Shannon Rust, in an outfit curated by her sorority consultant, at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., during rush. Photo: Elizabeth Payne
Addicks offers a $600 seminar for women and their mothers to learn the basics about getting into a sorority; $3,500 buys unlimited access to sorority mentors who advise aspirants through every step. She is part of an industry emerging in recent years that sells tips and emotional support to women who want to avoid missteps that threaten first impressions. Sorority consultants cover such topics as what to wear, how to act, what to say and the wisdom of scrubbing potentially off-putting social media posts.
Getting into sororities has become nearly as competitive as acceptance to top universities. Applicants are asked to write essays, give their grade-point average and report whether they did volunteer work or played high-school sports. Women submit application packets with as many as 30 letters of recommendation, said Stacia Damron, owner of Hiking in High Heels in Texas. Some sororities require that applicants record video responses to their questions. “My boyfriend went to Stanford, and he said this is more complicated than getting a Stanford M.B.A.,” she said.
Leighton Newberry, owner of Recruitment Ready in Atlanta, said she spends a lot of time prepping young women for conversation. All the hours young people spend texting and communicating over social media has left many inexperienced with face-to-face chitchat, she said. Newberry, who graduated from Auburn University in 2019, advises her clients to make eye contact and stay engaged with new acquaintances during rush season’s many social events. She suggests asking questions: Where are you from? Why did you pick this school to attend?
Newberry has a la carte sessions that cost $150 for video calls and $175 for in-person meetings. She also sells the Bid Day Bundle for $1,000. That includes three one-on-one sessions and assistance writing résumés and cover letters, as well as styling tips. She also gives frank talk about disappointment.
Women lining up for a sorority tour last year at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb. Photo: Noah Riffe/Associated Press
Parents Hire $4,000 Sorority Consultants to Help Daughters Dress and Impress During Rush
Getting into sororities is nearly as tough as entry to top universities. “Be trendy but not too trendy, modest but not too modest, fit in but be unique.”
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