Where to find recommendation letters?

[nolesgirl]

I will be rushing this fall at my college, and right now I am trying to garner my recommendation letters. I have a few, from a friend's mom, a cousin, and a woman who I wa sput in contact with who works for a chapter at my school. I am still going through every connection I have and still know of more places to ask, but for the most part, I am not coming up with anyone I know of who was in a sorority in college, and am getting pretty desperate about getting my rec letters. I have spoken with the Panhellenic Association for the town where my college is, and they were very helpful, but I emailed the woman from the Panhellenic Association in my hometown and I have not heard anything back, and I can't even find the website; I got her email address from somewhere else. Where else can I find recommendation letters? I am really stressed about this.

Also, I would like to send a thank-you note to the woman who helped me at my college, but I don't know where to send it to! We only really communicated via e-mail, and she was very brief about it I didn't want to drag it into this whole big thing. But I never got her address. She is the recruitment advisor for one of the chapters, would it be appropriate for me to send a thank-you note addressed to her to the sorority house? Or can I email her again and ask for her address?

[KD4Me]

Nolesgirl - Hopefully you'll hear back from your local panhellenic association soon; maybe the contact is on vacation. If you don't hear back, though, I would suggest that you look at the national websites of the sororities that are on your college campus. As late as a couple of years ago, Kappa Delta's website had contact info. for alumnae in some cities who were available to write recs. I see now that this information is no longer there, but perhaps other sororities do have similar information on their websites.

Also, try to determine if there are alumnae chapters of the sororities for which you need recs in your area. You could search the internet, or you might be able to find that information on the national websites, too. If you do find that information, it would be appropriate for you to send a friendly e-mail to the chapter president, explaining that you are going through recruitment but lack a letter for her group, and ask if she knows someone you could contact for assistance.

If all else fails, I would (as a last resort) call the national headquarters of the organization(s) that you can't find recs for and ask if they know of someone in your area who can write a rec. As an active alumna, I would not find it odd to receive a call from our national headquarters to help a PNM. I would be interested to hear others' opinions on this, though.

Regarding the thank you, did she really go out of the way to help you? In other words, is a written thank-you really called for, or are you making the extra effort because she's an alumna? I would think it odd if I were a chapter member and my advisor received a thank-you at the house. You don't want to look like you're trying too hard.

Good luck to you!

[wavycutchip]

Hi nolesgirl. It sounds like you are doing a great job of being proactive in finding recommendation letters. Great job! I think you are on the right track trying to locate a contact from your hometown Alumnae Panhellenic (APH). One place you might want to try (if you have not already) is the NPC directory of APHs: http://www.npcwomen.org/alumnae-panh...directory.aspx. Now, many times a local APH will start a website or facebook page and not tell the NPC group, so it is also a good idea to search on facebook or google for the group as well. If someone is not responding to e-mail, then you might want to try calling her. While I know that many people do not have home phones these days, there are still a few of us "old school" folks that do. So, I would try the phone book next As far as finding other recommendation letters from friends, you might try searching for various NPC groups Facebook fan pages, and then looking in the right hand corner of the page to see if you have any mutual friends. It might not work, but worth a shot. Even if your FB friends are collegians, they may be able to help you in recommending local alumnae from that sorority. Don't stress out about it - just do the best you can!

I think a short e-mail saying that you would like to send her a thank-you note, and ask her what address she would like you to send it to would be just fine. IMHO

[FSUZeta]

Nolesgirl, please check your pm's.

[nolesgirl]

Thank you guys so much! This information is exactly what I'm looking for, I feel much more optimistic about this now with your advice!

And the woman who I mentioned about the thank you is going to write me a rec letter for her house, and she said she would also forward my email to some people that she knows, so I feel that since she is doing that, even though it's not a hige effort, I should still send a thank you note. Thanks again, ladies

[KD4Me]

And the woman who I mentioned about the thank you is going to write me a rec letter for her house, and she said she would also forward my email to some people that she knows, so I feel that since she is doing that, even though it's not a hige effort, I should still send a thank you note. Thanks again, ladies [/QUOTE]

Absolutely, in that case, a note is appropriate. (I didn't understand that from the first post; thought she might have just answered a couple of questions for you via e-mail.) I agree with the suggestion to e-mail her for her address.

Good luck!

[nolesgirl]

I know some sororities allow collegiate members to write recs, does anyone know if tri-delt is one? I found out a girl who I know from work is tri-delt at a different college

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by nolesgirl

I know some sororities allow collegiate members to write recs, does anyone know if tri-delt is one? I found out a girl who I know from work is tri-delt at a different college

Ask her. If she is not allowed to do so, she will know alumnae.

[nolesgirl]

Nvm, it turns out she graduated last semester anyway, but thanks!

[FSUZeta]

well that's good news!!be sure to ask her where she got recs. when she went thru and if she has any friends in other sororities who she could introduce you to.

[nolesgirl]

Okay, I will definitely do that!

Would it seem like overkill to have two recs to the same sorority if they were from people you actually know, not just alumnae who you go to for a rec letter?

[Titchou]

At a competitive school like FSU or any SEC school, no, it's not overkill if they actually know you.

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by Titchou

At a competitive school like FSU or any SEC school, no, it's not overkill if they actually know you.

agreed!

[carnation]

bumping!