DING DING DING!

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.

I know nothing about Vandy rush. I do know Vandy has several sororities that have national rules requiring a recommendation for each new member. Whether the recommendation arrives prior to rush, or an alum is in the back room signing a rec before the girl participates in the pledging ceremony, the girl will have a rec. I would continue to tell young women to get recs.

My daughter and I attended a meet the Greeks info session during her freshman orientation several years ago( not Vandy). The Panhellenic VP of recruitment told the group the recommendations had to come from chapter members/alums of that school only. I wanted to correct her for the sake of those who thought it was true, but did not want to mortify my daughter or ruin her chances in the fall. Even Panhellenic officers can be misinformed.

No Panhellenic is going to tell you that recs are required. That's not their policy. They might say they're "strongly suggested" or "highly recommended," but not "get 'em or else."
Why?
Because it's not Panhellenic's job to do that. It's the sororities' jobs to get recs. And many chapters still do. It's just that recruitment has gotten so big at many places that it would be impossible for the chapters to solicit recs for every girl coming through. If half of them can get recs themselves, they're that much ahead.
But for the number going through recruitment at Vanderbilt - it's entirely possible that the chapters there managed to get recs on PNMs without the PNMs being aware of it. And yes, sometimes chapters do take girls with no recs - somebody just signs for them.

It's kind of like the girls who swear that only A, B or C sorority are worthy of their membership and lo and behold - they get a bid from A sorority. It happens.

Thank you -- that helps. I'll continue to suggest recommendations. :cool:

My daughter went through deferred recruitment 4 years ago at a school on the "good to have" list. From the chit-chat I heard during her time as an active, I do think that members have a lot more to go on when recruitment is held second semester (first semester grades, personality/behavior, friends made, etc.) and the recs may not carry as much weight. However, they can't hurt, and if a national group requires one, it's good to provide it.

And for some of these schools the helpfulness of the rec isn't so much for the week of recruitment. It is for earlier in the first semester so PNMs can get on the radars of the chapters. Some schools are smaller where everyone knows everyone (W&L perhaps?) but as the schools get larger it can be helpful to have that introduction to chapters- especially the ones who have to cut the most early in the week.

FTW :)

That makes a lot of sense. Thank you! (It is very hard when I tell young women one thing and the folks at the college tell them something different. This will likely be the encouragement they need.)

QFP

Buniculus, you should send Longhorn Mom a PM. She is an authority on Cornell recruitment.

Missouri is SEC. Just sayin'.

Not Big 12.

What about Big 10 schools?

Did you read any of this thread? Your answer is on the first page, and also on other pages :rolleyes: