SMU Moved Sorority Recruitment to Fall — But for Some Students, It Started in the Spring

Sorority recruitment at SMU officially lasted for less than a week, but some potential new members began preparing months, or even a year, in advance.

Sorority rush coaches have long been helping students navigate the process. And at Hiking in Heels, a sorority recruitment coaching program that works with about 70 SMU freshmen and sophomores annually, slots for this fall filled up faster than ever.

That’s due, founder and CEO Stacia Damron said, to both SMU’s rush dates moving from spring to fall and to the increased visibility of the process on social media. Potential sorority members at SMU and other schools have used TikTok to share choreographed dances, house tours, fashion choices, and experiences, both good and bad.

“It’s never been uncommon to start getting ready as early as these girls do,” Damron said. “It’s just there’s more awareness about the timelines and the deadlines these days.”

And understanding those timelines is key to sorority recruitment success. Sorority members are only allowed to vote for potential new members they’ve met, Damron explained. Submitting materials such as recommendation letters early means more exposure and a better opportunity to become known to a sorority before recruitment begins.

“Sorority recruitment is very much like a LinkedIn job or internship application in that yes, perhaps that company decides to list that role for 90 days,” she explained. “But we all kind of know in our brains, in our hearts, that if we’re the last one applying for that particular job on day 90, right before they take it down, of course they’ve already started reviewing the candidates.”

Hiking in Heels, a full-service company that specializes in certain schools, offers potential rushees 10 hours of private, one-on-one coaching. 

The process begins with prerecruitment paperwork, including creation of a social resume and cover letter. Then, Hiking in Heels assists with letters of recommendation, and provides social media and networking training and a myriad of support during the registration process. Finally, it focuses on formal recruitment, interview preparation, and a round-by-round overview of what to expect and how to prepare.

“We go over strategies, just like with SAT prep courses,” Damron said. “Yes, it’s about math and writing, but a certain percent of it in these prep courses is, ‘If you don’t know what to do, here’s how to guess.’”

Hiking in Heels coaching starts at $2,975 for 10 hours of one-on-one coaching, or $3,975 for 10 hours of coaching plus unlimited on-call coaching and daily strategy sessions during the formal recruitment process. 

The company has plenty of competition. An online search for “sorority recruitment coaching” will pull up about a half-dozen other companies that help students prepare for Rush.

In 2025, Damron expects her company to reach capacity for SMU even faster than it did this year. Hiking in Heels has already filled about 30% of its slots for next fall.

“The early bird gets the worm when it comes to sorority recruitment prep,” said Damron, who emphasized that sorority membership is for everyone. “There’s so much you can do ahead of time to get ready and take control of. You don’t just have to sit there and wait for it to happen.”