.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by southbymidwest

I think you will find most Southerners do not consider Northern Virginia, Maryland and DC to be "true southern".

They are very much the south.

(I already mentioned how people further south view that area and transfers and commuters--still the south)

[SthrnZeta]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

They are very much the south.

(I already mentioned how people further south view that area and transfers and commuters--still the south)

Sorry, ask anyone who's actually from NoVa and they would never say they are southerners. That area is such a modge podge of people, it just can't be called southern. Now, pass over the beltway into Prince William County and beyond, and then maybe I'd believe you.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by SthrnZeta

Sorry, ask anyone who's actually from NoVa and they would never say they are southerners.

That's not true. There are born and raised Northern Virginianers who say they are from the south. But, if you can believe Prince William County and other areas that are Northern Virginia, then.....

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

That's not true. There are born and raised Northern Virginianers who say they are from the south.

And there are people in padded rooms that say they are Jesus Christ. So?