Legacies and Recommendation Letters

Legacies

What is a legacy?

A legacy is a close relative of a member of a particular sorority (usually mothers, grandmothers, and sisters).  Each sorority has a different policy on recruiting legacies.  Talk to the woman that you are a legacy through about steps you need to take to make the chapter aware that you are a legacy (for some sororities, there is a form that has to be completed and sent to the local chapter).  When you register for Formal Recruitment, there will be a place to indicate if you are a legacy; be sure to indicate the individual’s name, including maiden name, and the university they attended.

I am a legacy – am I guaranteed a bid?

Legacies are not guaranteed a bid, nor is the sorority obligated to bid a woman simply because she is a legacy. Additionally, legacies are not obligated to join their mother’s, sister’s, or grandmother’s sorority. However, it is your personality, character, resume, and academic achievements that are the main determining factors.  It is important for you to find a sorority that shares the same values as you and is where you feel comfortable.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation/recommendation forms are letters of reference written by a sorority alumna to her sorority at the University of Central Arkansas.   A letter of recommendation/recommend form is helpful, but not required to participate in UCA sorority recruitment.  In fact, the majority of women who join do not have a recommendation letter. If you would like to a recommendation, you can begin this process by informing friends, teachers, and relatives that you are participating in formal recruitment at UCA.  The alumna can either write a personal letter of reference or obtain a recommendation form from their national headquarters – this depends on the sorority.  Letters of recommendation/recommendation forms should be sent directly from the alumna to the chapter at their address listed below.  Letters should be postmarked by August 1, 2023 to ensure the chapter receives the letter before formal recruitment begins.

How do I know if a chapter received my recommendation?

You will not.  You have to trust the alumna who you have contacted to complete the recommendation on her own.  If you send her a thank you note, it helps to remind her.

How does an alumna find a recommendation form for her sorority?

A recommendation form and procedures should be available to the alumnae through her national organization’s website and/or magazine.