Quote:
Originally Posted by Old_Row
Really the benefit to the chapter is having them early enough to get an idea of who the PNM is, pair her with the right active during first round and make a quick judgement about each PNM when you have so little time to meet them and so many to cut first round. In my experience it's not like you're literally sitting around and saying "no rec! no second round for you!" but if a PNM doesn't have have one then she isn't going to get much attention at most houses. If someone gets a no rec, or has one written by someone very important, or if there's something funny or unusual about it like her photo or the fact that she had 28 recs come in, then that might be discussed. 
Also it isn't completely unusual for a PNM who thinks she doesn't have a rec to actually have one. Alumnae will automatically write them for hometown girls they know and like without the girl asking or knowing. She may think she got a bid without a rec but it really was there. |
Totally agree with the bold part. Just because you didn't secure your own rec, doesn't mean you didn't have one.
Just generally on the topic of what chapter members know about recs:
My understanding of what I was supposed to know about recruitment and membership selection is tainted by my not having always paid attention when I should have at chapter and by some other unusual circumstances involved in being a spring pledge who didn't initially make grades, in addition to it having been more than 20 years ago (gulp). I know what I do now about MS in my own organization from talking to current advisors when I was trying to figure out how to write the most helpful recommendations for the chapters.
I sometimes wonder what the average chapter member at a big recruitment knows about the invite list these days, especially in the era of release figures.
One other thing: I'm afraid that hopeful PNMs and their moms take away the impression here that having a rec at a competitive recruitment does more than it can. The majority of PNM are going to have positive recs at competitive recruitment, just as they have amazing resumes and grades. A positive rec isn't probably going to set you apart that much. It just saves you from being in the pool who doesn't even have that.
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