Schools where you absolutely positively need recs

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

I agree with you on everything, except....in some areas, there are just no alumnae to be found in certain sororities (for instance, a sorority in that state is only a few years old, or there have been no chapters in that section of the country for many years.
If you absolutely, positively have tried your best to find somebody and can't after a couple of months, give it up. Do, however, at least send your info to the sorority's national HQ and ask for help. Sometimes that works.

Yes, I agree with with the statement that some sororities are just not present in some areas. However, in our mobile society there are transplants to areas, parents may have attended college elsewhere and have friends from that location, etc. There are friends of friends. My mother-in-law is an alumna to a sorority that is not common in our town (she's a transplant), but she will write for anyone that I vouch for and then indicate my first hand relationship with the PNM. And Facebook posts (especially by the parents) seem to be quite effective in finding those last elusive groups.

My experience is that women who are alumnae of groups with small presences in areas are quieter about their membership because there is not that shared alumna experience with others. They may be harder to find because fewer know of their affiliations.

So, some may be harder to find and require a MUCH larger net, and I guess I will back off from the firm "WILL find a rec" statement I originally gave, but I wouldn't want a PNM to assume that they won't be able to find a rec to XYZ if that is a smaller organization in their state. It just means they need to find women who attended different colleges than State U.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

So, some may be harder to find and require a MUCH larger net, and I guess I will back off from the firm "WILL find a rec" statement I originally gave, but I wouldn't want a PNM to assume that they won't be able to find a rec to XYZ if that is a smaller organization in their state. It just means they need to find women who attended different colleges than State U.

I wish there was some way to share more info among groups. I feel like a certain number of NPC alums endorsing Suzy should be good enough, regardless of what group they are from. This is not to criticize any groups MS policies, only to point out that it's a shame to see women not considered for membership because of a technicality.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I wish there was some way to share more info among groups. I feel like a certain number of NPC alums endorsing Suzy should be good enough, regardless of what group they are from. This is not to criticize any groups MS policies, only to point out that it's a shame to see women not considered for membership because of a technicality.

Not to reveal too much of my org's policies, but if it gets to the round before pref and there's no rec, the chapter CAN still do what it can to find one, and they're going to be able to find their own sorority's alumnae out there probably a little easier than a PNM, since they can theoretically ask their national/international HQ for a list of alumnae living in that area.

I have no problem with PNMs who have tried and simply cannot an alumna of my sorority in many areas of the country.
What makes me mad is a PNM in, say, Chicago or Indianapolis, where there are thousands of DG alumnae, who claim they can't find one. No. You just didn't want to try.

[BlueCarnation]

Is there someone who is familiar with Alabama recruitment who can PM me about rec letters? They are not needed at our school but I'm the president of our alumnae Panhellenic up here and I received a request for help from a young woman. I have a question and don't want to potentially identify anyone. Thank you!!

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by BlueCarnation

Is there someone who is familiar with Alabama recruitment who can PM me about rec letters? They are not needed at our school but I'm the president of our alumnae Panhellenic up here and I received a request for help from a young woman. I have a question and don't want to potentially identify anyone. Thank you!!

Messaging you now.

[Buniculus]

I'm going through recruitment at Cornell. Are recs needed there? They have deferred recruitment, so, when would I need to have everything in? I have no greek family members, so greek life will be new for me. From the looks of the FB pages, the groups have been on campus a long time, but there is little information on their greek life website about what is required.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by Buniculus

I'm going through recruitment at Cornell. Are recs needed there? They have deferred recruitment, so, when would I need to have everything in? I have no greek family members, so greek life will be new for me. From the looks of the FB pages, the groups have been on campus a long time, but there is little information on their greek life website about what is required.

Have you checked out their Panhellenic site? http://www.cornellphc.org/ The schedule is probably for 2016, but the dates will probably be roughly the same for 2017.

[Sororitysock]

Originally Posted by Buniculus

I'm going through recruitment at Cornell. Are recs needed there? They have deferred recruitment, so, when would I need to have everything in? I have no greek family members, so greek life will be new for me. From the looks of the FB pages, the groups have been on campus a long time, but there is little information on their greek life website about what is required.

QFP

[Titchou]

Cornell as a rule isn't one of the places where they are required by all groups. However,some of the groups may have a national policy requiring them. If you can get them it wouldn't hurt.

[ree-Xi]

It slays me that any of the schools where Recs are "a must" still write/insist in their Recruitment booklets that recs are the direct responsibility of the chapter and not the PNM, and that Recs are not mandatory. It could be detrimental to the women who don't have a lot of help or know any active/alumnae members, she may get lost in the shuffle.

[Titchou]

I assure you that if a group really wants a woman, there are ways to get a signature on a rec. and also why we always tell PNMs to ask the rec writers they do find if they know anyone in the other groups they need. I've written many a rec on a friend's recommendation.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by Titchou

I assure you that if a group really wants a woman, there are ways to get a signature on a rec.

DING DING DING!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

It slays me that any of the schools where Recs are "a must" still write/insist in their Recruitment booklets that recs are the direct responsibility of the chapter and not the PNM, and that Recs are not mandatory. It could be detrimental to the women who don't have a lot of help or know any active/alumnae members, she may get lost in the shuffle.

Recs aren't required to go through rush, which is being put on by Panhellenic. Also, Panhel has no idea of each group's individual membership selection policy. For them to act as if they did could open them up to a lot of repercussions - "Panhel said I needed recs and I.got them and still didn't get a bid. I'm suing their butts."

I mean, yes, it does suck for those who come into a very competitive rush clueless, but I understand the rationale behind it. It's kind of like schools not endorsing landlords that aren't affiliated with the school. When you make yourself an authority on.something, you declare yourself responsible.

[ree-Xi]

That's great to know! The schools listed as must-haves are worlds apart from what it done in my part of the country.

I have a legacy going through recruitment this year at one of the schools listed and I told her to absolutely do everything she can to get at least 1 rec for each chapter, regardless of what they are told. I am happy that she was able to secure recs for every chapter. She has a good head on her shoulders and is going into recruitment with no expectations.

[Lupine]

Hello --
I'm a college admissions counselor and I'm confused! I strongly suggest that young women who are interested in Greek Life network to gain recommendation letters for chapters on the campus they will attend.

One of my students at Vandy was told during the recruitment information session early in the fall that recommendations weren't used at Vandy, so she didn't get any. She just (yesterday) received a bid to one of the sororities she was hoping to join. She's thrilled and I'm thrilled for her. As we had discussed, she maximized her options throughout every day of recruitment. Her parents are both immigrants and so she has no family connections with any of the groups.

In the first post on the thread, Vanderbilt is listed as one of the SEC schools where recs were a must. Why would they tell PNM's that they aren't used? Was she just lucky?

TIA.