It’s time for another installment of Rush 101! This blog post is specifically for those of you who are still in the process of gathering Letters of Recommendation/Letters of Support for sorority recruitment. While we know that a lot of you registered with your local alumnae Panhellenic organization in order to obtain Rec Letters, we're also guessing that several of you are managing the process + sending out your Recruitment Information Packets entirely on your own this summer. With that in mind, we thought we'd share a few tips for rounding up recommendations!
First things first…let’s break down the difference between a few commonly-confused terms: Letter of Support (LOS), Letter of Recommendation (Rec Letter), and Recruitment Information Form (RIF).
*LETTER OF SUPPORT: A personal letter written by an alumna endorsing you for membership in their sorority house. These letters are also sometimes called a…
LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION: This one is especially tricky, though, since Letters of Recommendation or "Rec Letters" are also sometimes used in reference to a Recruitment Information Form. Simply put, the terminology just varies state to state! The main thing to keep in mind is that a standard reference or sponsorship is comprised of a…
RECRUITMENT INFORMATION FORM: This is a “fill-in-the-blank” type of standardized document that can be found on each sorority’s website, and can be accessed by an alumna. Each woman that you approach with a request for a recommendation will log on to her sorority’s website, and download her sorority’s unique endorsement form in order to meet your request. A LOS is typically a complement to, rather than a replacement of, a standard RIF.
*Alabama and OSU girls, it's worth noting that personal Letters of Support are NOT encouraged or recognized at your schools. Stick to RIFs only! Click here for more details.
Now let’s talk about where to find the lovely women who will be submitting these items on your behalf! We recommend beginning with your innermost circle, then moving outward. That means you should start by approaching…
FAMILY: Identify if you are considered a “legacy” of any of the sororities on your campus. Keep in mind that mom’s affiliation isn’t the only one that matters—many houses will consider you a legacy if your sister, grandmother, or (occasionally) even an aunt was a member. Request a LOS/Rec Letter and a RIF from as many sorority members as you can identify! Next, speak with…
FRIENDS: Do you know a recently-graduated member of a sorority that's represented on your campus? Ask her if she would be willing to submit a LOS/RIF on your behalf! If you're still lacking a few letters, move on to...
FRIENDS OF FRIENDS: Sororities constantly attend "mixers" not only with fraternities, but with other sororities as well. If you're having trouble rounding up a letter from a particular house or two on your campus, reach out to friends and family members and ask if they know anyone was a member of the house(es) in question. Moms, putting out a call on your Facebook is a great way to accomplish this quickly! Although these friends-of-friends may not know you personally, your Recruitment Information Packet will provide your letter-writer(s) with everything they need to submit an informed LOS/RIF on your behalf.
WANT MORE?
Download our FREE 14-page workbook, Rec Letters 101, by clicking the button below! Inside the workbook you'll find:
- A breakdown of terms like Letter of Support, Letter of Recommendation, Recruitment Information Form, and Rec Letter
- Information about who can provide you with a letter of recommendation for sorority recruitment + how to approach an alum with a request for a rec
- A checklist of every item that should be included in your Recruitment Information Packets
- Workbook pages to help you keep track of where you're at in the rec letter gathering process for the NPC sororities represented on your college campus!
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