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Every August, “RushTok” takes over TikTok feeds. Thousands of potential new members can be seen twirling in dresses, walking sorority row and filming their “outfit of the day.”
What started as a niche college ritual has become an internet spectacle — and often a lucrative one. Some videos pull millions of views overnight, turning pledges into influencers before they’ve even received a bid.
University of Alabama student Kylan Darnell, who went viral during rush, said she never expected the attention.
AMID ‘RUSHTOK’ CRAZE, SORORITY SEASON HAS PARENTS SPENDING BIG AND STRESSING HARD
“I myself am from, like, the smallest town in Ohio, and I had no idea what sorority recruitment was until I went to Bama Bound,” Darnell recently told Fox & Friends Weekend.
“All these girls were talking about how their mothers have dreamed of them being in a sorority, how they were dreaming of being in a sorority. So, I decided to rush.” That decision quickly made her a digital star.
Videos of the sorority rush process amass millions of views on TikTok within days. (iStock)
A single clip from campus can snowball into sponsorships, partnerships and long-term influencer careers.
One example is last year’s collaboration between the drink brand Poppi and an entire University of Austin sorority. And just this week, Darnell posted a video in which she’s partnered with clothing brand H&M.
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Nearly 21% of marketers spend between $10,000 and $50,000 on influencer campaigns, but nearly half keep their costs under $10,000 — often by turning to nano- and micro-influencers with highly engaged audiences, according to the Influencer Marketing Hub, which publishes insights for the influencer marketing industry.
Some parents spend close to $10,000 ahead of rush in order to prepare their daughters for success, Fox News Digital previously reported. (iStock)
Influencers’ rates vary widely. A single Instagram reel can cost $100 to $200 for a nano-influencer (under 10,000 followers), $200 to $1,000 for a micro-influencer (10,000 to 100,000 followers), $1,500 to $5,000 for mid-tier creators, and upwards of $5,000 for macro accounts with more than half a million followers, industry reports show.
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Behind the scenes, families often invest heavily in setting their daughters up for success. Fox News Digital previously reported that some parents spend close to $10,000 ahead of rush on wardrobes, accessories and even professional coaches who charge thousands to prep students for interviews.
A single clip from campus can snowball into sponsorships, partnerships and long-term influencer careers. (iStock)
But it’s the students, not the parents, who are cashing in online.
“You’ve got these girls who are dressing up, going into sorority houses from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.,” Darnell said. “It’s so hard to wrap your mind around.”
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Experts warn that the experience can be stressful. Los Angeles psychologist Seth Meyers previously told Fox News Digital that too much pressure can backfire, adding anxiety at a time when “the experience of rushing – while exciting – temporarily adds to their stress.”
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Darnell herself eventually announced a brief mental health break from social media at the end of August.
But as long as viewers keep watching, RushTok will keep paying, and what began as a stressful college ritual has become a launchpad for the next wave of online influencers.