Why are recs absolutely necessary at some schools, while not expected at others?

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by Titchou

And then there was the PNM from great suburb in major southern city going thru recruitment at large SEC school who was hauled away from HS in handcuffs by the sheriff - and very well docmented to me...and the world if they just wanted to look. I wrote a no rec on her....both years she went thru recruitment. Obviously everyone else did too because she was dropped by all groups both years - including mine in spite of heavy lobbying of me by the the vp:recruitment as the girl had friends in the chapter. I stood my ground, they accepted it, and were glad they listened to me when no one else took her either.

It sounds like you did the right thing by standing your ground on that one.

I remember my first time on the active side of rush -- actives howling to keep an adorable girl who had a C high school GPA. And I remember the chapter advisors explaining that we needed to pledge girls who would stay afloat and be successful in college. I also remember thinking they were kind of mean about it, since this girl's friends wanted to pledge her so badly. Lots of tears.

As it turned out, the alums were right. She pledged elsewhere, and was in school for one semester.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

Maybe I'm not worthy of understanding these Southern pearl clutching issues, but why would I care if someone's parent was found guilty of murder or something of that nature? That PNM may be estranged from that family member and likely has little to no connection to that individual at that point. It's not as if that PNM was the murderer! Perhaps that PNM wanted a new start away from those issues. What if the PNM had been a victim of domestic violence and the rec writer mentioned that?

Exactly. I feel as though holding something against the PNM that actually has nothing to do with them or their character is going a bit too far. I have some family members who have done some things that I wouldn't like advertised. You don't get to choose your family, and you definitely can't control their actions.

I would like to think I'm pretty awesome and I wouldn't want something that a family member did to hold any weight over whether or not I was offered a bid.

[MaryPoppins]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I would like to think I'm pretty awesome and I wouldn't want something that a family member did to hold any weight over whether or not I was offered a bid.

This is why some young Southern women end pledging far from home, and not just because the academic scholarship was right.

[adpiucf]

Originally Posted by Hartofsec

I remember my first time on the active side of rush -- actives howling to keep an adorable girl who had a C high school GPA. And I remember the chapter advisors explaining that we needed to pledge girls who would stay afloat and be successful in college. I also remember thinking they were kind of mean about it, since this girl's friends wanted to pledge her so badly. Lots of tears.

As it turned out, the alums were right. She pledged elsewhere, and was in school for one semester.

I've never had a good experience pledging a grade risk. Every year we took a chance on one because she was so popular, and every year we'd lose her because she failed out of school. Has anyone had an opposite experience where someone with low grades managed to thrive academically once she pledged?