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-   -   Competitive school - no recs? (http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=224976)

rusheee 12-29-2016 10:06 PM

Competitive school - no recs?
 
Hi! I am rushing in the spring at a competitive Southern school. I found this site and saw my school on the pinned list for absolutely must-have recs. I am not from an area where sororities are popular, so I didn't know anyone for recs and only got one letter. My grades are good and I have a few friends in sororities, but will they cut me because I don't have a rec letter to their house? I was really looking forward to rush but now I'm worried I'll get released! :(

Titchou 12-30-2016 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rusheee (Post 2424922)
Hi! I am rushing in the spring at a competitive Southern school. I found this site and saw my school on the pinned list for absolutely must-have recs. I am not from an area where sororities are popular, so I didn't know anyone for recs and only got one letter. My grades are good and I have a few friends in sororities, but will they cut me because I don't have a rec letter to their house? I was really looking forward to rush but now I'm worried I'll get released! :(

There are lots of posts here about how to get recs but I'll give you the Cliff Notes version:

Make a list of all the groups you need

Get your resume done along with a transcript.

Ask EVERY woman you know (teachers, employers, coaches, parents' friends, friends' parents,etc) if they -or anyone they know - might be a sorority member.

When you find someone and she agrees to do a rec, ask if she knows anyone
else who is a member of one of the remaining groups. Sorority members know other sorority members. (have you asked the one you already found?)

When you've exhausted all those, check the web sites and FB pages of the remaining groups to see if there is an alumnae group for them near you.They will have contact info so use that method to let them know you need a rec.

Find out if there is an Alumnae Panhellenic in your area. Attend their spring recruitment event. Contact them for possible recs.

In other words, NETWORK any way possible.

THANK THEM!

AZTheta 12-30-2016 08:54 AM

A few additional suggestions in addition to Titchou's most excellent CliffNotes:

Your church bulletin. A little note in the Sunday bulletin may produce Panhellenic woman who will be able to write for you.

Local retirement communities, such as RV parks, resorts, etc. There are many here in AZ & I have discovered many Panhellenic contacts through the RVers.

Be diligent; you don't have a lot of time if you are going through Spring 2017 recruitment. You're aware that your rush is competitive, based on the opening sentence of your post. Make your chances the best they can be. Good luck!

honeychile 12-30-2016 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZTheta (Post 2424937)
A few additional suggestions in addition to Titchou's most excellent CliffNotes:

Your church bulletin. A little note in the Sunday bulletin may produce Panhellenic woman who will be able to write for you.

Local retirement communities, such as RV parks, resorts, etc. There are many here in AZ & I have discovered many Panhellenic contacts through the RVers.

Be diligent; you don't have a lot of time if you are going through Spring 2017 recruitment. You're aware that your rush is competitive, based on the opening sentence of your post. Make your chances the best they can be. Good luck!

Amazingly, all or at least the vast majority of my recs came through a church bulletin. I never knew that so many of the women were Greeks until they started asking me for particulars. IIRC, the announcement was simple, on the lines of "honeychile is going to University, and hopes to join the Greek System." The alumnae were eager to help!

FSUZeta 12-30-2016 02:20 PM

Reach out to HS classmates who rushed and pledged in the fall, or to girls that will also be rushing in the spring. They may share their contacts with you.

TXDG 01-01-2017 04:23 PM

Not having recs can hurt you badly for two reasons:

1. You say your school's recruitment is competitive. That means houses will need to cut a lot of pnms and the two "easiest" ways to release pnms are cutting for 1st semester GPA and cutting for not having recs.

2. Several sororities have a national policy that pnms must have a rec to pledge. Assuming you are at a deferred recruitment school like SMU or Vandy, you are likely to have at least one of those sororities on your campus. Doesn't matter if you have 10 bff's in the house- no rec, no bid.

Please try to find as many recs as you possibly can before recruitment starts. Visit your old high school to see old teachers, post on Facebook and tag your mom & grandmas so their friends will see. It's crunch time so do the best you can in the next few days.

FloMo Mom 01-02-2017 10:48 AM

Here's another suggestion for finding recommendations. Look up the national and chapter page for each sorority on Facebook. Facebook will helpfully show you how many of your friends have liked that page. Click on the number of likes and Facebook will show exactly which friends liked the page. Chances are good that those women or their daughters are members of that sorority. Check with them to see if they can write a rec for you. Good luck!

Sciencewoman 01-02-2017 12:19 PM

^^^ That's a really good idea!

What do others think about sharing how you found the sister, though? I think I'd make the follow-up request contact through a more traditional means, and probably not tell the potential rec writer you found them through FB stalking. Something more like, "I've been preparing for winter recruitment, and someone mentioned that they think you joined/you're a member of..."

sissyintexas 01-02-2017 02:31 PM

I think the FB idea is smart and wish I had thought of it when my daughter was going through. I would not have a problem at all. You really aren't stalking anyone in particular just seeing if you have a mutual friend in that group. It also means that person knows you or at least someone else who knows you.

I do that all the time when I sell things on FB groups. I feel a lot better about the transaction if I see I have a mutual friend with the person.

jolene 01-03-2017 10:19 AM

I had a mother (we were chapter sisters at different times) contact me about a rec for her daughter. I didn't mind at all.

rusheee 01-08-2017 04:49 PM

Thank you all for your responses! I am taking all of your advice to heart and was able to secure two more recs with the ways suggested, so big thanks for the ideas.


Quote:

Originally Posted by TXDG (Post 2425048)
2. Several sororities have a national policy that pnms must have a rec to pledge. Assuming you are at a deferred recruitment school like SMU or Vandy, you are likely to have at least one of those sororities on your campus. Doesn't matter if you have 10 bff's in the house- no rec, no bid.

Hi TXDG! I have heard about this but didn't know it was a real thing. Is there a list of sororities with this policy anywhere or is that one of the more secretive aspects of the recruitment process? Just trying to cover my bases to get those absolutely necessary additional letters!

Titchou 01-08-2017 05:16 PM

No, because the chapter may have the rule even if the national org does not. Keep networking!


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