Writing a Friend's Sorority Rec?

i have a question for the sorority women:

i will be a sophomore this fall, and this winter will be my first rush as an active member of my house. so, i have never really experienced rush from an insider's point of view.

i would like to write a recommendation/letter of reference for a girl from my hometown. i knew her casually, as we went to the same high school and were cheerleaders together for a couple of years. i downloaded my sorority's rec form, but i'm wondering,

what sort of information, in a rec, is most helpful to the chapter at the rushee's college? how much to people usually write about the girl? i have never written someone's rec before, and i guess i'm just looking for whatever insight you can offer.

Thanks a Lot!!

If you don't know her all that well, perhaps it would be more prudent to write a "Letter of Information" or a "Letter of Introduction", rather than a "Recommendation".

[33girl]

I'm a big ol' ding-dong! I thought only alumnae could write recs??!? (you can tell I went to a school that didn't use them)

[9 Pearls]

It depends on the sorority she is joining. If it is one that strives on public service, they will want to know what she is doing in her community, what kind of values does she have. Does she have special talent and leadership potential, does she attend church. Things of this nature are important, so you better be sure you know enough about this person to honestly write about her. If you don't and she doesn'tend up being the "wonderful" person you said she was, then you are held responsible.

[Texas Alum]

Hi lexi99 -

Here's something to ask yourself: what if this person has some secret trait (QR, parties too much, etc.) that came out after she was pledged, and it reflected on you? would you wish you hadn't written the letter? It is just something to think about.

You can always write her a letter of introduction and say exactly what you said here (about how long you have known her, and her activities/grades, etc.), and let the chapter know that they need to check her out also. If the campus where she is rushing is one where recs are required (officially or not), the letter will get her in the door, but then the sisters there can decide after meeting her.

Make sure the letter is very factual and neutral! If you don't spend pages saying "XYZ would be lesser if she doesn't get a bid from us" and "the most wonderful girl I ever knew", the rush team at that chapter will know that they need to decide for themselves.