Kylan Darnell has already spent nearly $100,000 to join an elite sorority at the University of Alabama.
Many would be shocked at the amounts the 20-year-old former pageant queen has spent in just two years on outfits, fees and other expenses charged to sorority candidates.
But she told DailyMail.com that spending, say, $10,000 on a dress is an investment, and her impressive returns prove that.
Halfway through her four-year degree, she has earned more than $1 million by sharing her experiences with her growing army of loyal followers on TikTok.
Darnell, who was previously crowned Miss Teen Ohio, already had a firm grasp on glamour.
But the cost of earning that title was a drop in the ocean compared to earning – and keeping – a spot in the Alabama chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
Former pageant queen Kylan Darnell has earned more than $1 million after joining a sorority
After four years, she will have spent about $200,000, but if her social media income continues to grow at the same rate, she will have earned $2 million.
The numbers are certainly not for the faint of heart. In Darnell’s sorority alone, membership costs about $30,000 a year.
For those joining the sorority for the first time, a one-time payment of $4,581 will be charged for new membership fees in the fall semester, followed by an additional $4,441 in the spring semester.
On top of that, there are “dues,” fees paid to cover the activities of the sorority, which amount to approximately $1,400 per month.
Members who choose to live in the fraternity house pay $10,422 for each of the two semesters.
“It’s quite expensive to be a member of a fraternity,” Darnell told DailyMail.com, “but ultimately for me it’s more of a networking experience.”
“And I love that I helped my future bridesmaids with this.”
‘I can’t imagine what my student life would have been like without the Greek language education. It has definitely changed my life for the better.’
Greek Life is the term used to describe the coveted experience of membership in one of the 26 sororities that operate chapters on various campuses across the US.
If you pay that huge fee, you get through the door – but you also have to pay to ring the doorbell in the first place. And if they don’t like you, the door gets slammed in your face.
Student association applications often take a year before a teenager even sets foot on the new campus.
This process might include paying for the expertise of a sorority recruitment coach, borrowing your parents’ Platinum Card to buy tens of thousands of dollars worth of clothes, and refining an Instagram aesthetic.
Coaching mentors, such as Greek Chic Sorority Consultants, charge up to $5,000 to help young women join their dream sorority.
Consulting firms offer a range of different services, ranging from a one-time fee of $125 for style advice to around $4,500 for a full year-long mentorship package.
Darnell, a true businesswoman, has set up her own (much cheaper) program where sorority candidates can subscribe for $100, giving them access to her tutorials.
At the Alabama chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha (pictured), costs alone can be around $30,000 per year
Student association applications typically take one year and include coaching and interviews.
There are 26 student organizations in the US that operate chapters on various campuses
Then comes the ‘rush’, the expensive, week-long culmination of this grueling process.
During the stressful week before fall classes begin, sorority candidates attend multiple interviews, sometimes lasting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and all-day parties, trying to impress the demanding interview committee.
Some candidates may be interviewed by as many as 50 different current members of a student association to see if they are a good match.
According to experts, the popularity of student associations has increased dramatically since the pandemic, making them more oversubscribed than ever and requiring them to spend more money to stand a chance.
For example, the University of Mississippi’s 11 sororities had 2,461 applications this year, compared to 2,221 last year, according to Trisha Addicks, founder of the sorority recruitment firm It’s All Greek To Me.
According to Addick’s personal information, 2,188 young women at Auburn University, also in Alabama, have enrolled in one of the 18 sororities, up from 1,894 last year.
TikTok influencers have raised the bar for what’s expected of peak-season outfits, and for those who succeed, what it takes to look like a fraternity ambassador.
Darnell, who joined Zeta in 2022, is one of the most recognizable personalities among sorority influencers, with over a million followers on TikTok.
Although she’s already established herself, Darnell estimates she spends between $15,000 and $18,000 on clothes each season, both for costumes and formal wear.
This year, Darnell dressed up as Sharpay Evans from High School Musical and Ursula, the mermaid from The Little Mermaid.
Darnell (left) spends between $15,000 and $18,000 on outfits each season
Applicants can be interviewed by up to 50 different current fraternity members during Rush
Many see student associations as an ambitious social life, while others value the alumni networks
“I’m someone who finds it worthwhile to invest in clothes because in the end, I pay for my outfit with a TikTok video,” she explains of the creator economy she’s managed to capitalize on.
Darnell recently invested in a pair of Van Cleef earrings and other luxury items.
“I love my Louis Vuitton jewelry, I treat myself more than I should,” she laughed.
But Darnell understands the business model. Through social media, brand deals and her subscription program, the college junior is debt-free, having paid all of her own tuition and fraternity fees.
The TikTokker now has her sights set on the future, as Greek life comes to an end in two years.
Armed with a financial advisor and a savvy manager, Darnell sets her sights on a career in sports reporting and buys her first home shortly after graduating.