Northern recs in the South

MoxieGrrl · #1 10-07-2002, 10:59 AM

I'm sure this has probably been discussed before, but here goes.....

Let's say a girl from above the Mason-Dixon line goes to a big Southern school where recruitment is pretty brutal.She is a legacy to a few & has recs to them. All of her recs are from women who are active alums in Northern AAs. Because the alums writing the recs would be less known to the women in the Southern chapters.....would Northern girl's recs not count for as much as say, a girl whose recs come from AAs in the surrounding area?

Has this situation ever come up? Are girls with direct connections/recs from the same chapter more heavily favored?

PenguinTrax · #2 10-07-2002, 11:40 AM

I think a rec is a rec. If the alumna knows the PNM well, that's all that matters.

At least, that's my opinion.

Kevin · #3 10-07-2002, 01:20 PM

geez I would HOPE you wouldn't discriminate based on geographical location... How could you do that and still be honoring your fraternal obligations?

sororitygirl2 · #4 10-07-2002, 01:36 PM

Of course, when a chapter knows the alum. who wrote a rec., they know that they can (or can't, whatever the case may be) trust her opinion. They may or may not take that into consideration.

However, if we didn't know the alum. who wrote it, we would automatically trust her opinion because we have no reason not too... she is a sister who is making an effort to help us, and we appreciate that.

If you have the qualities to warrant a rec. from someone, you shouldn't worry about whether it comes from the North or the South.

Bama_Alumna · #5 10-07-2002, 02:48 PM

I'm going to be honest here and I'll probably get flamed for it, but...

At some chapters at SEC schools, local legacies and recs are held in much higher regard than those from far away. If it's an alum from another school in the same state, it's better than someone from out of state and if it's from someone in the same geographical region (say, the Southeast), it's better than someone further away (say, the Northwest).

This does not hold true for all houses!!!!! But, there are some houses who can make up their entire pledge class from local legacies. It's easier to drop someone who had a rec from an alum that the chapter has never met who lives 2000 miles away than to drop someone whose mother is an active alum from that school and lives 20 miles away.

I can only speak for the U of Alabama and a couple of other similar schools because these are the only rushes I am familiar with. HOWEVER, if you have a rec, send it.... it can't hurt and it could help.

h2oot · #6 10-07-2002, 02:51 PM

Like was said, a rec is a rec. Also, many chapters love geographic diversification, so a PNM from another area may get a good look.

CarolinaDG · #7 10-08-2002, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bama_Alumna
I'm going to be honest here and I'll probably get flamed for it, but...

At some chapters at SEC schools, local legacies and recs are held in much higher regard than those from far away. If it's an alum from another school in the same state, it's better than someone from out of state and if it's from someone in the same geographical region (say, the Southeast), it's better than someone further away (say, the Northwest).

This does not hold true for all houses!!!!! But, there are some houses who can make up their entire pledge class from local legacies. It's easier to drop someone who had a rec from an alum that the chapter has never met who lives 2000 miles away than to drop someone whose mother is an active alum from that school and lives 20 miles away.

I can only speak for the U of Alabama and a couple of other similar schools because these are the only rushes I am familiar with. HOWEVER, if you have a rec, send it.... it can't hurt and it could help.

I go to an SEC school, and I agree and disagree. I think that legacies from the same region hold higher, but recs hold about the same. I'm not absolutely sure, but I had a rec written on me to a certain chapter from a woman in the area, and I don't think it helped me any more because it's from the area. The legacy thing, though, is a little touchier of a subject.

justamom · #8 10-09-2002, 07:16 AM

When I write a rec for an out of state girl that I KNOW LIKE A DAUGHTER (almost) I will add a couple of lines acknowledging the importance of MY rec- LOL! To have SOME assurance the girl's rep is beyond reproach, and that it's something that needs to be noted when there isn't anyone in the local chapter who can vouch for her.

I have to say that in some instances, WHO writes the rec does carry some weight-especially if you have alums "lurking" in the background who are in a position to exert some pressure that isn't visible to the overall chapter. In order of importance (getting a second round invite)
1.Chapter Alum with high social contacts-ie Pres of Junior League or Captain of top Krewe (or $$$$$$-think donations)
2.Chapter Alum
3.Alum

Still-If you don't click, you don't click. Nothing will change that.