What it really takes to make the cut in a Southern sorority

Hopeful sorority sisters are forking over thousands of dollars to ‘rush’ consultants to cleanse their social media and to give them tips on how to dress all in the hope they’ll be one of the few ‘running home’ to their top pick. 

The University of Alabama popularized and glamorized the rush experience in 2021 on TikTok, and even inspired the HBO Max documentary, Bama Rush, which dropped on May 23. 

Thousands of girls rush every year – and more than 2,500 alone take part in the annual tradition in Alabama. 

But on average, for those living the lavish Greek lifestyle at Alabama, it could cost them up to $4,000 to $10,000 in expenses – depending on if a girl lives in one of the mansions that dot Sorority Row. 

And that’s just the Panhellenic cost. 

It doesn’t include the new wardrobe or makeup for rush week. And it doesn’t factor in the cost of hiring an expert to brush up their image. 

The University of Alabama (pictured) popularized and glamorized the rush experience in 2021 on TikTok, and even inspired an HBO Max documentary called Bama Rush, which dropped on May 23. Thousands of girls rush every year – with more than 2,500 alone rushing at Alabama – in hopes of getting a bid

Trisha Addicks, 55, of Atlanta, Georgia – a rush consultant who features in the HBO documentary – believes the best way to prepare for the grueling rush week is to know what’s coming

Rush consulting is not a requirement to get into a sorority but hiring one has become an increasingly popular option among hopefuls desperate to move into Sorority Row. 

Trisha Addicks, 55, of Atlanta, Georgia – a rush consultant who owns It’s All Greek to Me and who features in the HBO documentary – told DailyMail.com that she understands the pressures of rushing a sorority and trying to find a family on campus because she’s been through the experience herself.

‘I didn’t get into a sorority [my freshmen year] and it was a really rough transition from high school to college for me,’ Addicks, who attended the University of Georgia, told DailyMail.com. ‘I mean, I made friends and did things, but I just felt like I needed some sort of group to make this out-of-state school seem smaller.’

Addicks later participated in rush in her sophomore year – a dreaded experience many girls fear – and got into her first pick: Chi Omega. 

‘It kind of always stuck with me that, during a time like that, it’s important to have a group,’ she told DailyMail.com. Addicks, who originally reigns from North Carolina, now works to help girls get into sororities after a friend of her suggested the idea after she helped her daughter get into a house. 

On average, for those living the lavish Greek lifestyle at Alabama, it could cost up to $4,000 to $10,000, depending on if a girl lives in the mansion. However, that’s just the Panhellenic cost. It doesn’t even include the new wardrobe or makeup for rush week, nor does it factor in the varying prices for rush consulting – a program that promises to coach girls to receive a successful bid on Bid Day (pictured: Zeta Tau Alpha, Phi Mu and Alpha Deta Phi) 

Rushing is more than posting fun, flirty pink outfits all over #RushTok to show off Brandy Melville accessories and clicking your heels three times in hopes of running home to your top pick. 

So, how a girl does from high school graduate to sorority sister ready? 

Here, DailyMail.com takes a deep dive into the world of rush consulting and just how much it will cost a hopeful.  

Video rounds  

After the pandemic, a lot of sororities have moved their first rounds to virtual videos. 

Many potential new members (PNMs) will be cut from the process before even meeting their potential sisters in person. 

The University of Alabama – a frontrunner for Southern sororities – requires a video introduction prior to the nine-day rush week. 

‘In the summer prior to going to college, we give them the knowledge to what sororities are looking for when they ask for a video submission and we help them make the video,’ the Georgian told DailyMail.com. 

‘It’s super important that you look friendly, engaging, and really excited to be doing this video,’ Addicks, a former photographer, told one hopeful Mikayla Miller in the documentary. ‘Smiling the entire time when you’re talking, it’s a necessary evil.’

Miller would eventually drop out during rush week, explaining in the documentary: ‘I realized that since being a sophomore now, you don’t have to be in a sorority to enjoy your life. It’s just me personally. I don’t think I could do it, but I know other girls that love it.’ 

Miller was the only client of Addicks to withdraw during rush week in the last six years, the consultant revealed to DailyMail.com. When asked how successful her clientele are at receiving a bid using her program, she said it was 100 percent. 

Many girls have taken to TikTok to show off their favorite preppy brands, which include Kate Spade, Lily Pulitzer, and Vineyard Vines – all of which range in the $200 area for dresses

Looking the part is expensive (but it doesn’t have to be) 

Often, when sororities come to mind, people picture a skinny blonde girl with big, blonde hair, a thick Southern drawl, piercing blue eyes, and having a favorite Bible quote, and #RushTok doesn’t dispute any of this. 

However, not every girl fits the stereotype and Addicks wants to make sure her clients know that they don’t have to look or act a certain way to become a sister.  

‘We’re not trying to change anybody or make anybody wear anything they’re not comfortable with,’ Addicks told DailyMail.com. ‘But within what they’re comfortable with, as far as makeup and clothes, we make sure that it’s appropriate for rush.’ 

However, many girls have taken to TikTok to show off their favorite preppy brands, which include Kate Spade, Lily Pulitzer, and Vineyard Vines – all of which range in the $200 area for dresses. 

Former Louisiana State University student, Anastasia Megilligan, who was a member of Delta Zeta, took to TikTok in June 2022 to warn last year’s PNMs to avoid denim shorts, midriff cutouts, spaghetti straps, tight dresses, and cleavage. 

‘We don’t want any midriff skin showing,’ she said in the short video. 

Addicks recommended shorts and the provided t-shirt for the first few rounds, and a ‘church dress’ for the preference ceremony – known colloquially as ‘pref.’ 

However: ‘When in doubt, show your true self. Really and truly.’ 

But that doesn’t mean girls should go about their usual ways entirely, especially if they’re rushing in the Southern heat. 

‘If you traditionally wear a ton of makeup, you probably feel comfortable wearing makeup…if it makes you more confident, then yes, we’re a lot of makeup. But you need to make sure that it’s not going to be orange rivers running down your face because it’s hot as hell in Alabama,’ Addicks told DailyMail.com. 

Rush resumes and recommendation letters 

Creating a resume is stressful no matter what, but unlike a job application, rush resume aren’t necessarily highlighting what restaurant a PNM worked at in high school – although it can be included. 

Addicks told DailyMail.com that rush resumes highlight a woman’s philanthropy efforts more than anything. 

‘A rush resume is more based on philanthropy and if people in your family were Greek,’ she told DailyMail.com. ‘They’re just different. Rather than what you’ve done in your work life – I mean, if you’ve had a job that’s on there – but it’s it’s just a different template.’ 

In addition, girls need recommendation letters – although some schools and sororities have dropped the requirement. The letter come from alumni of the sorority, although it does not have to be an alumni of that school. 

‘For instance, if I was a Chi O at Georgia, I write [recommendations] for people going to any school for Chi O,’ Addicks told DailyMail.com. 

Avoid the Five B’s: Boys, Ballots, Booze, Beliefs, and Bucks, although the fifth one can vary

Social media should be PG

PNMs should do a sweep of their Instagram accounts the summer leading up to their rush week because as sorority sisters will already have started combing through their accounts. 

‘They just need to have a social media presence. And it needs to be an appropriate social media presence, and they need to conduct themselves [appropriately] throughout high school and in the summer before college in a way that doesn’t make it a bad experience for them,’ Addicks told DailyMail.com. 

The greatest rule of thumb: If you don’t want your grandma to see it, don’t have it on your feed. 

‘You don’t want to look extreme in any way,’ Addicks said. ‘Like drinking or [having] bunch of pictures with guys, that kind of stuff.’ 

Many PNMs go off the Five B’s: Boys, Ballots, Booze, Beliefs, and Bucks, although the fifth one can vary. Girls should strive to avoid having these topics pictured on their social media. 

What does it cost? 

Like any program that’s designed to get someone ahead of the game, it costs a pretty penny. 

Addicks charges $600 for a seminar, which only gives the lay of the land and no consulting. Her all-inclusive package runs to $3,500 for unlimited sessions, guidance and support during rush week. 

Other programs, such as Sorority Prep, offers a three-hour virtual class for $500, while Hiking in Heels  offers a premium package for nearly $1,500 and an elite package for nearly $3,000.