Northern Woman Getting Bids at an SEC School

[Drolefille]

Is that really the same kind of rec though? If it's not written by someone who actually knows (or met) the PNM, I don't consider it the same thing as a rec obtained by the sorority (due to their own requirements.)

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Is that really the same kind of rec though? If it's not written by someone who actually knows (or met) the PNM, I don't consider it the same thing as a rec obtained by the sorority (due to their own requirements.)

Collegiate chapter contacts hometown alum...alum knows girl...or finds a fellow alum or friend who knows girl...alum writes rec and sends back. Whether requested or volunteered, it's the same thing.

[greekalum]

I think that DG may have a particularly strong network for that- I was surprised to learn when I showed up at recruitment that they had a reference for me at DG- I hadn't asked anyone for one since I didn't know any DGs (so I thought). But they'd found a high school teacher who knew me well- and this was several states away from my hometown.

[kathykd2005]

Some chapters don't require recs from all of the ladies that go through recruitment--I know that my chapter did not get recs from a lot of girls, and we still accepted many of them. I think it depends on the Panhellenic Association and school environment.

[FSUZeta]

accepting recommendations has absolutely nothing to do with your panhellenic. it is based on your national policy and that particular chapter.

[Sailboat Sis]

USC = University of South Carolina, so yes, correct thread. Maybe she got an rec from an alum, but said alum would not have met her.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally Posted by alum

The top LACs and national universities don't supply merit-based scholarships because they don't need to attract candidates. They are already getting 10 applications for every spot. Duke is a notable exception with the generous Robertson Scholarship.

What these top schools do however, is to make sure much of the financial aid package for need-based candidates is in the form of a grant. So if a kid has an EFC of $30,000 and he's going to HYP that has a COA of $48K, the majority if not all of his financial aid package will be grant. A school with a smaller endowment may be able only able to provide 5K in grant and give out guaranteed loans and w/s to cover the rest. Some schools don't promise to entirely cover need and there may be a gap between their FA package of grant/GSL/ws and the net amount of COA minus the EFC.

The problem arises when a family's Estimated Family Contribution as calculated by FAFSA and the CSS Profile may be different than what the family thinks it can afford or is willing to pay: especially if there is future education planned immediately after the BS/BA degree.

Every year my friends and I laugh together (and probably cry in secret) about the official EFC number. My friend with 5 kids who is a SAHM and her H works for the gov't has an EFC of $40K. A military officer down the street whose W is a substitute teacher has an EFC of $50K. These are ordinary, middle-class people. We were stunned in disbelief at our FAFSA figure.

If you want merit-aid, you have to look at schools where 1. your class rank, GPA and SAT/ACT scores are MUCH higher than the 75% ranking, 2. they actually have merit-aid listed on their FA or admissions webpage.

And yes, when you have an outside scholarship from a local source, it is subtracted from your FA package. Again, unfair in my eyes, but that's the way it is.

----

Every family has to decide what's important to them. Quite frankly, going to the big flagship school in many states is a better way to have professional connections than going to an Ivy.

My EFC was ridiculous in college - when I went to a state school the first two years, our EFC was more than 10x the tuition and my parents really don't make that much money. Luckily when I transferred to a Jesuit school I got a ton of grant money thrown at me - it only cost $2,000 more to attend that school once I got all my grants and scholarships.

I only like the EFC now that I am in grad school and independent - it went from being over $40,000 to being $63 last year.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by GeekyPenguin

My EFC was ridiculous in college - when I went to a state school the first two years, our EFC was more than 10x the tuition and my parents really don't make that much money.

Yeah, having to deal with parental income stuff is terrible. Grad school was really nice in that I got a few merit scholarships and assistantships to lessen the blow.

[AOII*Azra-elle]

Originally Posted by BamaDad

This is something I may know a little about. My daughter rushed Alabama as an incoming freshman non-legacy from Northern Virginia (even the folks in Richmond think we are a separate entity). Quite a few of our Northern neighbors living in the surrounding Washington, DC area.

We knew nothing about recruitment or recommendations. After much research, we learned about recommendations, but we did not know many local alumnae. So, we went on-line to locate local sorority alumnae associations and national sorority headquarters staff. They were incredible! Alumnae offered to have coffee or lunch with my daughter, then eventually offered her encouragement during recruitment itself. One offered to speak to my wife just to discuss the sadness associated with sending your oldest daughter away to college a zillion miles away. Their recommendation letters were outstanding! If we could not find an alum, another an alum from another different sorority would help us track one down - anything to help Kristen. In one case, a very high up staff member at a sorority national headquarters office offered to write my daughter a rec because she realy was interested in her sorority. Best of all, the tips these alumnae gave were outstanding to the unitiated! Clothes, conversation, manners, protocol, you name it.

Her recruitment at the very competitive University of Alabama (I heard they set an SEC record this year) was an awesome experience and she is now with Delta Zeta, which I understand is a well-respected Bama sorority. If we can help, just let us know.

Fir the third time, at least, I wish to express my admiration and appreciation to all the fantastic alumnae out there in sorority world who made the difference in my daughter's successful recruitment. I am not certain she would have won a bid without the assistance of these total package alumnae. Am I grateful? Yeah!

Your daughter chose well! I know some Delta Zeta's from my previous school. The women were always doing something for the community, or trying to bring the greek system together. They were always up to befriend new people. Wonderful group of women, wonderful organization.

[BamaDad DZ]

Thank you for the compliment to DZ. It is well-deserved.

My daugher called the gracious alum who wrote her DZ recommendation to announce her Delta Zeta bid. And what did the alum do? She kindly sent my daughter a dozen lovely pink roses that made Kristen the envy of the DZ house! For the record, the alum of whom I speak is a regular on GreekChat, so imadeltaz, thank you very much from a proud DZ Dad!

Are the ladies of Delta Zeta as wonderful as you say? You bet...

[Hegemon]

Hehe, I wish my Daddy (yes, no matter how old I get, he will always be my DADDY) was so supportive when I pledged DZ! Both of my parents are the best but didn't understand why I went Greek. I think it was because of atmosphere that surrounded them during their college days, but they assumed only negative things about the Greek system. Eventually, of course, they changed their mind, but I think it's awesome that you're so supportive of your daughter, and my sister

[Jill1228]

BamaDadDZ, can you adopt me?

In all seriousness, your daughter is one lucky young lady to have a dad like you!

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by kdonline

Yes, this is so true. At the high school I taught @ in Miami, probably 90% of the students in the IB program went to UF, rather than going out of state, because of the free tuition from the Bright Futures scholarships, etc...

I was shocked when one of my students turned down Harvard to go to UF for free. Personally, I'd WANT my kid to choose Harvard over UF - and I'm a die-hard Gator - I will gladly take out loans (if I have to) to pay for an Ivy League education.

This is true...when I was writing the UF Recs, all of the young women who would have gone out of state stayed in because of Bright Futures. They were also telling me that about half of the kids from the local HS (an IB school) didn't get in! I'm sure I've said it before, but 8 years ago, UF was my SAFETY, and it was for most of the kids in my IB class. I almost didn't apply because I was 99% sure I wasn't going to go.

My sister, a UF alum, insisted that I NOT go to UF and to go to my much more expensive school! I'm glad I listened to her (for once!).

UCF is becoming more popular among kids who don't get into UF.

[alum]

Do the Hope (GA) and Bright Futures (FL) scholarship actually keep bright students in their states after graduation?

[PenguinTrax]

Originally Posted by alum

Do the Hope (GA) and Bright Futures (FL) scholarship actually keep bright students in their states after graduation?

They do in FL plus the FL Prepaid College Fund helps, too.