Frat week has returned to college campuses across America (and on TikTok).
The online phenomenon known as “RushTok” — an annual look at the admissions process at major U.S. universities — draws billions of views and likes on the app, allowing some top Greek life influencers to earn enough money to pay for four years of school.
“I'm so grateful. I'm so thankful… I'm excited to graduate and not be in student loan debt,” Kylan Darnell, a junior at the University of Alabama who has been dubbed the “RushTok queen,” told Fox News Digital in an interview. “It's definitely very liberating, very rewarding, and I'm so grateful to anyone who takes the time to visit my page and follow me or watch a video or leave a comment. It's just, wow! I'm so grateful.”
Darnell's social media presence as an influencer has become a job for the college junior — one she could pursue full-time — but she said she wants to finish school and follow her dream of becoming a sportscaster. Originally from Ohio, Darnell said the “RushTok queen” label was “funny” because she never imagined she would pursue social media stardom.
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The online phenomenon known as “RushTok” — an annual look inside the admissions process at major U.S. universities — attracts billions of views and likes on TikTok. (© Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News/USA TODAY NETWORK)
“I think people like watching my videos because I'm actually having fun,” he said, later adding, “RushTok is my favorite time of year.”
Sorority members and recruits at the University of Alabama, specifically, have been drawing masses to “Bama RushTok” as the top recruiting school in the country, and made national headlines last year when HBO Max released a documentary called “Bama Rush” detailing the drama of the selective recruiting process.
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Some users who watch videos under the #RushTok tag on TikTok are looking for inspiration for their own Greek life activities, while others who have no interest in sororities look to streaming videos as a form of real-life entertainment, much like reality TV but online.
Sorority members and recruits at the University of Alabama, specifically, have been drawing the masses to “Bama RushTok” as the top recruiting school in the country. (© Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Most of the videos are just a few seconds long and feature coordinated dances, costume themes, outfit reveals (some of which are sponsored by fashion brands), tips for getting into the number one sorority house, and more.
Here is a list of the five craziest RushTok trends of the 2024-2025 school year so far:
1. The blue suits of the University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma's Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter's original “blue” theme took RushTok by storm this season, featuring creative outfits centered around the color blue—some dark, some fun, and some downright weird.
“{A}t this is the urgent content I want,” one TikTok user wrote on a video showing off the sorority's extravagant blue costumes.
“You make us want to rush Kappa,” wrote another user.
More than 500 women received bids to 10 sororities after George Washington University's Delta Gamma chapter was shut down last week. (Al Drago/CQ List)
2. Grandma costumes
Sororities gather for what they call “work week” (the week before the start of peak season) to prepare for the upcoming recruitment process. To make “work week” more fun for members, houses choose themes to follow. One of the most popular themes this season on TikTok was the “Grandma” theme.
Some houses dressed as grandmothers but danced as if they were no older than 21.
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3. Sorority rap songs
Darnell highlighted a song created specifically for her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, on TikTok. YOUNG036's song is called “Great Day To Be A ZTA” and members of the sorority have been sharing videos showing coordinated dances to the exclusive song on TikTok.
Seventeen sororities welcomed new members on the University of Alabama Panhellenic Association's Nomination Day on Sunday, August 18, 2024. (© Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News/USA TODAY NETWORK)
And this isn't the first time YOUNG036 has created a song for ZTA. The rapper also has songs dedicated to other sororities, including Chi Omega, Tri Delta, Gamma Phi Beta and others, according to his Spotify account.
4. Designer clothing and room decoration.
Sorority members and recruits have been sharing their OOTDs, or outfits of the day, on TikTok. Some of these videos, like those on Darnell’s account, feature sponsored content, so she and other RushTok influencers have made something of a career out of their social media pages.
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Some of these videos show price breakdowns of recruitment outfits with exorbitant prices, ranging from a few hundred dollars to over $10,000. One TikTok user named Destinee Moreh has created her own brand, analyzing the cost of other girls' TikTok outfit videos.
Darnell flew to London on Monday, the same day she hit 1 million followers on TikTok, for a “brand trip” with a women’s clothing company called Peppermayo.
Seventeen sororities welcomed new members on the University of Alabama Panhellenic Association's Nomination Day on Sunday, August 18, 2024. (© Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News/USA TODAY NETWORK)
And it's not just the clothes that are priced high.
The sorority members have made it their mission to showcase their modern home and dorm decor, complete with neon signs, monogrammed pillows, matching comforters, four-poster beds, armoires, Hollywood-style mirrors and more.
5. Professional selection consultants
Some sorority hopefuls hire professional sorority recruitment consultants to help them get into their top sorority choices.
“Greek life provides… an invaluable set of transferable skills because Greek life is the entry point into college and then into a career. This is often the first time girls learn how to network, prepare a resume, and learn how to market themselves, which can be useful long into their professional lives,” Hiking in Heels CEO and founder Stacia Damon told America Reports last year.
RushTok's eccentric videos garner billions of views each year and receive plenty of praise, but also a fair amount of criticism.
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Darnell encourages members to be kind and respectful, noting that fraternity members and new members are young women (many still in their teens) trying to make the most of their college experiences. Some are staying away from home for the first time in their lives, trying to meet new friends, while others are preparing to graduate and begin their careers outside of school.
“Remember that these girls are very vulnerable and your opinions, what you say about their clothes and things like that, can hurt them. So remember, stay positive,” she said.
