Rec Letter Advice from an Alum

Hey incoming freshmen! Yes, I am an alum of what is considered a top house at the U of A. I was also president of my sorority back in the day, and in this house the rush team read ever single rec letter. I wanted to provide some feedback regarding receiving rec letters to put your best foot forward. I had no clue what I was doing when I went through rush, so hopefully this will help some of you.

1. When requesting rec letters, YOU should reach out to the alum. Not your mom, or mom's friend, family member, etc. I know this seems small, but it shows initiative on your part. Sororities are looking for women who are leaders and go getters. They don't want women who rely on their parents to do the work for them.

2. If you can delivery your rush packet (Resume, addressed envelope to designated sorority/rush team, and thank you note) yourself, do it! Again, this gives you face to face contact with the person writing you a letter. If a friend asks me to write a letter for a girl they know, I usually will assuming they have a strong academic background/involvement. However, the letter is going to be very generic if I don't get to know them in any capacity other than their resume. If you take the initiative to actually meet me and get to know me even for 10 min, it will likely go a long way in the letter I write you. I had a young lady drop off a rush packet one year at my house and we ended up talking about life and rush for over 2 hours. I went from writing her a very generic letter to a glowing review. I realize this isn't possible for every letter because you may not live in a city where you can hand deliver. A detailed email also goes a long way. Or, pick up the phone!

3. For the love of all things holy, put your resume on one page! Spacing your resume out on multiple pages does not make you look more accomplished or professional despite what the rush resume formatters in Little Rock might tell you. PS do not pay someone to make your rush packets. That is so silly and unnecessary. If you have not learned how to make a proper professional resume, check out Canva's free online resources. This isn't hard and it's a life skill you will need to keep/update throughout college and your future career.

4. Cut the fluff from your resumes. If it's not legit, don't put it on there. I don't care that you babysat in the 9th grade as work experience. Sorority rush teams see right through this stuff and it wastes their time when they could be focusing on the better parts of your resume to match you best with girls in their house that you might connect with. What things make you actually stand out from the crowd or show how you will contribute on campus? I'd rather girls include their hobbies/interests on a resume than weak involvement/work experience.

5. Don't blow off the open party video. This is your first impression to sororities, especially if you don't know anyone in that particular house. These videos can break ties and show a lack of interest on your part if you blow it off.

6. Don't get in your head if you don't have a million recs for every house. Despite what many speculate on this website, top houses keep spots open every year for girls "not on their radar" before rush. You still have a shot.