Is Everyone On #BamaRush TikTok Without Me?

“...my dress is from a boutique in Georgia, my butterfly necklace is Kendra Scott, my smiley face necklace is from an Instagram boutique...roll tide!” Ella Brooke, a freshman at the University of Alabama explains from beneath the popcorn ceiling of her freshly decorated dorm room, in her second #OOTD of the week.

If your #ForYou Page has been overrun by a sea of exuberant freshmen in ruffled summer dresses talking about rush this and Pants Store that, congratulations: you’ve make it to Alabama Rush TikTok, where sorority hopefuls share their recruitment experience at the University of Alabama, nicknamed Bama. Over 2,000 students, or potential new members (PNMs) rushed last week, and it feels like every single one of them posted TikToks about it.

In what might be the most reality show-worthy TikTok experience since Ratatouille TikTok, #BamaRush, a hashtag on videos with over 220 million views, is literally exploding. Even if you’re not on Alabama Rush TikTok, your FYP might be flooded with people talking about it, or doing their own comedic takes on the many, many #OOTDs.

Most of the videos you’ll find on Alabama Rush TikTok are a similar format: A breakdown of the outfit the student will be wearing to meet with a sorority. (I know, I can’t imagine Dixie D’Amelio participating in this either.) You might also find videos of current sorority members reminiscing about their own rush days, or videos from observers commenting on the #drama playing out on their #ForYou pages. (That Makayla — one popular PNM who posts as @whatwouldjimmybuffetdo — didn’t get a bid from any sorority sent shock waves through the Bama Rush TikTok community.)

While these videos might appear to be dress-up 101, they girls have a lot more at stake than a ‘fit flop. As a former RA at the University of Alabama said in a series of videos, finding a home with a sorority is synonymous with finding friends, acceptance, and success at the enormous public university. For many students, the entire college experience revolves around Greek life, and if they don’t get picked for the houses they rush, there can be hefty social and emotional fallout. What’s more, after two years of online-only Greek life, students are champing at the bit to find their IRL homes for the next four years (not to mention their forever sisters). In fact, InTheKnow suggested that the return of in-person rushing after the 2020 recruitment cycle may be contributing to #BamaRush’s viral success.

While Bid Day — AKA, when everyone finds out what house they were placed into — was Sunday Aug. 15, you can still catch up on the #OOTDs and figure out what the Pants Store is all about. MTV, are you paying attention? Here’s how to navigate Alabama Rush TikTok.

Cruise The #BamaRush Hashtag

If you’re just looking for a general overview of what’s going on a University of Alabama this week, from #OOTDs to scenic footage of the on campus vibe right now, check out the main hashtag, #BamaRush, and sister tags #BamaRush, #AlabamaRush, and #sorority. After a few upward swipes and likes here, your FYP algorithm should pick up on your interest and start curating new Bama content for you, too.

Browse Popular #BamaRush Soundbites

Most of BamaTok features original audio, featuring TikTokers chatting about their outfits, but “6 Zetas in This Benz! (Zeta Anthem)” by Young036 soundtracks many party montage-style videos. This song literally references Greek like at University of Alabama, so expect it on a lot of rush videos you see.

Check Out Alt Alabama Rush TikToks

Some of the best #BamaTok spin offs are the people posting lighthearted comedic versions of the prospective pledge’s videos, or offering commentary about why, exactly, sorority culture is such a big deal. You can also find people posting Bama Rush-inspired takes on their own, highly specific #OOTDs, or videos from millennials about getting sucked into rush TikTok. Explore all that #BamaRush has to offer for a heavy dose of back-to-school vibes.