<p>I couldn’t help but wonder if Ms. King felt that this sort of prep work was necessary because they live in the middle of SEC country where sorority recruitment is exceptionally competitive. My niece went through SEC recruitment so I do have some idea of what goes on. I know several young women who have successfully gone through recruitment at UVa. None have had extensive LOR’s or done any special prep work other then planning outfits according to information Panhellenic had given them. These girls were all looking for different things when they went through recruitment, but kept an open mind. The only one I know that didn’t pledge dropped out because she didn’t receive a bid where she was a legacy. While disappointing it was her choice not to give another sorority a chance.</p>
<p>My point being, I really don’t think you can lump recruitment at UVa in with the ultra competitive schools such as the SEC. It just doesn’t fit what I have learned in talking with girls who have participated recently.</p>
<p>I’m a charter member of a chapter. I really don’t care if either of my girls join a sorority. I only did it because because it was a great group and we had a chance to completely buck the sorority system. We took girls based on their characters, not what they looked like or what country club daddy belonged to. I’m proud to say that our tradition of extending bids to the pretty inside as well as outside remains intact in that chapter. And yes, I went to school in the very deep south.</p>
<p>Alumni from several sororities put on a FREE program for the girls in our school district (if they choose to attend). They go over etiquette, clothes, letters of rec process, etc. The information is great for girls hoping to go through rush at many of the larger Southern schools. If your mother was not in a southern sorority, you may be at a disadvantage without some sort of prep. But I would not pay $8000 (or anything) for the advice. But, of course, in my day no one took SAT prep, or had college app consultants, or professional coaching for theatre auditions. It’s a new day!</p>
<p>Those women are also shopping a potential reality show like Toddlers and Tiaras. Of course, I can see that backfiring as no sorority is going to let cameras into the recruitment parties, and that is exactly the wrong kind of attention for a PNM. All it would take is for all those girls to be cut from every chapter that is worried about confidentiality to shut down that show.</p>
<p>jym626 I didn’t see your post before I posted mine, but either way, it was on one or the other today. Interesting that the psychologist they interviewed seemed to think that hiring the consultant was a horrible idea and terrible for the girls self esteem.</p>
They are discussing it on the Today show this morning [‘Get</a> through sorority recruitment and you can get through life’: The image consultants charging $8,000 for pre-college coaching… And the young girls desperate to take part | Mail Online](<a href=“