Didn’t read the article, but the wealth at Alabama is shocking - families with private planes, kids with Porsches, etc.

I don't know who might need this but, in the interest of freedom of information and democracy, https://www.removepaywall.com/

My son played baseball at a SEC school in 2010s. He had a girlfriend for his first two years in college. They met in class; she was his lab partner. They broke-up at the start of their junior year, as she was was doing study abroad and they thought it would be too difficult to maintain the relationship. During my son's junior year, he was single and also drafted (*later rounds) by a MLB team. Several sorority women became very interested in him. He did some dating but he found that it was too intense and one person he dated for a couple of months started talking about marriage.

He is somewhat of an introvert and some of the social aspects of dating someone in a sorority wasn't for him. He felt he was on display at times. His senior year, he took a break from dating. He suffered a serious injury during training in the summer and spent the fall focusing on recovery and preparing for the MCATs. His baseball career was pretty much over.

I was also in a sorority at a private college. What we are seeing with Bama rush and other similar schools is completely different. It's not the same experience many of us had.

I wonder if it's the same at large, northern schools like Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State (basically all Big10, except Indiana b/c I have heard that one is brutal).

When the wealth gap is what is right now and getting worse, and so many people are food insecure -- a sorority like that can't claim they are in for "service."

Anonymous wrote:I also was in a sorority at a top 10 private school. I loved it. All of it. I am now a biglaw partner.

Don’t make women have to choose. Don’t make assumptions. Don’t pigeon hole them.

Agreed. True feminism is supporting women in all of their choices. I loved my sorority years. I still remember what I wore for rush every single day. My parents were pretty wealthy but I purchased it all myself from my summer internship money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have any thoughts, other than that the whole thing is vaguely depressing.

My understanding is that many of these young ladies view college as more of a social, getting a MRS degree experience than as an educational experience.

Many universities have Greek systems that demand resumes which show academic achievement in addition to community service and the sororities are serious about overall academic GPA for their house.

I was in a sorority at a big Greek SEC school. Our sororities always had much higher academic scores than the rest of the school. We were counseled if our GPA went below 3.5 and you got kicked out if it went below 3.0. Below 3.5 there was mandatory tutoring and you’d miss out on socials.

Not a subscriber but there's a LOT of "old money" in the South, compounded by low cost of living.

To answer OP's question, if their family isn't paying, then they could be raising the funds through sugaring arrangements. Very popular among college women.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone read it yet?
Thoughts?

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/09/sorority-rush/684259/

Disclaimer - I was in a sorority at a T10 in the 90s and loved it.

Gift link?

I also was in a sorority at a top 10 private school. I loved it. All of it. I am now a biglaw partner.

Don’t make women have to choose. Don’t make assumptions. Don’t pigeon hole them.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have any thoughts, other than that the whole thing is vaguely depressing.

My understanding is that many of these young ladies view college as more of a social, getting a MRS degree experience than as an educational experience.

Many universities have Greek systems that demand resumes which show academic achievement in addition to community service and the sororities are serious about overall academic GPA for their house.

I don’t have any thoughts, other than that the whole thing is vaguely depressing.

Was not able to read the article, but do have some direct experiences with sorority girls and their crazed mothers at Alabama. The daughters are reserved compared to their mothers about pledging sororities at Alabama and sorority life. Very bizarre, but entertaining.

Some girls transfer out of SMU in Dallas, Texas if unsuccessful at getting an offer from one of their top choice sororities. The money spent on sorority rush at SMU probably exceeds that spent by families at U Alabama.

Anyone read it yet?
Thoughts?

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/09/sorority-rush/684259/

Disclaimer - I was in a sorority at a T10 in the 90s and loved it.