Arkansas Recruitment

[wavycutchip]

I'll bite


First, mellymoo - that is very exciting! I hope that you will make a college visit this fall to Fayetteville! I loved my 4 years there, and it is beautiful in the fall!


Second, as far as the questions "Do Arkansas sororities treat recs and letters of support equally and are letters of support equally important" - my first response would be that it boarders on membership selection criteria, and as you will read all over GC, that is not something that we talk about - because it is specific to our chapters and our membership procedures are private and only discussed during selection by the active members of the collegiate chapter.


However, what I will say is that in the Little Rock Alumnae Panhellenic, this was something discussed quite extensively, and we wrote the following in our Greek Life booklet this year: "You may find that you have more than one member of a specific sorority who would like to write a recommendation for you. Because each specific sorority’s recommendation form contains standard information, many times one sorority alumnae will write the official recommendation, and then attach additional alumnae’s (from that same sorority) letters of support to the official recommendation. These letters of support just give additional information to the chapter concerning character qualities and individual knowledge of the potential new member. In most cases, this is a good way to save paperwork and is useful to the sorority chapter; however please check with your college/university’s Greek Life office to confirm that this is an appropriate practice on a particular campus." (from this link: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bw_o1msD5zEILXJXWXdUdXZVVjg, pg. 5)


Yes, for most chapters on campus this is a normal practice (have a recommendation written, and then the rec writter will attach letters of support from additional alumnae from that same sorority). This happens when you have chapters on campus for over 100 years and large alumnae support/involvement = lots of alumnae who may know a PNM. However, it seems to me it is much more helpful to have recommendations and letters of support from alumnae who actually know the PNM, and not just something to "check off" the recruitment prep check list. Remember, there are close to 1500 women going through recruitment - even if only 50% of the PNMs had recomendations to a chapter (this is only an estimate, and I would contend a very low estimate), that is stil 750 recommendations. Now, multiply that by 2 or 3 letters of support, and that is a bunch of paperwork, and still a whole lot more recommendations than spots open from quota for the chapter to take. As all have said, recommendations are a tool (as well as letters of support), but they are just a door opening. Set yourself up by getting good recommendations and letters, but also prepare for recruitment in all the other ways listed on GC. IMHO.

[Titchou]

And keep in mind that some groups accept letters in pplace of a rec form itself. I know my group gives just as much credance to one as to the other.

[gee_ess]

My bad - I actually fired off that posting without really doing my due diligence and thinking it through.

Yes, groups vary in the way they use/give weight to recs,letters, etc. At Arkansas it does not hurt to have more than one of either of these things. Irishpipes is right - accept what anyone will do/write for you.

Sidenote:
I think one thing that makes the PNMs so crazy is that they worry/fret about the terminology and then worry further about the supposed correct "recs to letters" ratio. I have always encouraged PNMS to simply ask sorority women for a recommendation and let the alumna worry whether she is going to write a rec and/or letter. A rec IS a letter of recommendation (of sorts). If you are asking an alumna for help, you are asking for a recommendation to her glo. It may come in any form the alumna sees fit to put forward.

[mellymoo]

Thank you for all the helpful responses on recs and letters!!! My friend felt the letters would give more detailed information on her from people she knows instead of a standard rec form (let me just say, I have no idea what a rec form even looks like so if this sounds stupid, it's just because I don't know what I'm talking about!). I do like the idea of the people who know me well being able to really talk about my strengths since I don't stand out by being a legacy. I am completely open minded but know it will be tougher for me than my friend who is a legacy. I am so excited and nervous for her but I think if I do decide to go there, her experience will be helpful.

And I can't even imagine how everyone keeps track of all that paperwork coming in!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OPhiAGinger]

The timing of most colonizations makes me anxious for the PNMs. If a PNM does fall in love with a colonizing group during round 1 but later winds up with a bid to an established house, then she's faced with an incredibly tough decision. How can she decline the bid (i.e., a sure thing) to a house she likes very much to pursue a shot at the colony (i.e., not a sure thing at all) that she loves? If she goes for the colony, she risks having no house at all.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by OPhiAGinger

The timing of most colonizations makes me anxious for the PNMs. If a PNM does fall in love with a colonizing group during round 1 but later winds up with a bid to an established house, then she's faced with an incredibly tough decision. How can she decline the bid (i.e., a sure thing) to a house she likes very much to pursue a shot at the colony (i.e., not a sure thing at all) that she loves? If she goes for the colony, she risks having no house at all.

Quite bluntly, that's the kind of balls most colonizing sisters need to have. Especially at big schools. The timing of these things aren't accidental, trust me.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by OPhiAGinger

The timing of most colonizations makes me anxious for the PNMs. If a PNM does fall in love with a colonizing group during round 1 but later winds up with a bid to an established house, then she's faced with an incredibly tough decision. How can she decline the bid (i.e., a sure thing) to a house she likes very much to pursue a shot at the colony (i.e., not a sure thing at all) that she loves? If she goes for the colony, she risks having no house at all.

She's not going to have enough time to "fall in love" during Round 1. It's a blur. And they probably will meet national people, members from another chapter and alumnae. There isn't a chapter there so anyone they "fall in love with" is not going to be around anyway....except for maybe the few who will be advisers. It's not a problem!

[FSUZeta]

I believe that if she signed a bid card she eliminated herself from the colonization process. It would be the same as if she signed a bid card, received a bid and then turned the bid down, which action would require her to wait the requisite year before participating in recruitment again.

I believe that the proper procedure would be for the PNM who is interested in pursuing the colony to formally withdraw from recruitment thru Panhellenic sometime prior to the signing of a bid card during regular formal recruitment. I believe that the pnm could actually attend Pref. parties and then make the decision to accept a bid from her pref. sororities by signing a bid card or to pursue membership in the colonizing sorority by not signing a bid card at that time.

Please,would someone more knowledgeable than me clarify the exact process.

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

I believe that if she signed a bid card she eliminated herself from the colonization process. It would be the same as if she signed a bid card, received a bid and then turned the bid down, which action would require her to wait the requisite year before participating in recruitment again.

I believe that the proper procedure would be for the PNM who is interested in pursuing the colony to formally withdraw from recruitment thru Panhellenic sometime prior to the signing of a bid card during regular formal recruitment. I believe that the pnm could actually attend Pref. parties and then make the decision to accept a bid from her pref. sororities by signing a bid card or to pursue membership in the colonizing sorority by not signing a bid card at that time.

Please,would someone more knowledgeable than me clarify the exact process.

The recommended procedure is --
If a PNM signs a bid card pref night she is saying she will accept the bid offered or wait one year to go through recruiment again. Someone who declines a bid would not be eligible for the colony - but she could try again the following year.

[Maple St Alum]

Random piece of information concerning Arkansas sororities.
On Twitter it was announced that the University of Arkansas Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter received the top award at their national convention last night. Greek Life at Arkansas is very strong. Congrats to the Kappas!

[carnation]

Yay Kappas!

[pmdal]

If the chapter wants her - they will work out a rec for her....

[carnation]

She may well have a rec that she knows nothing about, possibly written for her by an alum in her state.

[IlliniKAT]

Thanks. She has an amazing confidence and resolve. (I could use a dose suspect!)

When I look at the list of amazing houses she's visiting I know it will all turn out but as you can imagine all I was reading about required recs was freaking me out! I'm much more comfortable now having had this valuable input. She will find her letters. Thanks to all that calmed my nerves

Only a few more days to go.

[DubaiSis]

Wine. I recommend wine.