TikTok’s Bama Morgan Wasn’t “Surprised” At Her Sorority Rush Outcome

When Bama Morgan, aka Morgan Cadenhead, first started posting about sorority rush, she only had six followers on TikTok. “One of them was my mother,” the 19-year-old from Florida tells Elite Daily. At the time, she didn’t know about the do’s and don’ts of the process — like planning your outfits (do) and posting ads on social media (don’t) — but a year later, she has a different mindset, not to mention 199,000 followers rooting for her success.

A TL;DR for those not on #RushTok: Cadenhead first went through recruitment at the University of Alabama in 2023 but was dropped from every house after sisterhood round — much to the dismay of the loyal audience she’d gained since her first #BamaRush bag video. Her videos drew in followers for their realistic portrayals of recruitment, sprinkled in with some oversharing and orange juice drinking. This August, she rushed again and had the same outcome. Cadenhead is ready to keep trying, planning to participate in continuous open bidding (a less formal avenue to joining a sorority) in the hopes of finding a sisterhood.

Though she didn’t get the results she wanted — at least, not yet — Cadenhead doesn’t have too many regrets about the content she’s shared (although she cringes when she remembers misspeaking and referring to Phi Mu as “Pi Mu” last year). “Regardless of what anybody says, I know that those videos served a purpose,” she says. “The night before pref this year, I got between 20 and 30 messages from girls who were nervous and wanted my advice. So, it was worth it, in my mind.”

Here, Cadenhead gives all the details on her latest rush experience, how her mindset as a sophomore has changed, and her best advice for anyone rushing for the first time.

Elite Daily: Going into rush, how was your mindset different this year versus last year?

Morgan Cadenhead: I rushed incorrectly last year. I fully admit that. It was partially because I never knew anybody who did Greek life.

This year, I spent about six months preparing. I had a set of flashcards with every house’s name, nickname, founding date, and philanthropy. I also spent two to three months curating my outfits to make sure they fit the theme. It really didn’t matter at the end of the day, but I did try.

ED: Did you change up how you were posting this time around?

MC: Yeah, I didn’t do any ads leading up to rush week, and I haven’t done any paid videos since March. Still, I got in trouble because some people thought my OOTDs were ads, but none of them were.

ED: Why would that get you in “trouble”?

MC: During rush week, the idea is you’re supposed to be focused on rushing and sisterhood. When you’re not on sorority row, you’re expected to come home and reflect on it.

ED: Did that affect other PNMs who were posting about their rush experience, as well?

MC: This year’s rush class got away with a lot. Some people were doing huge unboxing hauls in the middle of rush week, which is a no-no. Ads are another huge no-no. I didn’t want them to get in trouble, but I was blown away by how much they got away with because people on social media were so focused on me supposedly doing things wrong.

ED: Were you surprised when you found out you were dropped from primary recruitment?

MC: I wasn’t surprised when I got dropped because I only got invited back to one house the day before. I am surprised that I didn’t make it to sisterhood, though, because I did last year when I was acting an absolute fool, posting on the internet.

ED: When you got dropped last year, you shared a video of yourself crying. This year, you seemed more resigned about it. What prompted that change?

MC: Last year’s video is probably the most real I’ve ever been online, so I don’t regret it. The issue is that people didn’t like it. The message in the comments became “poor Morgan,” and some people hated that. They thought I was just doing it for sympathy — that I wasn’t serious about rushing and was just posting for clicks.

This year, I cried, too, but I made sure I stopped crying long enough to get dressed, put my makeup on, and do the whole video. I did not want the narrative to be “poor Morgan” again. After I filmed, I just devolved.

Rush can be brutal.

ED: You said before that you wanted to humanize the rush process, making more relatable videos that show it isn’t all glamorous all the time. Why was that important to you?

MC: Rush can be brutal. When you tell people that it’s this beautiful process, it’s deceitful. I think the cops were on sorority row every day during rush this year because girls were passing out from not drinking water in the heat.

ED: How was your experience with the other PNMs in your rush class this year?

MC: Last year, my Rho Chi group [recruitment group] and I hung out. We went to an ice cream shop. We were friends. This year’s rush class was different — none of them would even look at me or associate with me. After the first day, I decided I was going to keep my distance a little bit.

I also reached out to some girls who were posting on TikTok to see if they wanted to get coffee. Only three of them responded. The other four or five didn’t want anything to do with me. I understand it to an extent — some of them might think that I was out to get them or something. Still, some were openly rude right to my face.

ED: What’s your hope for continuous open bidding?

MC: I’m hoping to find a house that’ll give me a chance. I feel like I haven’t gotten that yet.

A lot of people think I got a snap bid last year and declined it because I only wanted to be in a top house. But I didn’t get a snap bid either year. The truth is, I would’ve been more than grateful to accept one.

ED: What advice would you give to someone hoping to rush a sorority?

MC: It’s not the end of the world to get dropped. I’ve lived through it twice. I’m not going to lie, it’s mortifying — but it’s not the end of the world.

Also, be realistic with your expectations. This year, some people dropped the lower houses immediately and only kept top houses because they thought they were going to get those — I’d try to have a well-rounded mix instead.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.