Schools where you absolutely positively need recs

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by PinkPalmTree

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what is the point of recs? On my school website, it says they are not necessary and we will not be penalized if you don't have them. Yet, on here, it says my school is a place where we absolutely positively need them. Thankfully, I've already gotten recs for almost every sorority, but I was just wondering WHY we need them? Do they help us not get cut or something?

My perspective: It provides extra info to the chapters about a PNM. When you have cuts to make after the first day (and you've met hundreds of women), you don't have much info to go on and you may not even remember them all.

How a rec is used by a chapter in its decision-making is probably treading into membership selection territory in my eyes.

I will say that I have known girls with recs who've been cut by chapters they've had recs for (esp. at bigger schools where everyone has them). It doesn't "save you."

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by PinkPalmTree

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what is the point of recs? On my school website, it says they are not necessary and we will not be penalized if you don't have them. Yet, on here, it says my school is a place where we absolutely positively need them. Thankfully, I've already gotten recs for almost every sorority, but I was just wondering WHY we need them? Do they help us not get cut or something?

The purpose of a rec is for the chapter to get to know a little about a PNM before recruitment. Sounds simple and non-controversial.

You go to a competitive school. Almost every PNM has recs from alumnae so chapters know how wonderful they are before recruitment.

NPC has devised a system where each chapter is asked to invite back a certain number of women for each round to maximize the number of women placed (RFM). Some chapters are forced to make steep cuts after the first round. Say 1,000 women are going through and a chapter has to cut 500 after round 1. All they have to go on is twenty-ish minutes of conversation time---and a rec---if you don't already know women in the chapter. Chapters like this have to hunt for a reason to cut PNMs sometimes. Maybe they don't consciously decide to cut all PNMs without a rec, but in the case of two PNMs with similar stats and similar quality conversations, only one has a rec, and the other doesn't, who will get cut? That's right, the girl without the rec. Sure, it happens that PNMs without recs get bids even at top chapters at competitive schools, but no one should count on being that lucky.

There is actually some NPC policy that requires Campus Panhellenics to de-emphasize the importance of recs. They are doing a huge disservice to PNMs from areas where Greek life is not as big and few understand the importance of recs (like a Northern girl at an SEC school).

My guess as to the reasons for this policy is that recs, a "get to know you" tool, can be interpreted as a "who you know" game, and that recruitment should be about who you are rather than who you know.

It also sounds ridiculous to me how Panhellenic can say "you won't be penalized" for not having a rec. Panhellenic can mandate how many women a chapter may invite back, but they can't tell a chapter how to choose those women. Sounds like a flat out lie to me.

[PinkPalmTree]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

It also sounds ridiculous to me how Panhellenic can say "you won't be penalized" for not having a rec. Panhellenic can mandate how many women a chapter may invite back, but they can't tell a chapter how to choose those women. Sounds like a flat out lie to me.

OK! Great, thanks to you and KSUViolet for answering my question. That's the part I was most confused about. I don't get why they stated that on the website because it makes it sound like you won't get cut for not having a rec...

[violetpretty]

It's also like when Panhellenics say "you won't be penalized for missing parties with an excused absence". It'd be totally unfair for women missing parties to be automatically invited back to every chapter from the previous round. Again, it's an issue of the amount of information a chapter has about a PNM.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by PinkPalmTree

OK! Great, thanks to you and KSUViolet for answering my question. That's the part I was most confused about. I don't get why they stated that on the website because it makes it sound like you won't get cut for not having a rec...

After us talking about this dichotomy umpteen times, I think part of it is also - Panhellenic can make rules or statements about ITS OWN policies but it can't make them about the policies of its member groups.

If you don't have recs - Panhellenic won't or can't penalize you. They won't keep you from going to as many parties as girls who do have them. They won't charge you more $$. They won't drop you from rush.

But Panhellenic as an entity doesn't know the policies of each sorority and what it does with recs. They don't know that XYZ could care less about them and makes paper hats out of them and that ABC won't give a girl a bid if she doesn't have a rec from an alumna of the chapter she is pledging. (Hypothetical examples.)

So they really are telling the truth when they say recs aren't necessary to go through rush (a Panhellenic sponsored activity). It would be interesting if the actual sorority chapters mentioned that recs are beneficial to have on their individual websites - but then you have the people saying "I had a rec, why wasn't I bid?"

Not that any of this is fair in the least to the girls, but if you look at it abstractly, it's understandable why they use the attitude and verbiage they use.

[ellebud]

Just a little fly in the ointment: In some parts of the country it is very possible to go to teachers, parents' friends, coworkers etc. to find recs. But I have to say that in my area (west Los Angeles and to a lesser degree the valley...as for the valley you know who you are ) there were very few Greek women. Most of the sorority women belonged to one of two sororities (AEPhi or SDT). Yes, lots and lots of AEPhis and a few SDTs. And I have a wide circle of friends. In my entire social network I am aware of one ADPi, a Chi Omega (her husband works for my husband).............and with my daughter's friends ONE ADPi. Teachers here tend to be non Greek.

It may really be difficult for some girls to get recs. My daughter had three, although I was told she had one to DG where she pledged. (She didn't. The girl said that she wrote it and didn't.) And her school is HIGHLY competitive.

I do not have a solution to the problem. I am merely telling it like it is. I am absolutely not ridiculing others' advice. I am merely saying that some girls may find it nearly impossible to find a diverse cross section of recs.

[honeychile]

This is the first I've read this thread, and I have two observations:

-For those who don't know, "That Girl" is the 18 year old who gets drunk constantly, flirts with anything in pants, and develops a reputation by the second weekend of school. You really do not want to be That Girl, you don't even want to be That Girl's close friend.

-While many PNMs may think that recs are stupid, look at it this way: you're about to attend a party of about 1,000 people. You know no one. But! If you've sent out your rec to the sororities, those who've received it at this party will know something about you, and be happy to look for you and meet you. Wouldn't you rather have that advantage?


Now, nobody's mentioned Virginia Tech - any recs needed for VTech?

[pomplemousse12]

I don't think recs are needed for VTech. I looked up their info because one of my close friends is going to go through Recruitment there, and the info packet didn't even mention them. In the FAQs it mentions that they are accepted, but not required. But that's the only place they are mentioned I think. Also they are open for expansion! That's exciting.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Now, nobody's mentioned Virginia Tech - any recs needed for VTech?

I wouldn't even put VT on the questionable list. Of course it can't hurt, and they would help a PNM stand out since they are still a bit of a novelty. I think they may be less important because it is a deferred recruitment school; you have a semester to make yourself known.

Relationships you build during your first semester will help you go much further than simply having a rec. VT's Panhellenic has places all registered PNMs on a Panhellenic listserv, and PNMs are invited to various sisterhood/programming/philanthropic events to get to know chapters during fall semester. For example, there might be pumpkin carving with Alpha Phi and Chi Omega. PNMs don't know which chapters are participating, and they must RSVP in advance, as there are a certain number of spots for each event.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by pomplemousse12

I don't think recs are needed for VTech. I looked up their info because one of my close friends is going to go through Recruitment there, and the info packet didn't even mention them. In the FAQs it mentions that they are accepted, but not required. But that's the only place they are mentioned I think. Also they are open for expansion! That's exciting.

Although this is actually true for VT, the info packet is not always a good measure of the importance of recs. Panhellenics are supposed to de-emphasize the importance of recs per NPC policy. It ends up hurting women who, god forbid, believe what is written in a guide to sororities. Silly them.

[33girl]

Bump because the sticky just isn't enough, apparently.

[Auburngirl10]

FSU from what I hear doesn't require rec letters, but they do give points for them.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

Although this is actually true for VT, the info packet is not always a good measure of the importance of recs. Panhellenics are supposed to de-emphasize the importance of recs per NPC policy. It ends up hurting women who, god forbid, believe what is written in a guide to sororities. Silly them.

Why? Seems like it would just hurt PNMs not help them.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

Why? Seems like it would just hurt PNMs not help them.

See my earlier post. Panhel really can't say "you need recs to join so and so" - that is treading on membership selection secret stuff. Think of it as the management office at the mall can't tell you what Bath & Body Works is looking for in an employee.

Also as vp said, it's Panhellenic trying to seem more "inclusive." The truth of it is by saying "recs don't matter" they do the exact opposite. A more honest thing to say (and something that wouldn't mislead rushees as much) would be "each sorority has its own local and national policies concerning recommendations. Contact alumnae of the sororities if you have any questions."

[Leslie Anne]

Originally Posted by Auburngirl10

FSU from what I hear doesn't require rec letters, but they do give points for them.

Um, no.