Alabama Recruitment

[Nhfulmer]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Whenever someone asks me for a rec, I always ask if they need ones for other groups on campus. I round them up if I can. We're all in this together and I always want the young woman to have every opportunity to be Greek.

Amen to that!

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Whenever someone asks me for a rec, I always ask if they need ones for other groups on campus. I round them up if I can. We're all in this together and I always want the young woman to have every opportunity to be Greek.

me too. i am fortunate to have friends and relatives in a variety of sororities and we all pitch in to help out girls we know, so that they have a rec. for every chapter on their campus.

nhfulmer, i was figuring that you would say your interview with the pnm was a while ago-i think that as well intentioned as the interview was, it would be a possible recruitment violation by todays recruitment rules.

as i looked thru the bama bid list, i noticed that several charlotte girls had joined nu chapter. were any of these your rec.girls?

[Nhfulmer]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

me too. i am fortunate to have friends and relatives in a variety of sororities and we all pitch in to help out girls we know, so that they have a rec. for every chapter on their campus.

nhfulmer, i was figuring that you would say your interview with the pnm was a while ago-i think that as well intentioned as the interview was, it would be a possible recruitment violation by todays recruitment rules.

as i looked thru the bama bid list, i noticed that several charlotte girls had joined nu chapter. were any of these your rec.girls?

It wasn't actually an "interview" but alumnae helping with the parties could meet the rushees also - this was at High Point College (now University) and at UNC-Charlotte. I would use that opportunity to make sure I met all of the girls and then sign recs for them (God knows we couldn't get them any other way!). UNCC still receives very few voluntary recs and actually don't have the rush list until rush begins.

One of the girls pledging Nu chapter was mine and I think all of the ones I helped to obtain recs landed somewhere - I haven't had time to run through the entire list. My next door neighbor pledged Kappa which I expected because she had been staying with a KKG sister while visiting campus. She is a ChiO legacy but I know her mom wanted her to make her own decision. She was really a prize catch! I'm just so proud of all of them and I know I'll be hearing from some of them when they catch their breath.

[bama]

Hello all...I have been reading all of your posts over the last few days and have not responded until now. I am a recent alumna of Bama so I think I know how the system works.

It is not hard for OOS or anyone to get a rec, and yes it is definitely needed. However, some girls (especially from in state) come into recruitment thinking they don't need one and that they have this in the bag because they know an active. A girl from my hometown did that this year, even though I tried to warn her and help her get recs from many houses, she didn't listen and got dropped (her focus too was on a particular Old Row house, another mistake putting all your eggs in one basket). As much as I love her, it's her own fault and I told her not to come crying to me. For OOS PNMs ignorance is not an excuse. Just as someone else said, you do plenty of research when choosing a school, you need to do the same thing when going Greek, especially if it is something that means a lot to you. It is also good to go over and above expectations, just to be sure. By the way, do a simple Google search of the Alabama Greek System and you will know exactly what you are getting yourself into.

Contact info for each chapter and alumnae chapter is is clearly written on the Panhellenic website. All you have to do is write, call or email asking someone to write a letter for you, and I don't personally know of any chapter that refuses to write one because they don't know the girl or they are OOS (they might write a bad one if they don't like you, but don't refuse). I do not personally know or have even met any of the girls I wrote letters for this year. I even helped a girl I didn't know get rec letters for two other sororities on campus, and also for a PNM at a different school where my sorority doesn't have a chapter. Most alumnae are very excited to help out in any way possible. Perhaps it could be stressed more on the website and at Panhellenic Weekend that recs are needed/required. I believe that a PNM should have at least a 3.0 to sign up, but that's just me. Grades are very important. Greek women at UA have consistently held a higher GPA that independent women for many years now.

To people who did not go to Bama and do not understand the need for recs or think our way of doing things are extreme, let me explain something to you...this year was a lean year for Bama, only around 1400 girls showed up. Usually it is 1600+. It is my understanding that at some schools quota is 5 with maybe 6 sororities, but here its usually in the 80s and we have nearly 20. Have you ever had to have one-on-one conversations with 1600 girls? No. There is no way in 15 minutes that I can decide if a PNM should become my sister. Drastic cuts have to be made in order for us to have the time to get to know everyone. So something that to other Greek systems would not be an issue, it can be a make or break thing at a high competition school like Bama. It is very intense on the other side of recruitment too. I remember last year there were many times that I could not remember a girls name, where she was from or what she even looked like, from the time I said good-bye to her at the door, sang our good-bye song and the doors were shut. We are up before dawn and stay up past midnight working, have to be peppy and sing and dance for hours on end in heels, remember all of our history, what we can and cannot say, and try to sell our sorority so girls want to join....not to mention the never ending work week that happened the week before. We need other people to give us information on them to help us decide if she is a good fit for us. Who would you want to keep? A girl who has multiple letters to verify information her her application and sent in everything and more required so you actually know something about her, or a girl who only submitted her application, maybe a photo, and the active who talked to her during open house thinks she kinda remembers that the PNM was "ok", but she maybe confusing her with someone else? You are going to choose the least risk. I am sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is the truth. With that many girls coming through, you need to do everything possible to stand out in the crowd.

I feel bad for the moms who are so upset about their daughters not getting picked. I am not going to lie, if this was something she really wanted, it is not going to get much better for her after school starts. Her freshman year will be filled with girls wearing their shirts, letters and talking non-stop about how great it is to be a XYZ. While it will be an uphill climb, if she wants to rush again in the fall she needs to meet and become friends with as many people in the Greek system (guys and girls), go to their parties, be their dates to games, network as much as possible. The upperclassman quota will help her out, but the truth is I know of many people who do just as I just said above and decide that they are not going to rush because they have all the benefits of being Greek and not having to pay

And to the girls who only pref one house when they have more choices...STUPID IDEA! Even if you don't exactly feel that house is perfect for you, you need to at least give it a chance. I know of many girls who are very happy where they are now and didn't think on Bid Day they were matched to the right house. A lot of those feelings on Pref Night is just because you are upset that the house you wanted dropped you, and unfortunately you are the one who messed things up for yourself. I know they say it every year and girls roll their eyes, but you ALWAYS end up where you are supposed to be, even if it is somewhere you least expected it.

My biggest advice to PNMs is do your research and maximize all of your options. If you get matched great, if not you will still make friends and have memories to last a lifetime.

[Nhfulmer]

Originally Posted by bama

Hello all...I have been reading all of your posts over the last few days and have not responded until now. I am a recent alumna of Bama so I think I know how the system works.

It is not hard for OOS or anyone to get a rec, and yes it is definitely needed. However, some girls (especially from in state) come into recruitment thinking they don't need one and that they have this in the bag because they know an active. A girl from my hometown did that this year, even though I tried to warn her and help her get recs from many houses, she didn't listen and got dropped (her focus too was on a particular Old Row house, another mistake putting all your eggs in one basket). As much as I love her, it's her own fault and I told her not to come crying to me. For OOS PNMs ignorance is not an excuse. Just as someone else said, you do plenty of research when choosing a school, you need to do the same thing when going Greek, especially if it is something that means a lot to you. It is also good to go over and above expectations, just to be sure. By the way, do a simple Google search of the Alabama Greek System and you will know exactly what you are getting yourself into.

Contact info for each chapter and alumnae chapter is is clearly written on the Panhellenic website. All you have to do is write, call or email asking someone to write a letter for you, and I don't personally know of any chapter that refuses to write one because they don't know the girl or they are OOS (they might write a bad one if they don't like you, but don't refuse). I do not personally know or have even met any of the girls I wrote letters for this year. I even helped a girl I didn't know get rec letters for two other sororities on campus, and also for a PNM at a different school where my sorority doesn't have a chapter. Most alumnae are very excited to help out in any way possible. Perhaps it could be stressed more on the website and at Panhellenic Weekend that recs are needed/required. I believe that a PNM should have at least a 3.0 to sign up, but that's just me. Grades are very important. Greek women at UA have consistently held a higher GPA that independent women for many years now.

To people who did not go to Bama and do not understand the need for recs or think our way of doing things are extreme, let me explain something to you...this year was a lean year for Bama, only around 1400 girls showed up. Usually it is 1600+. It is my understanding that at some schools quota is 5 with maybe 6 sororities, but here its usually in the 80s and we have nearly 20. Have you ever had to have one-on-one conversations with 1600 girls? No. There is no way in 15 minutes that I can decide if a PNM should become my sister. Drastic cuts have to be made in order for us to have the time to get to know everyone. So something that to other Greek systems would not be an issue, it can be a make or break thing at a high competition school like Bama. It is very intense on the other side of recruitment too. I remember last year there were many times that I could not remember a girls name, where she was from or what she even looked like, from the time I said good-bye to her at the door, sang our good-bye song and the doors were shut. We are up before dawn and stay up past midnight working, have to be peppy and sing and dance for hours on end in heels, remember all of our history, what we can and cannot say, and try to sell our sorority so girls want to join....not to mention the never ending work week that happened the week before. We need other people to give us information on them to help us decide if she is a good fit for us. Who would you want to keep? A girl who has multiple letters to verify information her her application and sent in everything and more required so you actually know something about her, or a girl who only submitted her application, maybe a photo, and the active who talked to her during open house thinks she kinda remembers that the PNM was "ok", but she maybe confusing her with someone else? You are going to choose the least risk. I am sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is the truth. With that many girls coming through, you need to do everything possible to stand out in the crowd.

I feel bad for the moms who are so upset about their daughters not getting picked. I am not going to lie, if this was something she really wanted, it is not going to get much better for her after school starts. Her freshman year will be filled with girls wearing their shirts, letters and talking non-stop about how great it is to be a XYZ. While it will be an uphill climb, if she wants to rush again in the fall she needs to meet and become friends with as many people in the Greek system (guys and girls), go to their parties, be their dates to games, network as much as possible. The upperclassman quota will help her out, but the truth is I know of many people who do just as I just said above and decide that they are not going to rush because they have all the benefits of being Greek and not having to pay

And to the girls who only pref one house when they have more choices...STUPID IDEA! Even if you don't exactly feel that house is perfect for you, you need to at least give it a chance. I know of many girls who are very happy where they are now and didn't think on Bid Day they were matched to the right house. A lot of those feelings on Pref Night is just because you are upset that the house you wanted dropped you, and unfortunately you are the one who messed things up for yourself. I know they say it every year and girls roll their eyes, but you ALWAYS end up where you are supposed to be, even if it is somewhere you least expected it.

My biggest advice to PNMs is do your research and maximize all of your options. If you get matched great, if not you will still make friends and have memories to last a lifetime.

Bama. very well put and very, very true.

[littleowl33]

On the topic of recs and such... I can't say I agree when you say that "ignorance is no excuse". I grew up in the northeast, had never heard of recs and knew no one in an NPC sorority. I assumed Greek Life was like any other extracurricular - if you wanted to join, you just joined. Luckily, I ended up at a school where this is pretty much the case - no recs or legwork required. The groups don't ask for resumes or anything, and really, cuts are based on GPA, personality and any sort of glaring "my reputation precedes me" (positive or negative) situation. I rushed with little to no knowledge of the Greek system and got a group I loved. Lucky me!

But if I had gone to a school with a really intense Greek system, where you're cut immediately if you don't have recs or haven't sent in a resume, body shot, head shot, etc. etc. I would have gotten steamrolled. Honestly, I would have had no clue that things like this even existed. It would never have occurred to me to research it before I got there, just like I wouldn't have researched the application process for joining any other philanthropic or social group - I was focused on what major I would declare, what dorm I was in, stuff like that. I can same the same for 95% of my high school peers. It's just not part of the culture I grew up in, at all. Like the southern girls who were groomed for elite groups at SEC rushes since they were children, I was groomed for "elite" colleges since I was little. Everything is about what college you go to - big names preferred. For the rest of your life, you're introduced as a So-And-So grad, not an XYZ sister. Greek life was never mentioned. If I heard of it, it was just a "fun thing you do in college". Reading this over, I feel like it sounds snobby, and I really don't mean it that way at all. I'm just trying to point out how different it is.

Not to toot my own horn, but going into college I had great extracurriculars, very high GPA and SATs, and since joining Kappa I've been really (perhaps overly) involved and have held a leadership position every year. I would say I've been an asset to my group, and I love my membership. It's kind of saddening and frightening to me that had I rushed at a Greek system that relied so heavily on recs and connections, I would never, ever have had this experience.

I don't mean this as a criticism of the system, just another viewpoint!

[BlueCarnation]

Originally Posted by littleowl33

On the topic of recs and such... I can't say I agree when you say that "ignorance is no excuse". I grew up in the northeast, had never heard of recs and knew no one in an NPC sorority. I assumed Greek Life was like any other extracurricular - if you wanted to join, you just joined. Luckily, I ended up at a school where this is pretty much the case - no recs or legwork required. The groups don't ask for resumes or anything, and really, cuts are based on GPA, personality and any sort of glaring "my reputation precedes me" (positive or negative) situation. I rushed with little to no knowledge of the Greek system and got a group I loved. Lucky me!

But if I had gone to a school with a really intense Greek system, where you're cut immediately if you don't have recs or haven't sent in a resume, body shot, head shot, etc. etc. I would have gotten steamrolled. Honestly, I would have had no clue that things like this even existed. It would never have occurred to me to research it before I got there, just like I wouldn't have researched the application process for joining any other philanthropic or social group - I was focused on what major I would declare, what dorm I was in, stuff like that. I can same the same for 95% of my high school peers. It's just not part of the culture I grew up in, at all. Like the southern girls who were groomed for elite groups at SEC rushes since they were children, I was groomed for "elite" colleges since I was little. Everything is about what college you go to - big names preferred. For the rest of your life, you're introduced as a So-And-So grad, not an XYZ sister. Greek life was never mentioned. If I heard of it, it was just a "fun thing you do in college". Reading this over, I feel like it sounds snobby, and I really don't mean it that way at all. I'm just trying to point out how different it is.

Not to toot my own horn, but going into college I had great extracurriculars, very high GPA and SATs, and since joining Kappa I've been really (perhaps overly) involved and have held a leadership position every year. I would say I've been an asset to my group, and I love my membership. It's kind of saddening and frightening to me that had I rushed at a Greek system that relied so heavily on recs and connections, I would never, ever have had this experience.

I don't mean this as a criticism of the system, just another viewpoint!

I agree with this! Not that these schools aren't good, because they absolutely are, but some of these gals simply would not have been accepted into my college with their high school GPAs, and the thought that they couldn't make it without a rec is just foreign to me. I feel like some of the mothers on here--mainly the ones who complain that their daughters didn't get into a sorority--see college as a conduit for getting into a sorority and that's it. I don't understand how a parent can allow a child to drop out of school if they don't get into a sorority, but that's my issue, I guess. That is something I am not used to, nor is the need for recs. The processes are very different everywhere, and I think these forums are very helpful and informative to help people who might not know what they're in for get familiar with it all. There is no right or wrong--there just is. In the end, we all share a Greek experience, and for that we are very lucky.

[LadyLonghorn]

Originally Posted by littleowl33

On the topic of recs and such... I can't say I agree when you say that "ignorance is no excuse". I grew up in the northeast, had never heard of recs and knew no one in an NPC sorority. I assumed Greek Life was like any other extracurricular - if you wanted to join, you just joined. Luckily, I ended up at a school where this is pretty much the case - no recs or legwork required. The groups don't ask for resumes or anything, and really, cuts are based on GPA, personality and any sort of glaring "my reputation precedes me" (positive or negative) situation. I rushed with little to no knowledge of the Greek system and got a group I loved. Lucky me!

But if I had gone to a school with a really intense Greek system, where you're cut immediately if you don't have recs or haven't sent in a resume, body shot, head shot, etc. etc. I would have gotten steamrolled. Honestly, I would have had no clue that things like this even existed. It would never have occurred to me to research it before I got there, just like I wouldn't have researched the application process for joining any other philanthropic or social group - I was focused on what major I would declare, what dorm I was in, stuff like that. I can same the same for 95% of my high school peers. It's just not part of the culture I grew up in, at all. Like the southern girls who were groomed for elite groups at SEC rushes since they were children, I was groomed for "elite" colleges since I was little. Everything is about what college you go to - big names preferred. For the rest of your life, you're introduced as a So-And-So grad, not an XYZ sister. Greek life was never mentioned. If I heard of it, it was just a "fun thing you do in college". Reading this over, I feel like it sounds snobby, and I really don't mean it that way at all. I'm just trying to point out how different it is.

Not to toot my own horn, but going into college I had great extracurriculars, very high GPA and SATs, and since joining Kappa I've been really (perhaps overly) involved and have held a leadership position every year. I would say I've been an asset to my group, and I love my membership. It's kind of saddening and frightening to me that had I rushed at a Greek system that relied so heavily on recs and connections, I would never, ever have had this experience.

I don't mean this as a criticism of the system, just another viewpoint!

And there are some who attend colleges with just as rigorous admissions standards as yours and recruitment about as competitive as the SEC.

[littleowl33]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

And there are some who attend colleges with just as rigorous admissions standards as yours and recruitment about as competitive as the SEC.

I'm not really sure where you're going with this, but I'm not trying to complain or act like I've been put-upon. I'm sure a lot of girls do have it a lot tougher. I'm just offering another perspective based on my experience.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

And there are some who attend colleges with just as rigorous admissions standards as yours and recruitment about as competitive as the SEC.

Which colleges?

I'm interested in hearing because even among "competitive" recruitments at selective schools (I'm thinking Cornell, UPenn, and Stanford), they're still a whole heck of a lot less cutthroat than Bama.

[Regina Filangie]

Originally Posted by littleowl33

Like the southern girls who were groomed for elite groups at SEC rushes since they were children, I was groomed for "elite" colleges since I was little.

I think this is what seems offensive. This statement sounds like the silly little southern girls just care about joining a sorority and not academics.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by Regina Filangie

I think this is what seems offensive. This statement sounds like the silly little southern girls just care about joining a sorority and not academics.

But when we hear the stories of women who leave college when they don't get a bid to the chapter they want, it appears that in some cases it is true. If the stories of women going to a different school, joining XYZ and then transferring back to the original school are in fact true, then it does seem it is about the sorority and not academics.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by Regina Filangie

I think this is what seems offensive. This statement sounds like the silly little southern girls just care about joining a sorority and not academics.

And I'm going to make a somewhat ridiculously relativistic point.

Even if we took the statement at its somewhat offensive level, one could still argue that what the southern girls were groomed for was as important to their long term quality of life as elite colleges were for the girls groomed for them, assuming all accepted the values of the culture they were raised in.

Obviously, an elite education in certain fields is more universally valuable than joining a top-tier GLO at Bama. But if you're going to settle down in Mobile, your general quality of life might be better as a former Phi Delta Theta or a Kappa from Bama than if you were a graduate of Princeton.

It's provincial, sure, but not everyone gives a flip about elite colleges.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by bama

Hello all...I have been reading all of your posts over the last few days and have not responded until now. I am a recent alumna of Bama so I think I know how the system works.

It is not hard for OOS or anyone to get a rec, and yes it is definitely needed. However, some girls (especially from in state) come into recruitment thinking they don't need one and that they have this in the bag because they know an active. A girl from my hometown did that this year, even though I tried to warn her and help her get recs from many houses, she didn't listen and got dropped (her focus too was on a particular Old Row house, another mistake putting all your eggs in one basket). As much as I love her, it's her own fault and I told her not to come crying to me. For OOS PNMs ignorance is not an excuse. Just as someone else said, you do plenty of research when choosing a school, you need to do the same thing when going Greek, especially if it is something that means a lot to you. It is also good to go over and above expectations, just to be sure. By the way, do a simple Google search of the Alabama Greek System and you will know exactly what you are getting yourself into.

Contact info for each chapter and alumnae chapter is is clearly written on the Panhellenic website. All you have to do is write, call or email asking someone to write a letter for you, and I don't personally know of any chapter that refuses to write one because they don't know the girl or they are OOS (they might write a bad one if they don't like you, but don't refuse). I do not personally know or have even met any of the girls I wrote letters for this year. I even helped a girl I didn't know get rec letters for two other sororities on campus, and also for a PNM at a different school where my sorority doesn't have a chapter. Most alumnae are very excited to help out in any way possible. Perhaps it could be stressed more on the website and at Panhellenic Weekend that recs are needed/required. I believe that a PNM should have at least a 3.0 to sign up, but that's just me. Grades are very important. Greek women at UA have consistently held a higher GPA that independent women for many years now.

To people who did not go to Bama and do not understand the need for recs or think our way of doing things are extreme, let me explain something to you...this year was a lean year for Bama, only around 1400 girls showed up. Usually it is 1600+. It is my understanding that at some schools quota is 5 with maybe 6 sororities, but here its usually in the 80s and we have nearly 20. Have you ever had to have one-on-one conversations with 1600 girls? No. There is no way in 15 minutes that I can decide if a PNM should become my sister. Drastic cuts have to be made in order for us to have the time to get to know everyone. So something that to other Greek systems would not be an issue, it can be a make or break thing at a high competition school like Bama. It is very intense on the other side of recruitment too. I remember last year there were many times that I could not remember a girls name, where she was from or what she even looked like, from the time I said good-bye to her at the door, sang our good-bye song and the doors were shut. We are up before dawn and stay up past midnight working, have to be peppy and sing and dance for hours on end in heels, remember all of our history, what we can and cannot say, and try to sell our sorority so girls want to join....not to mention the never ending work week that happened the week before. We need other people to give us information on them to help us decide if she is a good fit for us. Who would you want to keep? A girl who has multiple letters to verify information her her application and sent in everything and more required so you actually know something about her, or a girl who only submitted her application, maybe a photo, and the active who talked to her during open house thinks she kinda remembers that the PNM was "ok", but she maybe confusing her with someone else? You are going to choose the least risk. I am sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is the truth. With that many girls coming through, you need to do everything possible to stand out in the crowd.

I feel bad for the moms who are so upset about their daughters not getting picked. I am not going to lie, if this was something she really wanted, it is not going to get much better for her after school starts. Her freshman year will be filled with girls wearing their shirts, letters and talking non-stop about how great it is to be a XYZ. While it will be an uphill climb, if she wants to rush again in the fall she needs to meet and become friends with as many people in the Greek system (guys and girls), go to their parties, be their dates to games, network as much as possible. The upperclassman quota will help her out, but the truth is I know of many people who do just as I just said above and decide that they are not going to rush because they have all the benefits of being Greek and not having to pay

And to the girls who only pref one house when they have more choices...STUPID IDEA! Even if you don't exactly feel that house is perfect for you, you need to at least give it a chance. I know of many girls who are very happy where they are now and didn't think on Bid Day they were matched to the right house. A lot of those feelings on Pref Night is just because you are upset that the house you wanted dropped you, and unfortunately you are the one who messed things up for yourself. I know they say it every year and girls roll their eyes, but you ALWAYS end up where you are supposed to be, even if it is somewhere you least expected it.

My biggest advice to PNMs is do your research and maximize all of your options. If you get matched great, if not you will still make friends and have memories to last a lifetime.

THANK YOU.

PNMs, moms and such should take notes.

[NOLA25]

Luckily, I ended up at a school where this is pretty much the case - no recs or legwork required. The groups don't ask for resumes or anything, and really, cuts are based on GPA, personality and any sort of glaring "my reputation precedes me" (positive or negative) situation.

This makes more sense to me. I don't understand how having a rec written by someone that doesn't even know you could be very helpful anyway. But I do understand in the South, any rec is better than no rec.