Question about Rec Ltrs

[SquirrelyDays]

I just got a request today from someone who lives 3 hours away from me. I'm just so curious about that, because we do have alumnae in that area, so I'm not sure why she couldn't meet someone local to her. She contacted the Alumnae Panhellenic president in our town who gave her the contact information for the presidents of 5 different organizations - like a clearing house. Curious. On paper she looks amazing, and I'll be happy to talk with her, but I'll definitely be making it clear when I submit my notes that I do not know her personally. Every organization is different about who can write in support of a PNM. I know my org will take information from anyone - it's no longer really a recommendation letter for us - so I'm going to suggest that she find someone who knows her personally in her hometown to send information in, too, not just me.

AZ-Alpha Xi - that's a good idea.
Run262 - if there is a specific deadline, be sure to mention that to the rec writers.

[DaffyKD]

I haven't written a rec in quite a while. When I was President of my local alumnae chapter I wrote several, but I ALWAYS noted that all information was based on the resume presented by the PNM and a short face to face meeting and that I did not know the girl personally. All but one of these short interviews were conducted 2-3 days before the deadline set by the collegiate chapter to receive recs.

DaffyKD

[navane]

Originally Posted by SquirrelyDays

I just got a request today from someone who lives 3 hours away from me. I'm just so curious about that, because we do have alumnae in that area, so I'm not sure why she couldn't meet someone local to her. She contacted the Alumnae Panhellenic president in our town who gave her the contact information for the presidents of 5 different organizations - like a clearing house.

Is there an Alumnae Panhellenic chapter in her area? I would ask the PNM if she had reached out to her own town's alumnae panhellenic first and, if so, what was the result of it. I might even contact them to see if she did. If she's reaching out to people 3-hours away, that likely means she didn't get the recs she needed near her. I'm curious about why. (ie. she has a poor rep in town and that's why no one in her town will write her one.)

Overall, though, I wonder if we might see a little bit of a passive revolt from some alumnae panhellenics. Since some GLOs have changed policies so that now anyone (member or not) can write a rec for a PNM, then there's no need for an alumna to go to the trouble of doing one for someone she doesn't even know. That might explain the "we don't write recs for people we don't know" response Run262's daughter received.

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by SquirrelyDays

I just got a request today from someone who lives 3 hours away from me. I'm just so curious about that, because we do have alumnae in that area, so I'm not sure why she couldn't meet someone local to her. She contacted the Alumnae Panhellenic president in our town who gave her the contact information for the presidents of 5 different organizations - like a clearing house. Curious. On paper she looks amazing, and I'll be happy to talk with her, but I'll definitely be making it clear when I submit my notes that I do not know her personally. Every organization is different about who can write in support of a PNM. I know my org will take information from anyone - it's no longer really a recommendation letter for us - so I'm going to suggest that she find someone who knows her personally in her hometown to send information in, too, not just me.

When that has happened to me, I try to contact a sorority sister that does live in the same town as the PNM and ask her to meet with the girl and possibly write her a rec.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by SquirrelyDays

I just got a request today from someone who lives 3 hours away from me. I'm just so curious about that, because we do have alumnae in that area, so I'm not sure why she couldn't meet someone local to her. She contacted the Alumnae Panhellenic president in our town who gave her the contact information for the presidents of 5 different organizations - like a clearing house. Curious. On paper she looks amazing, and I'll be happy to talk with her, but I'll definitely be making it clear when I submit my notes that I do not know her personally. Every organization is different about who can write in support of a PNM. I know my org will take information from anyone - it's no longer really a recommendation letter for us - so I'm going to suggest that she find someone who knows her personally in her hometown to send information in, too, not just me.

AZ-Alpha Xi - that's a good idea.
Run262 - if there is a specific deadline, be sure to mention that to the rec writers.

To me, it's a red flag when someone from a city with an alum group reaches out that far. But most kids have no idea there's an alum group of anything in there town. I'd send her back to her hometown alum group.
Now, that group that won't write one without knowing here....I understand, but it wouldn't take much effort to inquire among one's friends and find someone who does know her. If I can find someone who knows the candidate and will be candid about their opinion, and I trust them, that's good enough for me.
That's how I write my recs because, at my age, I RARELY know any of the PNMs from my town.

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

To me, it's a red flag when someone from a city with an alum group reaches out that far. But most kids have no idea there's an alum group of anything in there town. I'd send her back to her hometown alum group.
Now, that group that won't write one without knowing here....I understand, but it wouldn't take much effort to inquire among one's friends and find someone who does know her. If I can find someone who knows the candidate and will be candid about their opinion, and I trust them, that's good enough for me.
That's how I write my recs because, at my age, I RARELY know any of the PNMs from my town.

I can see how one might think something is up if a girl asks for a rec from out of town. I can tell you here in Naples, the Alumnae Panhellenic is not at all supportive of recs. They remain in their little "ladies lunch" bubble and do nothing with the community. They do offer some small scholarships for girls who will be rushing, which always blew my mind. It seemed to me it would make more sense to support girls who are members of sororities, rather than girls who might or might not pledge. A sorority sister and I offered to start a recruitment workshop outreach program for the AP and were shot down.
So maybe the 3 hours away PNM encountered a local Alumnae Panhellenic similar to the one here in Naples. In that instance, I might share the name of a sorority sister in her city that she could reach out to.