The Most Competitive Sororities
Stacia Damron, founder of Hiking in Heels, a sorority-consulting company, explained that sorority admissions are now very competitive. Damron said her boyfriend went to Stanford, and he mentioned that getting into a sorority was more difficult than getting an MBA from the university.
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She also explained that she charged as much as $4,000 for an on-call service when recruiting periods peaked. Although her 2023 rates are not presently on the company’s website, in 2022, a premium package went for $1,495, while an elite membership cost $2,975.
Paying the Price of Sisterhood
Sorority rush, another name for sorority recruitment, usually starts during fall semester—however, some sororities also recruit in the spring. Consultants like Damron have high demand from intending members, dramatically increasing since 2019.
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Damron gave two significant reasons why there was an increase in demand. The first was that sororities have toughened their selection process since the Covid pandemic. They added extra tasks, like essay questions, to compensate for lack of face-to-face interaction. These additional measures were added to the usual requirements, like registration forms and letters.
The Recruitment Process
The second reason is that daughters and their parents now see the recruitment process and how competitive it is on social media platforms. Damron explained that people are starting to see there is more to the procedures and preparations involved in the selection than they thought.
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However, she said that hiring a consultant does not mean that the client will surely get into her dream sorority.
Meager Consultation Prices?
Chief executive of the National Panhellenic Conference, Dani Weatherford, said that 20% of about 125,000 sorority aspirants last year withdrew their applications or got rejected. “Just like an SAT prep class won’t ensure a perfect score, no recruitment coach can honestly guarantee a bid,” Stacia Damron explained.
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Compared to what people pay for admission into top universities, $4,000 is a small price. Allen Koh, owner of Cardinal Education, an educational consulting firm, said he charges as much as $350,000 for his most intensive consulting package.