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Sorority Recruitment Recruitment event and bid day ideas, membership retention, publicity, recruitment policies, etc.


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  #1  
Old 06-07-2012, 07:01 AM
carnation carnation is offline
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what is a rec

adpiucf
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Recommendations (NPC)
WHAT IS A RECOMMENDATION
For NPC sororities, a recommendation/reference is an official sorority form sponsoring/endorsing you for membership. Sorority members fill out the forms and send them in on your behalf to the sorority chapter at the college prior to recruitment. This doesn't happen spontaneously: You need to locate sorority women to do this for you.

Some sororities are required to have these references for every woman they initiate, and it is their responsibility to collect them. But on college campuses with a “competitive” recruitment, it is to your benefit to secure these forms in advance before you come to recruitment as a standard pre-requisite. At others campuses, recruitment may be less competitive, but it is still to your benefit to secure these forms as a way for your name to stand out in a positive way prior to recruitment.

Ask current students (better yet: sorority members) at your school what the norm is for recruitment at your school and if it is expected that you secure recommendations in advance.

It isn't a guarantee that because you had a recommendation that you will be given a bid to membership, but it can very much help to even the playing field where everyone else comes in with recommendations. Or at a less competitve recruitment, recommendations can help elevate you above the playing field because you have something the other PNMS do not have.

At very competitive recruitments, it is to your benefit to not only have a recommendation, but to also secure 1-3 letters of support. These 1-2 page letters are sent by sorority members on your behalf as well. They help paint a more well-rounded picture of who you are.

You really should aim to get your recommendations from people who know you best. Start off with your Christmas card list, relatives, friends, teachers, etc. Find a local chapter of a sorority alumnae association or alumnae panhellenic association for hometown advice and possible recommenders.


RULES OF CONTACT FOR POTENTIAL NEW MEMBERS
If someone agrees to help you with a recommendation, you will be expected to provide them with personal information. To help anyone writing you a recommendation or a letter of support, give them a copy of your resume, a photo of yourself and a copy of your transcripts. Do not provide these things until someone has agreed to be your recommendation sponsor.

SOCIAL RESUME
This 1-3 page document should be provided to anyone writing you a recommendation. Include your contact information, any high schools and colleges attended, your year in college (Freshman, etc.), when/where you graduated HS, your activities, accomplishments, scholarships received, list any sorority family members and where they went to school, your SAT/ACT scores, major, community service experience, etc. Please don't include your SSN or Student ID on this resume.

FOLLOW-UP
Make sure to send a formal thank-you note to your recommenders and to follow-up with them once recruitment has concluded! Whether or not you join their sorority, they will be pleased to hear from you and know how things turned out, even if you did not join a sorority at all.


Good luck with recruitment!
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  #2  
Old 06-07-2012, 07:04 AM
carnation carnation is offline
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I did not write this--adpiucf did and it's got some great information but 11 pages of followup information were old so I transferred this main post best I could. Thank you,adpiucf!
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  #3  
Old 06-07-2012, 04:37 PM
HQWest HQWest is offline
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Great Points! To this I would just add - think of a rec letter like a letter of introduction. The ladies of the chapter would like to be the best hostesses possible to every PNM. It would be great if they could match PNMs with chapter members with similar interests and to make a connection or network - especially hard at a huge 1000+ person recruitment. That is what recruitment is for a lot of PNMS a chance to meet people fresh on a new campus.

Alumnae: Every little bit you can do to help the chapter helps!

PNMs: A rec is NOT a promise of an invitation, its your foot in the door. You wouldn't show up to a job interview without a resume? A rec letter shows that you take this seriously. That you are going the extra mile to do the best job you can - help your letter writers help you put your best foot forward.
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  #4  
Old 06-07-2012, 11:51 PM
dgdramadawg dgdramadawg is offline
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Thanks for reposting this info, carnation.

PNMs, please pay careful attention to how to contact an alum. Think about this as your first chance to present yourself to the chapter. If you don't know the alum that you are contacting very well (maybe she's a friend's mom, a teacher who you didn't have for class, or a lady at church), be sure to take extra time to make sure that your information presents the "you" you want her to share with her chapter.

Example of something to NEVER do:
A few days ago, I received a mass email requesting a rec (sent to over 30 women). The PNM requested that I friend her on facebook, pull a picture off her account, and print and send it along with the rec that she expected me to mail for her. Or at least that's what I could glean from her grammatically impressive (in the worst way) writing. Did I mention that I've never met this girl and she never even mentioned in the email where she got my name and email?
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  #5  
Old 06-08-2012, 07:59 AM
28StGreek 28StGreek is offline
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If anyone knows what a Rec is, its definitely Carnation! (and of course adpiucf)
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  #6  
Old 06-08-2012, 01:43 PM
KSUViolet06 KSUViolet06 is offline
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Important to remember:

A LACK OF PLANNING ON YOUR PART DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN EMERGENCY ON MINE.

Meaning that if you need a rec, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE to contact the appropriate people. You will be very sad, as many Alumnae Panhellenics have early deadlines.

Also, if you DO happen to get someone to provide you with a last minute rec, you need to be PATIENT. If someone says they will do it for you, THEY WILL. You do not need to email them every day bugging them.

On that same token, if you're contacting alumnae chapters for recs (meaning an actual alumnae chapter of a specific NPC group, ex: San Antonio alumnae chapter of ZTA) please do not bombard them with emails over the summer about it. Alumnae do not sit by the computer over summer waiting for PNMs to contact them. They have things to do. Please do not panic if your request is not responded to immediately.

In short, just remember: Everyone does not live for your recommendation needs.
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  #7  
Old 06-08-2012, 02:17 PM
Always AlphaGam Always AlphaGam is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KSUViolet06 View Post
Important to remember:

A LACK OF PLANNING ON YOUR PART DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN EMERGENCY ON MINE.

Meaning that if you need a rec, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE to contact the appropriate people. You will be very sad, as many Alumnae Panhellenics have early deadlines.

Also, if you DO happen to get someone to provide you with a last minute rec, you need to be PATIENT. If someone says they will do it for you, THEY WILL. You do not need to email them every day bugging them.

On that same token, if you're contacting alumnae chapters for recs (meaning an actual alumnae chapter of a specific NPC group, ex: San Antonio alumnae chapter of ZTA) please do not bombard them with emails over the summer about it. Alumnae do not sit by the computer over summer waiting for PNMs to contact them. They have things to do. Please do not panic if your request is not responded to immediately.

In short, just remember: Everyone does not live for your recommendation needs.
I would like to point out that alums need to remember this too. Please, for the love of God, if you're gonna tell a PNM you'll help her...please remember to follow through and in a timely manner!

My APH was approached (on the website contact form) by a woman helping a family friend secure recs for rush at Vanderbilt. This alum sent us a frantic email the week before Vandy rush began asking us to help her out. She attached the PNM's resume, but poor planning on her part only got the PNM I think 3 recs total.

Frazzled alum admitted to us that PNM submitted her information months ago in preparation for Vandy rush. For whatever reason the alum forgot, and only remembered at the 11th hour. In this case, I really wish the PNM had contacted us directly. But, oh well. You can't blame her for wanting to go through her family friend. After all, that's what we suggest to PNMs here.

I've been doing searches on FB/Google to see if PNM pledged a sorority and I can't seem to find anything. If she didn't, I hope she was able to find her place at Vandy.
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  #8  
Old 06-08-2012, 02:43 PM
Jill1228 Jill1228 is offline
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Quote:
FOLLOW-UP
Make sure to send a formal thank-you note to your recommenders and to follow-up with them once recruitment has concluded! Whether or not you join their sorority, they will be pleased to hear from you and know how things turned out, even if you did not join a sorority at all.
This! It is all about decency and manners...which I know your mama taught you!
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  #9  
Old 06-10-2012, 02:59 AM
avanti3 avanti3 is offline
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Yikes! I almost made a HUGE embarrassing mistake with my recommendation packets!!
I apologize if you wonderful ladies have covered this before. I have been working so hard to make sure my packets have the right pictures, my resume was just right, my labels and envelopes were folded perfect, AND my thank you note was perfectly attached on top and the follow up was written and addressed ready to go in a couple of weeks...So many things I have learned from greek chat!! The one thing I ALMOST forgot to do was weigh the recommendation writers packet for the correct amount of postage! Just as a second run through before releasing everything to the postal lady ...I had her weigh the packet that my recommendation writer will send to Panhellenic. I was was $.10 short on postage for each packet!!! I would have been so embarrassed to have a packet returned after someone had worked hard to write a recommendation for me> Just thought I would post a little reminder to anyone preparing recruitment packets! Thank goodness I only sealed the envelopes with the clasp. I guess you all can return to your regularly scheduled program now. LOL Thanks for listening!
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  #10  
Old 06-26-2012, 02:51 PM
wcjane wcjane is offline
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I started the process to obtain recs approximately a month ago. I've reached out to family friends, older girls who are already in college, casual acquaintances, and I even talked to the sales person at Nordstrom about recruitment. I even found out the new neighbors (father/son) were/are both in fraternities but the wife wasn't in a sorority. It's a smaller world than I thought when I started.

I also reached out to the local Alumnae Panhellenic. They distributed my packet but they don't track who does or doesn't submit a rec. I've done some googling and I've found the local alumnae chapters online. Would it be inappropriate to reach out to the local alumnae chapters for the sororities I think I still need recs for? I don't want my contact at the local Alumnae Panhellenic to feel I'm overstepping or unappreciative of her efforts. On the other hand I don't know if they've been submitted or not.
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  #11  
Old 06-26-2012, 03:00 PM
Titchou Titchou is online now
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Yes, it is appropriate to contact the individual groups thru their local web sites.
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  #12  
Old 06-26-2012, 06:43 PM
wcjane wcjane is offline
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I reached out to some of the individual groups through their local web sites. A few groups have already responded offering to write recs. They have been very positive and encouraging. I wonder what people think about receiving "cold calls/emails" but these women were so positive and helpful. Thank you!
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  #13  
Old 06-26-2012, 07:13 PM
Titchou Titchou is online now
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If the contact is going to the president of the group (ours does) then she is expecting to be contacted. I'm the local president and can't tell you how many emails I've gotten this month alone! And the funny thing is, I looked at where they lived and the high school and asked each if they knew a particular member of my GLO. And guess what, all but one did but had not asked the person for a rec. That's why I get so weirded out when they say they don't know anyone in BBB. Ugh!
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  #14  
Old 06-26-2012, 07:20 PM
wcjane wcjane is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Titchou View Post
If the contact is going to the president of the group (ours does) then she is expecting to be contacted. I'm the local president and can't tell you how many emails I've gotten this month alone! And the funny thing is, I looked at where they lived and the high school and asked each if they knew a particular member of my GLO. And guess what, all but one did but had not asked the person for a rec. That's why I get so weirded out when they say they don't know anyone in BBB. Ugh!
I live in CA and I wonder if it's different here. Nobody has asked me that...yet.

Thanks to you and others here for the pointers and insight which has helped this newbie out a lot.
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  #15  
Old 06-27-2012, 10:00 PM
atrianglepi atrianglepi is offline
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Dear PNMs,

When you are asking for a REC, please don't address me by my first name in an email. I am Mrs. Atrianglepi, not A. Especially if you don't know me. Also be sure I am actually a member of the group for which you need a REC. Finally, when you are sending out several emails, make sure you have the correct email address with the person's name. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
End rant
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