The twisted economics of ‘RushTok’: Some sorority pledge influencers can pay their tuition, but they’re fleeing online hate and backlash

AP Photo/Brynn AndersonKylan Darnell became an overnight celebrity in the TikTok niche that documents the glitzy, ritualistic recruitment cess for sororities

As a 21-year-old rising senior four years later, she’s taking more of her sorority life offline

Darnell has until now been the embodiment of RushTok, a week-long marathon that has teens at schools around the country meticulously documenting their efforts to land a cherished spot in a sorority during the colorful, girly and enigmatic recruitment cess known as rush week

Reactions to the content that once catapulted her to fame — depicting her life as a Zeta Tau Alpha member at the University of Alabama — had become so negative that it was affecting her mental health, she said. “This year it was just a whole different level of hate,” Darnell said

A centuries-old tradition Across the country, rush is typically a 10-day event where “spective new members” try out sororities through rounds of activities prescribing a strict slate of outfits and etiquette

In the lead-up, girls often submit “social resumes” and letters of recommendation from sorority alums

Participation often requires an eye-opening price tag

It’s non-refundable if they don’t get picked

If accepted, they’ll pay an average $8,400 a semester to in the sorority house, or $4,100 if they elsewhere, according to the Alabama Panhellenic Association

The pressure can be so intense that an industry of consultants now helps girls navigate the often mysterious criteria for landing a desired sorority

Throughout rush, many events are invite-only

At any point, girls can get a dreaded call informing them they’ve been dropped — that a sorority is no longer interested in letting them join

Matches are finally made on bid day as spects rank top choices and sororities make offers

Morgan Cadenhead, now 20, gained such an audience on RushTok despite being dropped that she covered most of her tuition with income from social media

Then came the social cost as she was slammed online for criticizing Greek life

Now the marketing major — on Lifetime’s “Sorority Mom’s Guide to Rush!” — said she’s looking for offline work

A zealous TikTok ing A fixation with rush was renewed when sororities resumed in-person recruiting after the pandemic

Social media became flooded with “outfit of the day” and “get ready with me” s showing sorority members and recruits in well-lit rooms, sometimes flaunting exorbitantly priced designer wear or pieces purchased on Amazon, always precisely curated

Meanwhile, online attention to rush has led to books, a polarizing documentary and the reality television series, widening the appeal of sororities in the South in particular, according to Lorie Stefaneli, a New York City-based consultant who flies to Tuscaloosa each year for rush

Stefaneli coaches girls from around the country, and a third of her clients enroll at Alabama

She says many are drawn by the vibrant depictions of sisterhood, showing female friendships that can ensure girls feel seen and supported. “That’s the reason why a lot of them want to go to Alabama, is because they see it on TikTok,” Stefaneli said

Recruits told to stop posting — or else If they gain enough ers to become social influencers, RushTok participants can earn ad revenue and brand deals

Rush can be fun and help girls build confidence, but it’s also an “emotional rollercoaster,” especially for girls who feel they need to reveal themselves to a massive audience, Stefaneli said

She answers phone calls at all hours of the night during rush week. “I’m literally a therapist, I’m talking these girls down from a ledge,” she said

Numerous incoming freshmen told The Associated Press this week that they were expressly hibited from speaking with the media or even posting rush at Alabama

Darnell said the most selective “Old Row” houses will automatically drop spects who do. “Now a lot of girls just come to the university to be influencers,” she said. “It kind of gets in the way of sisterhood.” Some incoming freshmen — including Darnell’s 19-year-old sister Izzy, with a vast social media ing of her own — have chosen to post anyway, satisfying a demand that can reach millions of views within days

Izzy Darnell — who wouldn’t her choices for sorority ahead of Saturday’s bid day — said her older sister’s acumen has equipped her to navigate criticism and potentially predatory deals

But she worries how other girls might handle the fame and money. “I just fear what some girls will do because they think they have to,” Izzy Darnell said.Introducing the 2025 Fortune Global 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in the world

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