I'm wondering the same thing. I think Indiana is a bear all on its own so, it's interesting to hear from an IU graduate as to what would or would not be needed. Just knowing how tough it can be, if I had a daughter going through recruitment there, I'd make sure she had tons of recs. I would do it to be safe but, as IndianaSigKap noted, I realize it wouldn't definitely get her a bid to any sorority.

Yes, as long as there are unhoused chapters at IU, the events will remain legacy only. Most, if not all, pre-recruitment events were being invited to lunch or dinner at the chapter house. It didn't cost the individual chapters much at all since not all members make every meal. The unhoused chapters would have to pay for these events and it ended up costing them quite a bit. It was seen as unfair so the entire pre-recruitment thing was going to be prohibited. Then a few chapters did step up to say they should be able to invite legacies to something. To not invite the legacies, they felt would be dishonoring the alumnae members.

From your perspective, would it be best to have recs for all of the houses to maximize chances of going Greek? I don't care about ranks/ tiers. I'm specifically asking about the opportunity to even be Greek at IU. Thoughts?

There is no definitive evidence that shows it helps at all. Like we have said repeatedly, it cannot hurt your chances, but it will not guarantee you a second round invitation. There are too many other factors at IU that get in the way: bed rush, high school connections, legacy policies, RFM, etc.

Perfect, thanks! We should update this in the thread about absolutely needing recs.

This is the thread about absolutely needing recs!

Carnation...are you the mod for the forum? If so, can you remove Indiana from the list of schools where you absolutley, positively have to have recs? It should be listed as more of a recs can be helpful, but not must have.

OK!

Wow! Haha! How did I totally miss that one? Sorry. Carry on.

I 100% concur with IndianaSigKap...recs are NOT a must have at IU. More like a nice to have, feather in your cap type of thing. However, they do not guarantee you an invite back to skit round. They are just a 'nice' way of having the chapters know something about you going into recruitment...but you still need to bring your A+ game. And you can still socially torpedo yourself in the semester going into recruitment even if your rec letter says you're Sally Smith, Queen at crafting, Fundraiser of $1 million for XYZ's charity, and want to be RVP :D

Bumping for 2014


Oops! Make that 2015. :o

And just in time, too.;)

Recs are best when they come from people who know you personally. An alumna in Maine can write a rec for someone going to Iowa with no problem. That's part of the point of the whole rec concept.

Since this thread has been bumped, I'd like to officially register my complaint about Clemson being on the must-have list for recs. Having gone through recruitment as both a PNM and an active at Clemson, I would say that recs are nice to have but by no means necessary to have a successful recruitment.

Obviously I can only speak for my organization when it comes to how we use them, but there are not so many PNMs coming through that girls are automatically cut for not having them. In my opinion Clemson should be moved to the "up for debate list". Recruitment is just not as cut-throat as at SEC schools.

It's best to get recs from people in your area that know you personally. However, they aren't an absolute necessity at Iowa State. It's more just a nice introduction for the chapters, especially as you're coming from out-of-state.

Based on the information i've read here this is what i've gathered but im probably wrong

If i don't know anyone to give me recommendations i go and find alumna from each chapter at my school to write me one, but since i don't these people it will only be information only and be essentially useless anyway? Or do you sometimes actually meet the alumna writing you the recommendations? I've started emailing each chapter about recommendations but now im concerned that they won't be of much help since i don't personally know these people and they don't know me.

help???

First, you do NOT contact individual sorority chapters about recommendations!! EVER~! Where ever you got that information, don't trust them again.

Please read the sticky in sorority recruitment about how to find recs from people that know you. You DO HAVE sorority alumnae in your life. You just have to ask to find out who they are. And sorority alumnae know alumnae in other organizations. ASK.

If you must go to women who do not already know you personally, then YES, we will try to have coffee with you, lunch or at least chat by phone to get to know you as much as possible.

oh no i didn't mean like at my school, i went to the npcwomen alumnae page and found a link there for who to contact about them, and if thats the wrong part then i did something very wrong but i already got some responses about finding people.

My daughter will be going through recruitment at Tennessee Tech this fall and we are in need of a DPhiE recommendation. It is a newly colonized chapter and doesn't seem to have many alumni in Tn. She has secured recommendations for the other 4 chapters. She has contacted city panhellanic but the don't have any DPhiE members. Any guidance would be appreciated
Thanks,
J

Tennessee Tech is definitely not a school for which recs are required.

I haven't read the entire thread, but we found out the hard way that recs ARE necessary at Virginia Tech!

My little's daughter went through recruitment once without recs, and got cut from all of her favorites, and once with recs - when she got the bid of her choice.

Maybe it was just because she'd gotten to know people in the chapters, and it had nothing to do with recs?

Agreed. This is the first DPhiE chapter in the state of Tennessee, so there really aren't many alums around. If you're in the Nashville area, you may want to check with the Alumnae Panhellenic. There may be representation on that level, given the number of people who have moved here from other areas.

[QUOTE=33girl;2315111]Maybe it was just because she'd gotten to know people in the chapters, and it had nothing to do with recs?[/QUOTE

Nationals of some GLOs absolutely require recs. If she didn't have a rec, that would be the reason for being cut by some.

[QUOTE=1964Alum;2315141]Not really, especially since they have deferred recruitment. I only found out that she was going through recruitment halfway through last year; this year, the recs were out a month prior.

ETA: From what I understand, VTech is very legacy-heavy for more than a few of the sororities. I know it is definitely so for ADPi, and a few others. Recs will NOT hurt you at VTech!

Does Penn State require letters of rec? There is an address posted on the panhellenic to send letters but i've never heard of anyone sending them so i'm going for a second opinion

That sounds like you're trying your best to get out of doing them.:cool:

Penn State's rush has become larger in recent years. You may want to do everything you can to stand out in a positive light.

Although Penn State does not generally need recommendations, it can't hurt. It has gotten more competitive in the last few years, as 33girl noted but, it's nowhere near Indiana recruitment or schools in the SEC. Make sure you are polished and have recs for every chapter if you intend to submit recs.

--A Penn State Alumna

This may not belong here, but can you have to many recs? We seem to know a lot of women, who have generously offered, enthusiastically, to write recs for my daughter. However; we seem to know a lot for 1 house in particular. Is it wrong if she has, for example, 4 for this one house? Several are recent graduates, we also have women about my age (parent). It is a house my daughter would love to join from what she knows at this point in the process. It is a fairly competitive recruitment, but nothing like IU of course.

In Texas, no. Anywhere else, maybe. Not knowing the campus, and I understand your reluctance to say, 2-3 could be just fine and a mix of new and older alumnae.

Thanks! And it is true what folks say on here, while I wasn't Greek, almost every woman I meet who learns where my daughter is going to college, asks if she is interested in sorority recruitment and when I say yes, they offer to write her a rec. I thought at first it would be hard to find people and awkward to ask - but everyone has been so kind and generous. This sorority sisterhood thing is impressive.

That it is!

I am DPhiE.....message me if I can help.

You left MIZZOU off your SEC list. With the second largest recruitment in the country, you absolutely need recs there. It's one wildly competitive recruitment!

Missouri is on there, it's just under its old conference.

In the Mizzou recruitiment thread, 33 girl stated that if addresses are given, then recs are needed. At my daughters future university, this is stated:

If someone is writing a letter of recommendation on your behalf for a specific chapter, please have them contact the local chapter directly and address the letter to the Recruitment Chair of the respective chapter. A list of mailing addresses is below for your use. Letters of recommendation are not required for *** University’s Panhellenic Sorority Formal Recruitment.

Followed with Addresses.

Needed or not? Would 1 per house be sufficient? You have us listed as up for debate. Thanks!

If we have it listed as up for debate, you're better off with than without. And the U doesn't require them. It's the national orgs that do or don't and whether or not the local chapter adheres to that requirement. At the more competitive campuses - SEC for example - it's required because their recruiitment is so big that the chapters can't solicit them all so they put the onus on the PNMs.

I noticed Sorority Sugar has information at the bottom of the page for potential new members needing recommendations.

Baylor should be on there.