How Sorority Rush Week Operates Like The NFL Draft
An interview with a former sorority Membership Vice President.
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If you’ve been on TikTok these past few weeks your FYP is probably filled with girls in skirts from a place called The Pants Store and side parts that are more far right than their parents.
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Welcome to season 2 of BamaRushTok, the follow up to the sensation that took over TikTok last year as incoming freshman at The University of Alabama prepared for sorority rush week.
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For those who didn’t participate in Greek Life, rush week is where incoming freshman (and some sophomores) dress to the nines in hopes of being selected by a Panhellenic institution.
As someone who was in a sorority in the South and went through rush as both a PNM (Potential New Member) and a “sister” (lol), I can confidently say that rush really does operate like the NFL Draft.
From the PowerPoint presentations with a slide for every PNM to learning how to “bump” a girl and casually introduce them to another sister in a way that doesn’t feel planned, NFL scouts have nothing on the stalking abilities of a sorority sister.
On Friday, The New York Times published a piece detailing the chaos that is going on behind-the-scenes at The University of Alabama during rush. According to The New York Times, girls are being accused of wearing a wire and subsequently kicked out of rush. Sadly, they are also not allowing PNMs to film those truly incredible OOTDs we saw last year.
Allegedly.
While I could go on about my experience in an SEC sorority, I thought it would be better to hear from a more recent graduate. I spoke with Elise Wurtman, who went viral on TikTok for her take on BamaRushTok.
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Wurtman is probably the most familiar with the rush process, as she was the Membership Vice President in her sorority. She kindly answered all of my questions about those PowerPoints, how rush week operates like the NFL Draft and so much more.
Meanwhile, I’ll be over here stalking TikTok for Bid Day updates that will be coming in the next few hours…
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Can you tell me a little about your background?
I was born and raised in California and I attended Cal State Long Beach for college. My parents were not a part of Greek life and nor were my siblings, but my grandparents were both in sororities way back in the day.
What led you to join a sorority?
I really wanted to join a sorority to help me acclimate to a new school and new city. It was something that really intrigued me and made me excited to meet new people and find a new community away from home. I essentially wanted to rush for the social aspect initially. My school was almost 40,000 students so I found it very intimidating when I moved onto campus.
What surprised you the most about being in a sorority?
Being in a sorority in some ways was just like how it is portrayed in movies. It was so much fun and I couldn’t believe college students lived this reality and that I was now one of them.
“I spent a semester and entire summer prepping for these events.”
Can you share what your role entailed as a Membership Vice President for those who might not be familiar with it?
As Membership Vice President I was on the Executive Board and my main role was to focus on growing and retaining membership in our chapter. Put simply: I had the task of organizing and executing formal fall recruitment and a small COB [Continuous Open Bidding] in the spring.
What is it like prepping for rush as the Membership Vice President? From my experience, we fully had a PowerPoint of every single girl rushing and had notes about each of them before each round. I know there is a TON of prep that goes into rush week—especially in your role.
It was the most detailed and organized I have ever had to be in my entire life. I spent a semester and entire summer prepping for these events. Yes there were detailed look books/ PowerPoints and full on lesson plans that I taught to our chapter.
Can you explain work week? It's honestly like the NFL Combine.
Work week is when we teach all of the newest members how to recruit, sing the songs, dance and be as polished as can be. For us it was Monday-Friday from 8-5 and it was exhausting, but also some of the best bonding experience. I remember my first year in work week I couldn’t believe how intense these days were and then as the MVP I remember it being just as intense trying to teach these girls everything! It is the most extensive training ever.
Like you mention in your TikTok, it really does feel like it's more important than the NFL Draft. What's the wildest thing a PNM has done to try and get a bid?
I heard that girls lied about being legacies of certain chapters in hopes of getting a bid and in the end it backfired.
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Can we talk about the outfits. I remember we had dress checks for current sorority sisters to make sure outfits fit the theme of the day. Did you have those? If so, what sort of prep went into planning the themes and everyone's outfits?
Per my experience dressing up during work week was very much just for fun and to take cute pics! It made the long days a little more fun and sorority girls LOVE to dress up. However when it comes to actually rush outfits active members had to have every piece of clothing from their earrings to their shoes approved. This was mostly so that everyone looked cohesive and nothing inappropriate was worn.
I'd love to get your thoughts on BamaRushTok season 2. As you mentioned in your viral TikTok, you know those GroupMe chats are going off about creating good content. What do you think they are encouraging people to share? Do you think they are creating content PowerPoints? I feel like they are...
I would definitely agree that there is pressure to get the peoples attention this year, I was even guilty of sending photos in the GroupMe that girls should recreate. There’s no harm in the posting because I think it serves a similar purpose to a recruitment video. The houses want good press and the PNMs are getting that. I 100% think that the sororities are feeding into it but at the same time with good intentions.
Do you think the rumors are true and Alabama is banning PNMs from posting during rush week?
I would speculate that rho gammas and Panhellenic council will discourage it. It’s similar to how we were told as PNMs to not go to parties during rush. Everyone’s eyes are on you during that time. However I think we will still see a lot of posting from PNMs and we already have been. They are just as excited to get the TikTok engagement as the active members are. If they can gain a following just by posting their outfits they sure as heck will. Some may take these guidelines serious but who knows if there are any official rules.
Is there anything else about sororities, the rush process, or BamaRushTok that you'd like to share?
I hate to see the negative connotation that “Rush Tok” gets. Some of my best college memories were made during similar times in my sorority and I really think that there’s different sides that people don’t see. The culture in the south is very different than other people experiences so I think it’s just good to remember that this experience isn’t everyone’s experience!!
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If the Bravo Cinematic Universe and ESPN had a baby, it would be Impersonal Foul. You in? Subscribe and tell your friends.