Are recs obsolete?

[FSUZeta]

also some school do not ask for a resume for recruitment purposes, and have te-ninecy blanks in which the pnm is supposed to fill in her interests, activities, honors, etc. even if the panhellenic says that you can include a resume, there is no guarantee that panhellenic is going to make multiple copies of it and give one to each chapter.

however, when i write a rec. for someone, i ask that they send me a copy of their resume(and ask them to make sure it is up to date) and a photo-i fill out our membership information form, attach the girls resume and photo, and write a personal letter to the chapter. i feel that it gives the chapter insight into the pnm that they can not get from the recruitment application, and may not get in the quick, 20 minute conversaton of first parties.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Because when you have 3000 girls going through, there's NWIH you can remember them all.

Also, first parties at some schools are only 20-30 minutes and you go to 16-18 of those parties in 2 days. It's really hard for most girls to remember the sororities and most sororities to remember all the girls.

I hate it that many recruitment booklets tell the girls not to get recs, that the sororities will get them, because at most schools I've worked with--they won't! Not unless you're super super special! It's like the hidden secret is "but they really won't get them and if you're in the know, you know that."

[kddani]

What does the green book say about recs?

[texgal]

Originally Posted by carnation

But see, there are schools where it's so selective to get in--plus their recruitment is competitive--and there are no grade cuts. It's so hard to get into UGa now that there's no way there are any freshman grade cuts! That leaves the sororities with hundreds of girls they must cut in a short period of time and no easy way to choose who to drop. Georgia Tech has no freshman grade cuts either.

What do you mean, they have no grade cuts? As in, there is no minimum GPA set by Panhellenic to go through recruitment, or each individual chapter doesn't have a minimum grade that they will cut for? Because that seems very odd if individual chapters don't have minimums, even if they don't publicize them.

[Little E]

Originally Posted by carnation

I hate it that many recruitment booklets tell the girls not to get recs, that the sororities will get them, because at most schools I've worked with--they won't! Not unless you're super super special! It's like the hidden secret is "but they really won't get them and if you're in the know, you know that."

This might be how it's done, but perhaps that needs to be changed. The process needs to at least be manageable for all women, not just the ones who are a triple legacy. I would be livid if I saw a chapter doing this. The least we can do for the young women wanting membership is be as straight forward as we can, where we can.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Little E

This might be how it's done, but perhaps that needs to be changed. The process needs to at least be manageable for all women, not just the ones who are a triple legacy. I would be livid if I saw a chapter doing this. The least we can do for the young women wanting membership is be as straight forward as we can, where we can.

(first off, I'm not trying to assume or insinuate anything about any GLO's membership selection policies)

It may be that some sororities have in their national bylaws that all pledges must have a rec from an alumna or she cannot be pledged. If the girls all had to get them on their own at your school or mine, we would probably have zero pledges as so many of the people aren't steeped in the Greek system and don't decide at age 5 to rush. But if it's in the national bylaw, it has to be done, and so chapters at schools like this do get the recs for the girls. So they can't turn around at another chapter and say that the rushees HAVE to do it. Do you get what I'm saying?

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by texgal

What do you mean, they have no grade cuts? As in, there is no minimum GPA set by Panhellenic to go through recruitment, or each individual chapter doesn't have a minimum grade that they will cut for? Because that seems very odd if individual chapters don't have minimums, even if they don't publicize them.

The chapters and university do have minimum GPA requirements. The issue is that the girls (PNMs) have GPAs that are equal to or above the chapter's GPA minimum requirement. Thus the chapter is not able to base cuts on grades since every PNM is at or above it.

[blueangel]

While I understand the idea behind recs, I do want to point out that they can put girls hailing from certain geographical locations at a supreme disadvantage.

Where I live, sororities and fraternities are just not a big deal. I literally had never met a single Greek until I moved south and arrived on campus at UF. Nobody in my family had ever belonged to a GLO, nor had any of my friends or their families.

I've since moved back to the north-east, and nobody here I know is Greek (other than those I've met in my alumnae chapter).

[kdonline]

Originally Posted by texgal

What do you mean, they have no grade cuts? As in, there is no minimum GPA set by Panhellenic to go through recruitment, or each individual chapter doesn't have a minimum grade that they will cut for? Because that seems very odd if individual chapters don't have minimums, even if they don't publicize them.

No grade cuts means that, in order for the girl to get accepted to the university in the first place (traditionally, let's think of Duke, Northwestern, etc), the student has a high SAT/ACT and a high GPA (over 3.0).

Many state schools (like UGA and UF) now have these higher standards for accepting freshmen. So if a freshman PNM is rushing, she HAS the academic requirements...and you can't cut her for "academic" like you can for a soph or junior who has a university GPA already.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by blueangel

While I understand the idea behind recs, I do want to point out that they can put girls hailing from certain geographical locations at a supreme disadvantage.

Where I live, sororities and fraternities are just not a big deal. I literally had never met a single Greek until I moved south and arrived on campus at UF. Nobody in my family had ever belonged to a GLO, nor had any of my friends or their families.

I've since moved back to the north-east, and nobody here I know is Greek (other than those I've met in my alumnae chapter).

Well, you can look at that this way.

I've lived my whole life in Pennsylvania. I get accepted at Louisiana State and decide to go there.

Well obviously...I'm going to need a different wardrobe (especially for the winter), I'm going to probably be eating different things etc...so I'm going to investigate and look into all that. The same should apply to sorority rush, or any other campus activities for that matter. If you're quite aware that you're going to be a fish out of water, research your situation before you get there.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by kdonline

No grade cuts means that, in order for the girl to get accepted to the university in the first place (traditionally, let's think of Duke, Northwestern, etc), the student has a high SAT/ACT and a high GPA (over 3.0).

Many state schools (like UGA and UF) now have these higher standards for accepting freshmen. So if a freshman PNM is rushing, she HAS the academic requirements...and you can't cut her for "academic" like you can for a soph or junior who has a university GPA already.

I'm surprised that since the bar is so high just for entrance, that some sororities (and I'm sure there are at least a few that do) don't make their GPA Req. even higher. Example: Prestigious U has an entrance requirement of 3.5 so XYZ sets their GPA Req. at 3.75, which seems ridiculously high for someone like me from an IL state school, but might not even cut enough girls for their first round of cuts.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I'm surprised that since the bar is so high just for entrance, that some sororities (and I'm sure there are at least a few that do) don't make their GPA Req. even higher. Example: Prestigious U has an entrance requirement of 3.5 so XYZ sets their GPA Req. at 3.75, which seems ridiculously high for someone like me from an IL state school, but might not even cut enough girls for their first round of cuts.

Grades are only one part of being in a social GLO. Thus if a girl (PNM) already demonstrates that she can "make the grade" (pun intended), then it seems that it would behoove the chapter to look at her extracurricular life and how she might fit with the chapter. Then again, an even higher GPA might be the norm (and a fit) for the chapter. But then it seems like the chapter would be moving more toward being an academic organization than being a social organization.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Well, you can look at that this way.

I've lived my whole life in Pennsylvania. I get accepted at Louisiana State and decide to go there.

Well obviously...I'm going to need a different wardrobe (especially for the winter), I'm going to probably be eating different things etc...so I'm going to investigate and look into all that. The same should apply to sorority rush, or any other campus activities for that matter. If you're quite aware that you're going to be a fish out of water, research your situation before you get there.

I do agree, but I feel bad for girls like me, who never intended to rush going into college. I only did because my mother wanted me do, and it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. But I hadn't done any legwork, had no recs and just happened to be a legacy to one chapter on campus.

LUCKY ME, that I didn't need recs at a private Midwestern University, but I didn't know what they were til I went through recruitment on the other end.

[Little E]

Originally Posted by 33girl

(first off, I'm not trying to assume or insinuate anything about any GLO's membership selection policies)

It may be that some sororities have in their national bylaws that all pledges must have a rec from an alumna or she cannot be pledged. If the girls all had to get them on their own at your school or mine, we would probably have zero pledges as so many of the people aren't steeped in the Greek system and don't decide at age 5 to rush. But if it's in the national bylaw, it has to be done, and so chapters at schools like this do get the recs for the girls. So they can't turn around at another chapter and say that the rushees HAVE to do it. Do you get what I'm saying?

I'm not talking about private membership selection.

I'm saying that if PNMs DO need a rec because of how the chapter treats recs, then the chapter has a duty to say the PNMs that they NEED a rec before recruitment. Not, as Carnation suggested, say that PNMs do NOT need a rec, when in reality they DO (and those w/out the rec would be cut). All I advocate is a clearly articulated process that we expect PNMs to follow. I'm not against the rec, I'm against saying one thing but having a hidden meaning that only people closely associated with the school and its traditions would know.

[adpiucf]

I believe that one tactful way to deal with this is to add a blurb in Panhellenic recruitment promo materials. Something along the lines of:

Each sorority has its own policy regarding new member selection. Those sororities requiring new members to have alumnae recommendations will secure these recommendations on behalf of its new members. Prospective new members are not required to submit recommendations prior to recruitment, but they are accepted. Individual sororities will take these recommendations into consideration in assessing the prospective new member prior to recruitment. Recommendations do not guarantee a bid to membership.

It is recommended that the prospective new member take necessary steps to showcase her recruitment application with the best means at her disposal. This includes but is not limited to: GPA, extracurricular activities and community service, alumnae letters of recommendation and maintaining a ladylike profile in real life and on the internet. Please carefully consider how you portray yourself on websites such as My Space, Facebook, Live Journal, etc.