so how do recs work specifically?

honestly recs aren't required but they may or may not be helpful. if a house REALLY likes you, its not going to matter if you have a rec for them or not. and i know plenty of girls who have gone in with literally no recs and some have gotten "lower" houses, some have gotten the best houses. it just depends on you, really.

My house reads all of the recs they get and release PNM's without recs. They are not that hard to get , ask your teachers, get your family to ask around. You may get a bid but your options are limited.

The thing is... If we like you and you don't have recs we have to either go find them for you to pledge you or release you. Now this will be a bit of a hassle during our busiest time of year and if another PMN has all her recs with us what do you think we are going to do?

If you care you will obtain recs.

Also, no we don't share recs with other chapters as the rec has to be from our alumnae not theirs.

You answered your own question, with 2500 girls we can't possibly know everyone. SO.... we are looking for GPA, honors, and leadership qualities from PNM's we don't know. Also it is nice to hear something about character from someone who does know you.
We do read them and no we don't share them. So if it is too much pressure or too much trouble then maybe you may want to rethink the whole rush thing.

We look at every single rec way in advance of recruitment and learn something about the girls we don't already know personally. When you walk through our doors on the first day we already know ahead of time which group you are coming in with and will have you on our radar. It takes a lot of time and work on our part to do this, and we do it every single year. We want to get the best girls with the right fit. You will have a better chance to get your best house with the right fit if you get all your recs.

You will upload a list of your activities, grades, etc. when you register for recruitment. But you can't upload your values, your personality, and your character. THAT'S what we look for in recs, and THAT'S why you should try your best to get recs from women who know you and/or your family and can attest to your character.
We want to know if you are truthful, if you're promiscuous, if you like to cause drama, if you are a trustworthy person.
We can't get that from what you upload. That's why recs are important.