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Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Jaw-dropping sum mothers pay to sorority rush guru... who guarantees their daughters a place with these tricks
Sorority recruitment is a minefield for wide-eyed college freshman desperate to get into the perfect house – and with social media, it is only more daunting. But some moms are willing to shell out thousands of dollars to guarantee their daughters acceptance into a sorority house – and to make sure they don't say the wrong thing during rush.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Just in time for Bama Rush Week, see photos of Alabama Bid Day from past years
Ever wonder what Bid Day at the University of Alabama was like before it went viral on TikTok? Check out these photos of Bid Day before it became famous worldwide. When is Alabama Bid Day? The University of Alabama's annual sorority recruitment event, held Aug. 17 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, is when thousands of students find out which sorority has accepted their membership bid. Bid Day is the culmination of Bama Rush Week, which begins Aug. 9 at UA. Rush week gives fraternities and sororities the opportunity to host events, where new students can get their first chance to meet members. Bid Day photos from past years This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama Bid Day: See photos from past years from sorority recruitment Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Very Southern': Documentary looked behind the scenes of University of Alabama sororities
With Bid Day coming up Sunday on the University of Alabama campus, here's a look back at a story originally published on May 23, 2023, about the "Bama Rush" documentary. Those expecting a crimson expose from "Bama Rush" will be disappointed. As anyone could have predicted, the University of Alabama and well-connected Greek lifers slammed doors, windows and other avenues, making access tough for director Rachel Fleit and her crew. Rumors spread on social media that "20 women" were strapped with mikes ― wearing a wire, in TV-cop parlance -- to infiltrate sorority houses. That spread alarm, up to and including a letter from UA President Stuart R. Bell, sent to Fleit and others. Warnings burbled out that those wishing to take part would suffer consequences. And of course ubiquitous threats from and about The Machine coughed up. More: Just in time for Bama Rush Week, see photos of Alabama Bid Day from past years Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Archibald, class of '86, got his start at the Crimson White covering secretive Theta Nu Epsilon, the Greek affiliates controlling all facets of campus life, and some in Tuscaloosa. Mentions of The Machine "It strikes me as being very Southern, because we have a long history of silence," he says in the film, including not talking to media. He paraphrased from a leaked 2016 document said to originate with The Machine: "Little is known, and what is known is kept secret." Speaking to Fleit about why Greeks clamped down, "I could reach too deep and say that you probably represent the carpetbaggers coming down to teach us what's right and wrong…." Those expecting a laudatory Roll Tide will also be left bereft, though had not paranoia struck, that may have been a different tale. Fleit was inspired by viral Bama Rush TikTok videos from 2021. Near the end, the director appears, sighing, ironically sporting a "f*ck your documentary" T-shirt made by those trying to stifle the work. "…. They believe that I'm trying to ruin their tradition.... But I came into this like literally 'Roll Tide!' " Eating disorders and trauma bonds Fleit's not the only one who undergoes heart-and-mind changes in "Bama Rush," which takes journeys with high school seniors and UA students planning to go through rush 2022. Starting from respective homes, we meet high-schoolers Shelby, an effervescent, energetic woman from Quincy, Illinois, who seems to live and breathe crimson; and Isabelle, an intense, questioning person from Rancho Cucamonga, California, who's sincerely seeking a sense of identity, a place to belong. At home, Shelby sports a wall of awards her family calls "Taj Mahal." She creates a rush binder, as she did for pageants, stuffed with motivation quotes and ideas. "I can tell a million people that I'm going to the University of Alabama, and they'll be like 'You're totally meant to go there,'" she says. When rumors fly, Shelby drops out of the filming. Isabelle wants to work on herself, open herself to new experiences. She powers through tears, sharing how locker-room talk from other girls led to her eating disorder, and later, how she was sexually abused two weeks before leaving for Tuscaloosa. Bid Day On the day before Bid Day — fourth and final of the process — Fleit and Isabelle go swimming in what looks like Lake Harris, or possibly Nicol, on a mild late summer day. "This feels more at home than I've ever felt in a long time," Isabelle said. The pain and anger and sadness don't go away, she said "but knowing there's a hope and a plan, and all of the power is within you… God has given me so much will to live." On campus we meet students Holliday, an energetic, driven woman who wants to become president, and Makalya, her roomie and friend, a more somber, reflective person. Playing a "what kind of fruit would you be" game, Holliday picks strawberries, since everyone loves them, "And I just like wanna be loved by everybody …. I don't like when people don't like me." Makalya chooses watermelon "Because I act hard on the outside, but I'm soft on the inside." Though their friendship fractures over the course of filming, there's a touching moment in a cemetery on Halloween. Makalya shows Holliday her father's tombstone. A policeman, he died when she was just 13. Holliday lost her own father at 16. "I think that's why we also bond, too, because we're missing our dads," says Makalya, who offers many of the film's most pointed observations. Holliday laughs, while sniffling, "Trauma bond!" Speaking of unwanted correspondences, nearly all share a history of eating disorders, or loathing mirrors, disliking their looks. Holliday's shown running, doing squats and other weight work, before noting she now has cellulite and stretch marks. "But like, they're so beautiful, because it shows, like, that I'm overcoming something and growing," she says. Holliday decides not to rush, having heard rumors all the sororities have blackballed her. Makalya recalls she laughed while watching one house's song-and-dance bit. "I was like, 'Dude, can I really do that?' " she said, laughing. "I realize that being a sophomore, you don't have to be in a sorority to enjoy your life. I felt like I was being, like, forced to like them, too. It was annoying." She briefly speaks about telling her rush consultant — yes, there are rush consultants, three of them interviewed for the film — but adds "I don't really care about disappointing anyone." Speaking against stereotyping Fleit and "Bama Rush" found open-minded actives — current Greeks — who'd talk, including Rian, a Sigma Kappa. "You know, something that's ingrained in us early is is that, yeah, you're a person, but you're a Sigma Kappa first. You're a woman, but you're a Sigma Kappa first," she says. "That's a lot of what being in a sorority is. It's branding. That's you know, every single Greek organization." Rian later adds her sorority life has led to the best people she's ever met. A trio of sisters from Zeta Tau Alpha, Kaiya, Lauren and Katie, speak against stereotyping. " 'Oh why are you trying so hard? Like, you should just get a husband.' I'm not only a sorority girl. I'm a woman in a sorority. And it's not the same thing," Katie says. Kaiya adds it's outside haters who are mean, and that they're mostly doing ordinary student things. "What do we do, we eat our chicken sandwiches together?" she says, cracking up her friends. "We put a lot, a lot of pressure on ourselves." Katie shows on her phone how easily videos can be edited to make body parts thinner, teeth whiter. But Bama girls who have become social-media influencers should feel a responsibility to represent honestly, she says. "…. these women with millions of followers, they post that and act like it's real," Katie says. "Fourteen-year-girls are gonna look at that and say 'Why don't I look like that?' " Kaiya says. "The things that I say to myself and think to myself about my body, I would never say that to someone else." Searching for acceptance Fleit, who lives with alopecia areata, has been bald since childhood. She steps into frame often, once she finds a through-line. "OK, I think I know where I'm going with this," she says. "Between Katie, this smart, beautiful girl telling me that she wishes she looked like her friends, or she compares herself to other women, and the endless scrolling of these OOTDs (outfit of the day), it hit me. ... "... I feel like I rushed because I have alopecia, and I wore a wig for 14 years." Mullets, bowl cuts, blunt cuts, body weaves, perms, layered looks, she wore something new every year. "I was trying to get into the sorority of all of the girls in the world who have hair, and it felt like an impossible sorority to get into," she says. It took years for Fleit to feel being true mattered more than being accepted. Taking off the wig felt easy, and at the same time like removing a 1,000-pound helmet, she says. For years she's gone natural. But after rumors on social media rise to the feeling of threats, producers insist on hiring security for the crew. And Fleit, to finish her film, pulls on a blonde wig. TikToks and Outfits of the Day The film's trailer hinted at much of "Bama Rush"'s flair: arrays of cameras displaying TikToks; crimson-and-white glamour at a Bryant-Denny night game; lovely imagery on and off campus; a slew of slow-motion running women; talk of power, status and prestige, about how boys rank sororities according to hotness; about top-tier sororities vs. bottoms; and how The Machine believes it controls everything, which this film's completion, and streaming on premium service Max, calls into question. If you'd never been around UA, or Greek life, there might be some surprises. If you have, it could spark nostalgia, or at least recognition. The heart of "Bama Rush" centers on attempts to reconcile conflicting drives and impulses, between acceptance and individuality, ideals and expression, tradition and diversity. Elizabeth Boyd, author of book "Southern Beauty: Race, Ritual and Memory in the Modern South," says "Rush is a social stratification ritual bar none. … It's a proving ground of competitive femininity, and the contemporary performance of the Southern belle." Moments later, watching TikToks from PNMs (prospective new members) she comments wryly: "Not with those shoes .... You've gotta have cute shoes." This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Viral UA sorority scene was subject of 'Bama Rush' documentary Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
With Rush Week back in the spotlight, here is the real price tag of joining a sorority
The price of joining a college sorority is climbing nationwide, with some recruits paying tens of thousands of dollars for coaching, outfits, registration fees and housing to vie for spots in the country's most coveted chapters. As Rush Week kicked off this month, the recruitment process is drawing renewed attention, fueled by the viral "RushTok" trend on TikTok and pop culture portrayals of Greek life, including the HBO documentary "Bama Rush" and Lifetime's "A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush!" "Costs and expectations have increased with the viral exposure coming from TikTok, TV shows, and documentaries," said Michael Ayalon, CEO and founder of Greek University, a Tennessee-based speaking and consulting business for fraternities and sororities. "On the one hand, it has made recruitment more transparent and even accessible," Ayalon told Fox News Digital. "Potential new members at any school can learn tips and demystify the process by watching others' experiences. On the other hand, what people see online is a 'highlight reel' that emphasizes aesthetics over substance," he added. The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) is the governing body for 26 national women's sororities, including most of the big-name Greek chapters at U.S. colleges, like Alpha Chi Omega and Delta Gamma. To rush a NPC sorority, hopefuls pay non-refundable registration fees, according to university and National Panhellenic Conference websites. At the University of Alabama, it costs $375; at the University of Arkansas, $330; and at the University of South Carolina, $185. If accepted, students must then pay new member dues, according to university websites. At Alabama, active-member dues can be more than $5,000 per semester. Louisiana State University lists new member dues averaging $2,200 — and up to $3,270 for some chapters, according to the school's website. Clemson University has new member costs of about $820. Lehigh University in Pennsylvania has new member fees of more than $1,600. UCLA has new member dues as high as $1,700. The average new-member cost at the University of Oklahoma is $4,605, up nearly 25% from 2021, The Oklahoman recently reported. The numbers continue to rise with the addition of housing and yearly dues. At University of Oklahoma, the average cost of living in the sorority house is over $12,200. At Alabama, it can cost upwards of $15,000 to dorm in the sorority house. Recruitment preparation has become its own industry with coaches, stylists, and social media strategists charging up to $5,500, The Cut recently reported. TikTok "outfit of the day" videos reveal wardrobes that can top $10,000, with girls sporting luxury brands like LoveShackFancy, where a frilly, pastel-colored dress can cost nearly $500, and Golden Goose, where sneakers can cost more than $600. Extra costs can run up the bill another $1,000. If girls arrive on campus early, they might have to pay early move-in fees clocking of $180 per week. They are also recommended to bring emergency kits filled with items like personal fans, blotting powder, compact mirrors, deodorant and electrolyte powder, which can tack on $100. "Sorority rush is downright cruel," said Daniel Karon, an Ohio-based attorney who serves as a chapter advisor for a fraternity, was a member himself, and whose son and daughter both graduated from Greek organizations. "It can involve dances, skits, dressing a certain way, interviews, resumes, recommendation letters, touring each sorority house, and suffering through a mutual selection [ranking] process," he told Fox News Digital. "It's a punishing, unnecessary, and twisted process that does nothing to foster the mental health that's so essential to freshmen women," Karon said, adding that national organizations should tamp down on the outlandish requirements. Ayalon warned that unchecked costs can make sororities more socioeconomically exclusive, fostering status-driven cultures linked to hazing and unhealthy environments. Despite the demands, many say Greek life is worth the investment, paving the way for leadership opportunities, alumni networking, community service, and lifelong friendships. "Affiliated women tend to have higher retention and graduation rates," Ayalon added. For those deterred by price, there are more affordable paths. Some organizations offer scholarships, grants, payment plans, and lower-cost options like Continuous Open Bidding, which skips rush-week wardrobes and early move-in fees, Ayalon said. Others limit decorations and event spending through "No-Frills Recruitment" or offer shared wardrobes and clothing swaps.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Can a $6,000 coach get you into your dream sorority?
At the start of her sophomore year at Florida State University, Kasey Hines felt increasingly dejected. During 'rush,' a one-to-two-week gantlet of events and conversations for potential new sorority sisters, she fell into depression. Hines had always imagined Greek life as part of the quintessential college experience, but each morning brought another list of houses that had dropped her as she was coping with her mom's faltering health. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. 'It felt like a group of girls looking you dead in the eye and saying, 'Ew, not you,'' Hines told The Washington Post. 'I remember I was so excited when I went into my first recruitment I never anticipated that I would feel anything less than amazing. But it was a very emotionally draining process. It is a lot harder than you could even think.' A year later, she decided to try again - this time, in secret. Using money she'd saved from working at Dillard's, a department store in her hometown, and hostessing at beachfront restaurants, Hines hired a rush consultant for just under $1,000. During the summer she told people she was taking a virtual class but really she was meeting with a coach who walked her through the unspoken rules - why 'casual' on the official dress code doesn't really mean casual, the talking points she should make (such as hobbies, not grades) and how to navigate her past rush mistakes (like dwelling too much on the sororities that dropped her). Her coach became her emotional anchor. In fall 2020, she got her bid (a formal invite to join a sorority) to Delta Zeta. And when the moment came, the first person she told wasn't her parents or her friends - it was her rush consultant. 'She knew more about my feelings than anyone else did,' Hines said. Greek life used to be a mostly closed-door tradition, until 'RushTok' blew it wide open. In the years after the pandemic, TikTok feeds became filled with synchronized dances, matching Bid-Day outfits and young women eager to make the perfect first impression in the quest to find 'sisterhood' during the rush recruitment process each August. The phenomenon has sparked documentaries, brands shelling out sponsorships to members with high follower counts and even a new Lifetime reality series, 'A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush.' At big Southern schools such as the University of Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Clemson, the University of Georgia and many Texas campuses, recruitment is treated like an Olympic sport, with 2,000 to 3,000 young women vying for a few spots at each house. The most competitive hopefuls don't just show up in August; they prep a full year in advance, usually at the start of their senior year of high school. Instagram grids get curated; some students get up to 30 letters of recommendations; hours are spent scripting and rehearsing for video applications. And families are paying for round-the-clock access to rush coaches who know the inside politics of every house and, in some cases, get word of a bid before the student herself. Although this industry isn't exactly new, it has been supercharged by escalating competition, with hopefuls shelling out thousands of dollars to get an edge. Coaches are now a more visible part of the rush machine by working to guide and reassure young women through one of the most high-stakes weeks of their college lives. Here's what they told The Post about how sorority recruitment has changed and what their jobs are really like. - - - Northern girls are heading South for college and sorority life Rush coaches say they're seeing a surge of clients from the Northeast, especially New York, Maine and Connecticut, choosing to attend Southern schools specifically to be involved in Greek life. Lorie Stefanelli, a New York City-based coach who runs Greek Chic, recently hosted a panel for about 30 girls and their moms. 'Every single one of them were going to school in the South,' she said. The draw? 'They want the big SEC [Southeastern Conference], college football, Southern experience. TikTok plays it up and makes it look so fun. The girls are pretty, they're put together, and I think kids lean into that.' Her coaching packages range from $1,500 to $3,000. Leighton Newberry, founder of Recruitment Ready, says her client base is still strongest in Texas, Nashville, Charlotte and California but she opened a New York branch last year to meet demand. 'Families up North want to learn Southern etiquette and the style around it,' she said. Her services range from free online resources to private coaching packages costing up to $4,000. This year she worked with 300 clients. Consultants also note that Southern schools are luring Northern students with high scholarship offers and a warmer climate. - - - Rush prep starts long before move-in day For many hopefuls, the work begins years before they set foot on campus. Stacia Damron, founder of Hiking in Heels, and her team won't take more than 500 clients a year, and Damron says families try to sign up far in advance. 'We have people try to sign up as early as sixth grade,' she said. 'You do not need to sign up as early as sixth grade.' Damron works mostly with high school seniors, plus some college freshmen and sophomores. 'You can't just show up, look cute, and have good conversations. That's not how recruitment works. … They hear people say, 'Oh, just be yourself, trust the process, get your cute outfits ready.' That won't get you a bid. The most successful people start preparing six months to a year in advance.' Her offerings range from a $3,975-to-$6,000 one-on-one coaching program to a $349 online course titled '60 Days to Sisterhood,' which includes hours of coaching and 50 templates for everything from thank-you notes to conversation starters. She also advises parents and family members about how to handle contact with a sorority member or affiliate 'fishing' for information about a candidate. Newberry begins working with high school juniors but also offers a mentoring and etiquette program for girls as early as their freshman year. 'Moms want their daughters to feel polished and confident,' she said. - - - Instagram is part of the rush résumé Rush coaches say their clients are more aware than ever that what they post can affect their chances, and they've noticed many are posting less to protect their image. But coaches warn that going quiet is a mistake and to get noticed, you have to post often and with purpose. Damron shows clients exactly whom to follow. 'I walk them through who's building the bid list and making the decisions in the back room during recruitment,' she said. 'A cute Instagram profile is not going to help you if the right people aren't looking at it. There's so much you can do algorithmically and strategically to get in front of the right people.' Following these decision-makers also helps clients research engaging talking points during rush. She tells clients to share moments that show dedication, personality and a sense of sisterhood such as photos from charity work, winning a sports championship or planning a friend's birthday party. As for no-nos? Alcohol, 'revealing' swimsuit photos and too many individual shots. Stefanelli encourages her clients to post consistently throughout their senior year of high school and into the summer. 'The girls in the sororities want to see if a potential new member is a cool, fun girl to hang out with,' she said. 'They want to see her interacting with friends, doing homecoming, prom pictures, graduation, Mother's Day brunch, whatever.' But in the weeks before recruitment, Stefanelli is strict about what not to post. She bans her clients from posting any RushTok-style content. 'The last thing the girls in the sororities want are clout chasers,' she said. - - - Rush week is a mental marathon Coaches are typically on-call for their clients at all hours during rush. They have to know each school's ever-changing rules (for instance, Southern Methodist University is allowing the women to carry rush essentials such as notebooks and deodorant only in Ziploc bags this year) and prep girls for each round. Leslie Cunningham, owner of Sorority Prep, says for some girls, not getting the exact outcome they pictured can feel crushing. 'I think we deal with a lot of girls who unfortunately have baggage they're bringing into their college experience, and I wanted a way for them to process that in a healthy way,' she said. This year, she partnered with three mental health counselors to run 'intensive workshops' for clients and their moms, covering tools and strategies to handle rejection. 'This is really a life skill,' she said. Stefanelli, the New York-based consultant, travels to Tuscaloosa every year for the University of Alabama's recruitment. This year she's working with 10 girls there, meeting her all-inclusive clients at an off-campus cafe to debrief after each round. 'I always like to focus on the positive things of each house,' she said. 'It's so much more than cute outfits, chants and the pretty house. I want them to really see the sorority for who it is beyond the aesthetics.' That's important, as Hines, the woman who rushed in 2020 with the help of a coach, learned. She didn't love her sisterhood experience and dropped her sorority going into her senior year. 'Part of that did have to do with the fact that it was covid,' Hines said. 'You don't get to meet the girls in person as often. Everything was scheduled and then you kind of just have to show up to an event alone and try to make a friend there, which can be really intimidating. Now I don't mind it as much. Back then, it was horrifying.' She said she has no regrets about rushing and hiring a coach was worth it for her, but she admits it's not for everyone. 'I probably needed a therapist but a rush consultant was cheaper,' Hines said. --- Video Embed Code Video: Sorority rush season has become so competitive that some young women spend thousands on coaches to perfect applications, curate social media and style outfits. According to the consultants The Post spoke to, the amount of prepping takes several months.(c) 2025 , The Washington Post Embed code: Related Content Ukraine scrambles to roll back Russian eastern advance as summit takes place Her dogs kept dying, and she got cancer. Then they tested her water. D.C.'s homeless begin to see the effects of Trump's crackdown Solve the daily Crossword
