Sorority Recommendations: The Do’s and Don’ts of Rec Letters

A cute sundress, new Jack Rodgers, and knowing a few girls in the houses are NOT enough to maximize your options during recruitment!

Every PNM Should Have a Strategy For Sorority Recruitment, and Securing Rec Letters is #1!

First things first.

You need a social resume in order to secure recommendations. Click here to learn how to create a social resume that will help your alumnae rec writers so they aren’t pulling out their hair trying to contact you for missing information.

A sorority recommendation letter , or a “rec”, is actually a form an alumna submits to the chapter where you are rushing. It is essentially an endorsement for sisterhood. The alumna is putting her name on the line to recommend you to her sorority! NOTE: PNMs (potential new members) never send recs on their own behalf. Recs can only be submitted by sorority alumnae who are in good standing with their national chapter.

Do I Need Recommendations for Sorority Recruitment?

One word here….YES.

Even if you are a legacy to a sorority house, you need our rec formula! Don’t think so? Check out Why Sororities Cut Legacies.

Why You Need Rec Letters for Sorority Recruitment:

National chapters often require that if a PNM is being offered a bid, at least one rec has to be on file for that girl. It is a strict policy.
Recs serve as letters of introduction for you to the houses.
Panhellenic will tell you that you just need one rec per house, because of National Chapter policies. This doesn’t mean you only need 1 rec!

A few Don’ts:

One of the biggest mistakes I see is a PNM who says “I know several girls from high school that are in Beta Beta Nu. They will see me at Party Rounds and will get me in. I don’t need recs”. These PNMs are more interested in packing for rush than getting a game plan together to maximize their options.

Girl, without recs you might not even make it to Party Rounds. Knowing a few girls in a house will not be enough to secure your bid. Trust me. Or don’t! In that case, you can check out What to Do if You Don’t Receive a Bid.

AND…don’t think that getting one recommendation from one prominent woman in your town will carry you during rush….it won’t! The wife of Mr. Joe Blow Prominent may sit on charitable boards in your town and may be a big deal in her respective social circles. BUT…..there is a really good chance the sisters on Exec (which includes the Rush Chair) will have never, every heard of her OR her husband.

On the other hand, if you have a personal recommendation from a nationally recognized individual, you have a strong card in your deck.

Example: If Ashley Judd or Lo Bosworth wrote your Kappa Kappa Gamma rec, that is a VERY strong rec. Even then though, make sure you are covered by ladies in your hometown that know you!

Rec letters are not all weighted the same….some recs are stronger than others.

A few Do’s

Secure your Recommendation Letter Formula. Know how many recs you will need, and start a rec spreadsheet.
Make sure the recs from alumnae are at the houses by mid June at the latest. This means giving your alumnae your information in mid-May which provides them with plenty of lead time to complete the rec.
Some PNMs who are rushing at schools with large, competitive recruitments will make sure their recs arrive at the houses before May 1. Why? So the Rush Chair & sisters can see the rec before they leave for summer break. If this is your goal, make sure your rec packet is in the hands of alumnae by the end of March, which gives them a month to send it to the houses by end of April.
Your social resume for recruitment should have all the necessary information for the alumna when she completes your rec. Double check this so the alumna does not have to contact you for basic information you should have know to provide her with. Click here for social resume tips.

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