Inside LSU's Grueling Sorority Rush: 12-Hour Days, Chants and Emotional Bid Day

During an eight-day rush period at Louisiana State University, members of the Tri Delta sorority commit up to 12 hours each day to rehearsing chants, practicing the secretive “bouncing and clapping” routine and staging mock rushes with other SEC chapters. They assess roughly 1,600 prospective members using a 1-to-10 rating scale, guiding each recruit through a 45-minute “philanthropy round” where a sister, already familiar with the recruit’s Instagram profile, conducts a brief interview before passing her on.

The sorority enforces a no-talk policy on boys, booze and politics, though faith discussions are allowed, and seeks candidates who embody its “brave, bold and kind” values and support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Sponsors Dutch Bros. and Kourtney Kardashian’s Lemme gummies provide swag, while sophomores Mary Macie Ezell and Nora Fettig document the process on TikTok, gaining followers, brand partnerships and an internship. The intense schedule leaves participants hoarse, often ill, and the final “Bid Day” brings emotional farewells and celebrations despite near-100-degree heat in Baton Rouge.