Recommendation letter - I have no one to give me one.

[Aerylle]

I have been informed that the school I am going to be rushing is really big on Rec letters. I'm not going to tell you the school for privacy reasons.

I was just wondering what should I do? I mean, I don't know anyone who has ever been in a sorority, whether that is I know them personally or friends of friends.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[kddani]

Have you read any of the posts in this forum? If not, do some reading. There are tons and tons of threads addressing how to get recs.

[Aerylle]

I had done a search using my schools name and "recs" as well as "rec letters" but I will keep on reading. :] Thank you very much.

Are they just scattered through Sorority recruitment or is there a sub forum for them?

[Titchou]

Use "recommendation" not "rec."

Do you have adult friends/employers? Do your parents have adult friends/co-workers? Did you have teachers or counselors at school? What about Sunday School teachers, friends from church, other organizations? These are all places to check for recs. Ask if they are Greek. Do they have any friends who were in ABC, XYZ or whatever groups you need? You'll be surprised what a little networking will turn up.

[CopterDad]

I'll give you a few suggestions on getting started with pre-recruitment that really helped my daughter get recommendations. Caveat: this only gets you the admiration of the recommender, sorority members decide on members and I have no way of knowing any of that.

Go to the sorority national websites for the chapters represented at your school and download the recommendation forms if they are available. *MY* perception of what a sorority would want based upon the recommendation forms my daughter and I have seen is academics, activities, scholarship, leadership, and community service. Hopefully, as a high school senior, you have a stable filled with these qualities!

Prepare a resume of one or two pages which quickly leads the reader to these qualities of yours.

Prepare a letter of one or two pages which expounds and details specifics of the above.

Get a transcript from your school. Get a head shot and full body photo to go along with the above.

Be ready to send all of the above, with a nice handwritten thank you note, to the people you find to write your recommendation. Keep asking people around you. Ask your relatives to keep asking their close friends.

Start now. It takes time. Some alumnae know how to do recruitment forms. Some don't. Be prepared to give the alumna everything she needs to allow the chapters to know you as much as possible before they see and talk with you. Remember, if you have the admiration of the recommendation writer, even if she can't say she has known you for 18 years, she can make you look your best!

Good luck!

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by CopterDad

I'll give you a few suggestions on getting started with pre-recruitment that really helped my daughter get recommendations. Caveat: this only gets you the admiration of the recommender, sorority members decide on members and I have no way of knowing any of that.

Go to the sorority national websites for the chapters represented at your school and download the recommendation forms if they are available. *MY* perception of what a sorority would want based upon the recommendation forms my daughter and I have seen is academics, activities, scholarship, leadership, and community service. Hopefully, as a high school senior, you have a stable filled with these qualities!

Prepare a resume of one or two pages which quickly leads the reader to these qualities of yours.

Prepare a letter of one or two pages which expounds and details specifics of the above.

Get a transcript from your school. Get a head shot and full body photo to go along with the above.

Be ready to send all of the above, with a nice handwritten thank you note, to the people you find to write your recommendation. Keep asking people around you. Ask your relatives to keep asking their close friends.

Start now. It takes time. Some alumnae know how to do recruitment forms. Some don't. Be prepared to give the alumna everything she needs to allow the chapters to know you as much as possible before they see and talk with you. Remember, if you have the admiration of the recommendation writer, even if she can't say she has known you for 18 years, she can make you look your best!

Good luck!

Good job, CopterDad. Anyone writing letters for your daughter would have an easy time! I hope you aren't really a "copter" dad, though.

[CopterDad]

LOL. No, I was a Little League manager way too long in a really competitive baseball league to let myself get to that point with my kids.

[Aerylle]

Originally Posted by CopterDad

I'll give you a few suggestions on getting started with pre-recruitment that really helped my daughter get recommendations. Caveat: this only gets you the admiration of the recommender, sorority members decide on members and I have no way of knowing any of that.

Go to the sorority national websites for the chapters represented at your school and download the recommendation forms if they are available. *MY* perception of what a sorority would want based upon the recommendation forms my daughter and I have seen is academics, activities, scholarship, leadership, and community service. Hopefully, as a high school senior, you have a stable filled with these qualities!

Prepare a resume of one or two pages which quickly leads the reader to these qualities of yours.

Prepare a letter of one or two pages which expounds and details specifics of the above.

Get a transcript from your school. Get a head shot and full body photo to go along with the above.

Be ready to send all of the above, with a nice handwritten thank you note, to the people you find to write your recommendation. Keep asking people around you. Ask your relatives to keep asking their close friends.

Start now. It takes time. Some alumnae know how to do recruitment forms. Some don't. Be prepared to give the alumna everything she needs to allow the chapters to know you as much as possible before they see and talk with you. Remember, if you have the admiration of the recommendation writer, even if she can't say she has known you for 18 years, she can make you look your best!

Good luck!

Thank you for all the info! Now I just need to find some alumnae to write me some letters. So far I've asked everyone I know to ask around at their work to see if they know anyone, but so far no luck. I've emailed my local alumnae group in hopes to get in contact with someone locally who could help me, but so far I'm unsure if I am doing the right thing but contacting them.

Any advice on actually finding someone?

[Titchou]

Are you just asking your peers? You need to be asking adults. Have you talked with your high school counselor? Most of them know Greeks because they get asked about students for rec information. Anyone you know who is a college graduate is someone you should ask.

[violetpretty]

Ask:

older friends
friends' siblings
siblings' friends
parents' friends
friends' parents
parents' coworkers
family friends
babysitters
HS teachers/staff/activity sponsors
bosses/coworkers
women from your place of worship if applicable

When you find one sorority woman, she may know of others, even if her sorority doesn't have a chapter at your school. Many NPCs allow actives from other chapters to write recs. Ask men and fraternity men, they may point you in the direction of sorority women.

[Barbie's_Rush]

Or you could just keep posting to Greekchat about your rec finding frustrations and hope that the sorority women here will write recs for you. Because no one has ever tried that subtle and creative approach before.

[gee_ess]

Did you mention something about getting in touch with local alumnae groups? If you have local alum groups, then you have alums! Do you have a Panhellenic Alum Assoc in your area? That is a very good place to get in touch with alums in your area. Go to the national panhellenic website and do a search for a group in your area. Also, if you know older girls from your town who were in sororities in college, they may be able to tell you who wrote recs for them.
Don't give up!

[Aerylle]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Are you just asking your peers? You need to be asking adults. Have you talked with your high school counselor? Most of them know Greeks because they get asked about students for rec information. Anyone you know who is a college graduate is someone you should ask.

I'm not in high school anymore. And, I am asking EVERYONE I know. This includes old teachers, employers, boyfriends family/friends, people in other states that I know are even asking their employers. Still, no one.

[Aerylle]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

Ask:

older friends
friends' siblings
siblings' friends
parents' friends
friends' parents
parents' coworkers
family friends
babysitters
HS teachers/staff/activity sponsors
bosses/coworkers
women from your place of worship if applicable

When you find one sorority woman, she may know of others, even if her sorority doesn't have a chapter at your school. Many NPCs allow actives from other chapters to write recs. Ask men and fraternity men, they may point you in the direction of sorority women.

I've done all this already. The problem is my social network is COMPLETELY void of ANYONE greek. I know two girls who are currently in a sorority at my school, but they haven't gotten back to me on if they know anyone that could give me a rec letter.

[Aerylle]

Originally Posted by Barbie's_Rush

Or you could just keep posting to Greekchat about your rec finding frustrations and hope that the sorority women here will write recs for you. Because no one has ever tried that subtle and creative approach before.

Wow. Really? Just because others try this, doesn't mean I am. I HAVE NOT asked and am NOT subtly hinting at this. I have been 'lurking' on this website for long enough to know that is a serious no-no.