rush

Yes, it's true. You need recommendations for EVERY sorority. Please understand that, while the process is a mutual selection process, the sororities hold most of the choices.
Recommendations must come from alumnae of the sororities. They do not have to be alumnae of the Alabama chapters - an alum from a sorority chapter at any university is fine.
Prepare your resume, a photo or two, and add your transcript. Make up these packets and start asking around to see who is in what sorority. Two recs per sorority is good, but don't turn down anybody because you've already given your packet to two members of a sorority. As your mom's friends, your friends' moms, older sisters of friends, your teachers, people at your church. Ask men, because their wives/daughters/sisters/mothers/aunts/coworkers could be sorority members.
If you find a sorority member and she tells you recs aren't necessary, tell her that they ARE at SEC schools. They need to mail these to their chapters by July 1 if at all possible. You can find out more at www.thesororitylife.com and sororitygirl101.com
Good luck, and Roll Tide!

You don't just get recs for sororities that you are "considering." That is how you end up bidless. You get recs for every sorority. Like the poster above said, most of the selection is in the hands of the sororities so PNMs really don't get that many choices. When you come in considering something, that is when you get upset. I know you said that you have kept an open mind so this post isn't necessarily directed completely at you but also at other PNMs that are reading this. Most of you will know a handful of girls in sororities tops before coming to UA unless you are from Birmingham, Montgomery, or Mobile. For the rest of you, don't base your "consideration" off of any type of social media, website, or the one conversation you had with a girl for 5 minutes on preview day. That literally means nothing.