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Alt Although it is not the
responsibility of the potential new member to submit recommendations
(often called “rec’s” or “references”) and letters (a letter of
support) to local reference chairs, it is in the potential new
member’s interest to find various sorority alumni who are willing to
write and submit recommendation and letters. Providing helpful
information/materials to each of these alumna is important.
The requirements for each sorority
is different, but potential new members should be prepared to
provide alumnae writing a Recommendation with:
·
1-3 color photographs (4 x 6 at least one close
up and one full-length). Please put your name, high school, college
and cell phone number on the back. Use labels to prevent bleeding
on photos. As inexpensively as possible, secure good
reproductions—on photograph quality paper only. These do not
have to be professional shots.
·
1-2 resumes. List name, address, phone numbers
(especially cell numbers), GPA, SAT score, family information, Greek
affiliations, scholarship awards, high school awards/leadership
positions, employment, community activities and college orientation
dates. One page only. If possible.
·
1 high school transcript (should show SAT
score—but, does not have to be official).
·
Thank you note. Be sure to follow up with a
thank you through the U.S. mail.
Again, each sorority is different
but most often, only one (1) Recommendation (a “rec.” or a
“reference”) is necessary; and, approximately 1-5 letters are
suggested per sorority at your college. A listing of your college’s
sororities will be on your college’s panhellenic website.
The alumnae writing
Recommendations and letters may include: family friends, relatives,
neighbors, teachers, doctors, church members and mentors. A listing
of each sorority’s local reference chair is also provided for
further assistance. It is never too early to provide this
information. Some groups have early summer deadlines for fall and
even spring recruitment.
Reminder: Each potential New Member must register with her
collegiate phanhellenic in order to go through recruitment. You may
also have to send additional photos, resumes, and transcripts to
your college’s panhellenic association.
Some,
but not all, NPC groups require references or letters of
recommendation. It is up to the sorority members to find a
recommendation for you. However, obtaining your own
recommendations gives you the following advantages:
-
A
friend or acquaintance is more familiar with you and the
recommendation will be more personal;
-
This
way you know you have obtained a recommendation for the sorority
because you are not guaranteed a reference if you leave it to
the local reference chairwomen and their committees.
The
local reference chairwomen want potential new members from
Fort Worth and surrounding towns to
pledge their sororities. Making sure you are registered with
Fort Worth Area APH ensures they are aware of your interest in
recruitment. Do not be afraid to publicize that you will be
entering formal recruitment. It is a goal of all sorority
women to keep the “Greek system” strong. Alumna that you
may know casually or have lost touch with will usually be thrilled
to help. Just ask!!!
Sorority women take
their grades very seriously. Scholarship
is always a focus in chapter goal setting, and the women are always
striving to have the highest GPA on campus.
A certain GPA is required to remain a member in good standing
and to maintain chapter and campus leadership positions.
This
is the most important question to most participants of recruitment!!
Each college will provide you with guidelines specific to each day
of parties. Ask your recruitment counselor or college
Panhellenic representative for clarification. Many campuses
will stage a “fashion show” to provide further understanding.
Some will have the information posted on a recruitment website.
You should receive this information from the college Panhellenic as
soon as you register with them. This is another advantage of
early registration.
HINT:
Recruitment is not a perfect system, and the women will have very
little time to get to know you. Therefore, it is suggested
that you dress as you would for a school, religious, or family
party, not as you would if you were going out with your friends.
The recruitment process can be compared to an interview, except the
interview is being conducted two ways. Any distracting
clothing and jewelry could move the focus from you to these items.
This is a
parent’s favorite question. Dues
vary by university and sorority.
Typically, the first semester includes new member and
initiation fees along with regular dues and is therefore the most
expensive semester. Your
college Panhellenic should have more specific information.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
It is well within your rights to determine what your
financial obligations will be.
Sorority
members are not being rude or unfriendly; they are protecting the
ideal of a fair formal recruitment. Every College Panhellenic
has “silence” rules that restrict members from speaking with
potential new members outside the recruitment parties. Women
that you have known for years, even alumna, are under strict
guidelines, particularly during the week of formal recruitment.
A
legacy is usually defined as the sister, daughter, grand-daughter,
or great-granddaughter of an initiated member of a sorority.
Being a legacy does not guarantee placement in the particular
legacied sorority.
Not
being affiliated with an NPC sorority will not impact your
recruitment.
There
are many advantages to pledge as soon as your first semester:
-
Sororities
tend to favor freshman because they can maintain their
membership for four or more years. Freshmen have an
advantage over upperclassmen on most campuses. There are
some campuses that have a strict quota placed on the number of
sophomores and juniors they can accept as new members.
-
The
sorority house gives you a home away from home. Your
sorority sister can be a surrogate family or support network.
You will have the privilege of this support network as you
adjust to experiencing college life for the first time.
-
Sororities
provide a strong academic program for their new members.
An officer responsible for your academic well-being typically
oversees study hours. You will most likely gain instant
access to upperclassmen in your major. In addition, if you
are struggling with a course, you are likely to find sorority
members who can help.
Absolutely.
Although freshman will have a slight advantage, upperclassmen have a
proven college scholastic record and organization participation.
This is important to chapters ensuring their scholastic standing.
No.
Unfortunately, Greek members are portrayed very negatively in the
media and in Hollywood today. The image of an exclusive party
culture is exploited. Philanthropic, academic, and personal
development activities are often overlooked. Greek members are
more likely to have better GPA’s and act in leadership roles in
their communities and college campuses. Greek life departments
continue to support programs that educate young men and women on the
dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as, date rape and other
important issues.
All
NPC groups and universities have adopted a “no tolerance”
approach to hazing violations. Abuse of any sorority member is
immediately confronted, and the party involved is often stripped of
their membership. Groups that frequently break the no-hazing
policy are forced to remove their chapter from campus. NPC
sororities adopted this strict policy many years before the
heightened attention to it, and they have lead the rest of the Greek
community in this direction.
E-mail any questions to Fort Worth Panhellenic at
fwpan@lycos.com
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