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The League App, Inc. was founded in 2014 by Amanda Bradford, who also serves as its CEO.<ref name="gwells101216">Georgia Wells, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/dating-apps-court-older-wealthier-users-1476277090 "Dating Apps Court Older, Wealthier Users,"] ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', October 12, 2016.</ref><ref name="mhaber">Matt Haber, [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/style/the-league-a-boutique-approach-among-dating-apps.html "The League, a Dating App for Would-Be Power Couples,"] ''[[New York Times]]'', January 23, 2015.</ref> A graduate of the [[Stanford Graduate School of Business]], Bradford had previously worked at [[Salesforce]], [[Google]], and [[Sequoia Capital]].<ref name="mhaber"/> She conceived this an exclusive dating app after growing frustrated with her own online dating experience.<ref name="abcnews">[http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/controversial-dating-app-singles-highstandards-29521182 "Controversial New Dating App Is for Singles with High Standards,"] [[ABC News]], March 10, 2015.</ref> Bradford has stated that The League's market lies between traditional, marriage-focused dating apps like [[eHarmony]] and simple location-aware apps like [[Tinder (app)|Tinder]].<ref name="gwells021815">Georgia Wells, [https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/02/18/the-league-dating-apps-velvet-rope-and-how-to-get-past-it/ "'The League' Dating App's Velvet Rope – and How to Get Past It,"] ''Wall Street Journal'', February 18, 2015.</ref> A primary focus of The League app is helping women find partners who are compatible with their professional goals.<ref name="mmanzhos">Mariya Manzhos, [https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/10/17/use-the-league-new-dating-app-you-need-invitation/I2KXCJXyEgwEA0hCXMy21N/story.html "To use The League, a new dating app, you'll need an invitation,"] ''[[Boston Globe]]'', October 17, 2016.</ref>
The League App, Inc. was founded in 2014 by Amanda Bradford, who also serves as its CEO.<ref name="gwells101216">Georgia Wells, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/dating-apps-court-older-wealthier-users-1476277090 "Dating Apps Court Older, Wealthier Users,"] ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', October 12, 2016.</ref><ref name="mhaber">Matt Haber, [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/style/the-league-a-boutique-approach-among-dating-apps.html "The League, a Dating App for Would-Be Power Couples,"] ''[[New York Times]]'', January 23, 2015.</ref> A graduate of the [[Stanford Graduate School of Business]], Bradford had previously worked at [[Salesforce]], [[Google]], and [[Sequoia Capital]].<ref name="mhaber"/> She conceived this an exclusive dating app after growing frustrated with her own online dating experience.<ref name="abcnews">[http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/controversial-dating-app-singles-highstandards-29521182 "Controversial New Dating App Is for Singles with High Standards,"] [[ABC News]], March 10, 2015.</ref> Bradford has stated that The League's market lies between traditional, marriage-focused dating apps like [[eHarmony]] and simple location-aware apps like [[Tinder (app)|Tinder]].<ref name="gwells021815">Georgia Wells, [https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/02/18/the-league-dating-apps-velvet-rope-and-how-to-get-past-it/ "'The League' Dating App's Velvet Rope – and How to Get Past It,"] ''Wall Street Journal'', February 18, 2015.</ref> A primary focus of The League app is helping women find partners who are compatible with their professional goals.<ref name="mmanzhos">Mariya Manzhos, [https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/10/17/use-the-league-new-dating-app-you-need-invitation/I2KXCJXyEgwEA0hCXMy21N/story.html "To use The League, a new dating app, you'll need an invitation,"] ''[[Boston Globe]]'', October 17, 2016.</ref>


After raising a pre-seed round of funding, the app launched in private beta mode in [[San Francisco]] in November 2014.<ref>Ellen Huet, [https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2014/09/15/the-league-dating-app-for-the-elite/#26917f9b2992 "Are You 'Kind Of A Big Deal?' Dating App For Elites Will Protect Your 'Personal Brand',"] ''[[Forbes]]'', September 15, 2014.</ref> The League officially launched in San Francisco as an [[iOS]] app in January 2015,<ref name="gwells021815"/><ref name="ashontell">Alyson Shontell, [http://www.businessinsider.com/the-league-launches-in-ny-2015-5 "Highly selective dating app The League launches in New York, and only 2,500 people are allowed to use it,"] ''[[Business Insider]]'', May 7, 2015.</ref> after closing a $2.1 million round of seed funding from [[Silicon Valley]] venture capitalists<ref name="mhaber"/><ref name="ashontell"/> including [[IDG Ventures]], Structure.vc and Sherpa Ventures.<ref>Jonathan Shieber, [https://techcrunch.com/2015/01/22/investors-join-dating-app-the-league-with-2-1-million-seed-round/ "Investors Join Dating App The League With $2.1 Million Seed Round,"] [[TechCrunch]], January 22, 2015.</ref> Within a few months, there were approximately 100,000 people on the waitlist.<ref name="ashontell"/> The app launched in [[New York City]] in April 2015,<ref name="abcnews"/><ref name="ashontell"/> [[Los Angeles]] in April 2016,<ref name="aha042816">Anthony Ha, [https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/28/the-league-launches-a-rebuilt-event-centric-dating-app/ "The League launches a rebuilt, event-centric dating app,"] TechCrunch, April 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Ashley Tibbits, [http://la.racked.com/2016/5/4/11591048/the-league-dating-app-amanda-bradford-san-francisco-los-angeles "This Controversial, SF-Based Dating App Is Now Drafting In LA,"] [[Racked.com]], May 4, 2016.</ref> [[Boston]] and [[Chicago]] in October 2016,<ref name="mmanzhos"/><ref name="mgraham">Meg Graham, [http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-the-league-dating-chicago-launch-bsi-20161026-story.html "The League brings invite-only dating app to Chicago,"] ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', October 26, 2016.</ref> and [[Washington, DC]], in November 2016.<ref>Lisa Bonos, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2016/11/21/would-a-clinton-voter-date-a-trump-supporter-actually-the-outlook-is-good/ "Would a Clinton voter date a Trump supporter? Actually, the outlook is good."] ''[[Washington Post]]'', November 21, 2016.</ref><ref>Rachel Kurzius, [http://dcist.com/2016/12/exclusive_dating_app_the_league_has.php "Exclusive Dating App 'The League' Has Thousands On A D.C. Waitlist,"] DCist.com, December 27, 2016.</ref> The app has announced plans to expand into 10 international cities in 2017, starting with [[London]].<ref>Rachel Thompson, [http://mashable.com/2017/03/27/the-league-launch-london-dating-app-elite/#89MF8x4mUsqE "For Those Seeking Drive, Not Double D's,"] [[Mashable]], March 27, 2017.</ref> The app launched on [[Android (operating system)|Android]] in January 2017.<ref name="aha012617">Anthony Ha, [https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/26/the-league-brings-its-picky-dating-app-to-android/ "The League brings its picky dating app to Android,"] TechCrunch, January 26, 2017.</ref><ref>Mariella Moon, [https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/25/the-league-dating-app/ "Exclusive dating app 'The League' is now on Google Play,"] [[Engadget]], January 25, 2017.</ref>
After raising a pre-seed round of funding, the app launched in private beta mode in [[San Francisco]] in November 2014.<ref>Ellen Huet, [https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2014/09/15/the-league-dating-app-for-the-elite/#26917f9b2992 "Are You 'Kind Of A Big Deal?' Dating App For Elites Will Protect Your 'Personal Brand',"] ''[[Forbes]]'', September 15, 2014.</ref> The League officially launched in San Francisco as an [[iOS]] app in January 2015,<ref name="gwells021815"/><ref name="ashontell">Alyson Shontell, [http://www.businessinsider.com/the-league-launches-in-ny-2015-5 "Highly selective dating app The League launches in New York, and only 2,500 people are allowed to use it,"] ''[[Business Insider]]'', May 7, 2015.</ref> after closing a $2.1 million round of seed funding from [[Silicon Valley]] venture capitalists<ref name="mhaber"/><ref name="ashontell"/> including [[IDG Ventures]], Structure.vc and Sherpa Ventures.<ref>Jonathan Shieber, [https://techcrunch.com/2015/01/22/investors-join-dating-app-the-league-with-2-1-million-seed-round/ "Investors Join Dating App The League With $2.1 Million Seed Round,"] [[TechCrunch]], January 22, 2015.</ref> According to the company, within a few months there were approximately 100,000 people on the waitlist.<ref name="ashontell"/> The app launched in [[New York City]] in April 2015,<ref name="abcnews"/><ref name="ashontell"/> [[Los Angeles]] in April 2016,<ref name="aha042816">Anthony Ha, [https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/28/the-league-launches-a-rebuilt-event-centric-dating-app/ "The League launches a rebuilt, event-centric dating app,"] TechCrunch, April 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Ashley Tibbits, [http://la.racked.com/2016/5/4/11591048/the-league-dating-app-amanda-bradford-san-francisco-los-angeles "This Controversial, SF-Based Dating App Is Now Drafting In LA,"] [[Racked.com]], May 4, 2016.</ref> [[Boston]] and [[Chicago]] in October 2016,<ref name="mmanzhos"/><ref name="mgraham">Meg Graham, [http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-the-league-dating-chicago-launch-bsi-20161026-story.html "The League brings invite-only dating app to Chicago,"] ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', October 26, 2016.</ref> and [[Washington, DC]], in November 2016.<ref>Lisa Bonos, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2016/11/21/would-a-clinton-voter-date-a-trump-supporter-actually-the-outlook-is-good/ "Would a Clinton voter date a Trump supporter? Actually, the outlook is good."] ''[[Washington Post]]'', November 21, 2016.</ref><ref>Rachel Kurzius, [http://dcist.com/2016/12/exclusive_dating_app_the_league_has.php "Exclusive Dating App 'The League' Has Thousands On A D.C. Waitlist,"] DCist.com, December 27, 2016.</ref> The app has announced plans to expand into 10 international cities in 2017, starting with [[London]].<ref>Rachel Thompson, [http://mashable.com/2017/03/27/the-league-launch-london-dating-app-elite/#89MF8x4mUsqE "For Those Seeking Drive, Not Double D's,"] [[Mashable]], March 27, 2017.</ref> The app launched on [[Android (operating system)|Android]] in January 2017.<ref name="aha012617">Anthony Ha, [https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/26/the-league-brings-its-picky-dating-app-to-android/ "The League brings its picky dating app to Android,"] TechCrunch, January 26, 2017.</ref><ref>Mariella Moon, [https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/25/the-league-dating-app/ "Exclusive dating app 'The League' is now on Google Play,"] [[Engadget]], January 25, 2017.</ref>


==Operation==
==Operation==
===Features===
===Features===
Users connect their [[LinkedIn]] and [[Facebook]] profiles and then select their preferences for matches, with criteria including gender, age, height, distance, education, religion and ethnicity.<ref name="mgraham"/><ref name="mkosoff">Maya Kosoff, [http://www.businessinsider.com/we-got-inside-the-tinder-for-elites-heres-what-its-like-to-use-2015-9/#this-is-amanda-bradford-she-founded-the-league-with-the-goal-of-making-power-couples-by-matching-up-highly-motivated-single-professionals-1 "We got inside the 'Tinder for elites' – here's what it's like to use,"] ''Business Insider'', September 15, 2015.</ref> They can chat with matches, and add photos and information about themselves. Matches have expiration dates, so that if a match doesn't respond within three weeks, it disappears. Each user is assigned a representative who can answer app-related questions. As with Tinder, users swipe right to indicate interest in a potential match, or swipe left to pass.<ref name="mkosoff"/> But unlike dating apps like Tinder that prioritize ease of use and abundance of choice with random matches, The League shows users only five potential matches per day.<ref name="mhaber"/> In April 2016, the app released a second, event-focused version, with members now able to organize events and create groups.<ref name="aha042816"/>
Users connect their [[LinkedIn]] and [[Facebook]] profiles and then select their preferences for matches, with criteria including gender, age, height, distance, education, religion and ethnicity.<ref name="mgraham"/><ref name="mkosoff">Maya Kosoff, [http://www.businessinsider.com/we-got-inside-the-tinder-for-elites-heres-what-its-like-to-use-2015-9/#this-is-amanda-bradford-she-founded-the-league-with-the-goal-of-making-power-couples-by-matching-up-highly-motivated-single-professionals-1 "We got inside the 'Tinder for elites' – here's what it's like to use,"] ''Business Insider'', September 15, 2015.</ref> They can chat with matches, and add photos and information about themselves. Matches have expiration dates, so that if a match doesn't respond within three weeks, it disappears. Each user is assigned a representative who can answer app-related questions. As with Tinder, users swipe right to indicate interest in a potential match, or swipe left to pass.<ref name="mkosoff"/> But unlike dating apps like Tinder that prioritize ease of use and abundance of choice with random matches, The League shows users only five potential matches per day.<ref name="mhaber"/> The same mechanism had already been adopted by another dating app, [[Coffee Meets Bagel]]. In April 2016, the app released a second, event-focused version, with members now able to organize events and create groups.<ref name="aha042816"/>


In June 2016, the app added a feature for women interested in freezing their eggs.<ref name="efink">Erica Fink, Anastasia Anashkina and Maya Dangerfield, [http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2016/06/21/the-league-egg-freezing-amanda-bradford.cnnmoney/ "Why this dating app founder is freezing her eggs,"] [[CNN]], June 21, 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videos/should-i-freeze-my-eggs "Should I Freeze My Eggs?"] ''[[The Doctors (talk show)|The Doctors]]'', April 16, 2016.</ref> The feature connects women who want to discuss fertility.<ref name="efink"/> In July 2016 The League hosted its first in-person educational mixer on the subject, with a panel of fertility experts discussing options with attendees.<ref>[http://globaldatinginsights.com/2016/07/25/the-league-hosted-an-egg-mixer-to-teach-women-about-egg-freezing-fertility-options/ "The League Hosted An 'Egg Mixer' To Teach Women About Egg Freezing & Fertility,"] Global Dating Insights, July 25, 2016.</ref>
In June 2016, the app added a feature for women interested in freezing their eggs.<ref name="efink">Erica Fink, Anastasia Anashkina and Maya Dangerfield, [http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2016/06/21/the-league-egg-freezing-amanda-bradford.cnnmoney/ "Why this dating app founder is freezing her eggs,"] [[CNN]], June 21, 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videos/should-i-freeze-my-eggs "Should I Freeze My Eggs?"] ''[[The Doctors (talk show)|The Doctors]]'', April 16, 2016.</ref> The feature connects women who want to discuss fertility.<ref name="efink"/> In July 2016 The League hosted its first in-person educational mixer on the subject, with a panel of fertility experts discussing options with attendees.<ref>[http://globaldatinginsights.com/2016/07/25/the-league-hosted-an-egg-mixer-to-teach-women-about-egg-freezing-fertility-options/ "The League Hosted An 'Egg Mixer' To Teach Women About Egg Freezing & Fertility,"] Global Dating Insights, July 25, 2016.</ref>
Line 34: Line 34:
The League offers a paid membership that grants access to additional features, including profile customization and feedback from The League, additional daily matches, and invitations to live events.<ref name="abcnews"/><ref name="mmanzhos"/><ref name="aha031717">Anthony Ha, [https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/17/the-league-adds-read-receipts/ "The League adds read receipts, so paid members can confirm when someone is really ghosting them,"] TechCrunch, March 17, 2017.</ref> In March 2017, The League added read receipts as a feature for paid members, so users can know when a message has been read.<ref name="aha031717"/>
The League offers a paid membership that grants access to additional features, including profile customization and feedback from The League, additional daily matches, and invitations to live events.<ref name="abcnews"/><ref name="mmanzhos"/><ref name="aha031717">Anthony Ha, [https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/17/the-league-adds-read-receipts/ "The League adds read receipts, so paid members can confirm when someone is really ghosting them,"] TechCrunch, March 17, 2017.</ref> In March 2017, The League added read receipts as a feature for paid members, so users can know when a message has been read.<ref name="aha031717"/>


==Controversies==
⚫
==Charges of elitism==

⚫
The League's exclusivity has been controversial,<ref name="abcnews"/> with its application process leading ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]'' to criticize the concept as elitist.<ref>Natalie Kitroeff, [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-09-05/this-stanford-mba-thinks-elitists-need-their-own-tinder "This Stanford MBA Thinks Elitists Need Their Own Tinder,"] ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]'', September 8, 2014.</ref> Bradford views any elitism inherent in the app as a selling point,<ref name="mhaber"/> preferring to term it "curated"<ref name="mmanzhos"/> and viewing it as a way for career-focused individuals to find potential matches.<ref name="mgraham"/> It has been referred to as "the [[Ivy League]] of dating apps"<ref name="abcnews"/> and "Tinder for elites".<ref name="mkosoff"/>
⚫
===Charges of elitism and racism===
⚫
The League's exclusivity has been controversial,<ref name="abcnews"/> with its application process leading ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]'' to criticize the concept as elitist.<ref>Natalie Kitroeff, [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-09-05/this-stanford-mba-thinks-elitists-need-their-own-tinder "This Stanford MBA Thinks Elitists Need Their Own Tinder,"] ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]'', September 8, 2014.</ref> Besides, Bradford said the app was designed to appeal to people who value "ambition and intelligence above everything else", which is why, in its homepage, the website asks "So you want to date someone who shares your education level and ambition?"<ref name="thesun">{{cite news |url=https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/3416729/are-you-pretty-or-rich-enough-to-use-the-league-a-tinder-for-the-elite-app-thats-just-launched-in-london/ |date=April 26, 2017 |accessdate=August 16, 2017 |work=[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]] |title=‘Tinder for the Elite’ app called The League launches in London – but are you pretty or rich enough for it?}}</ref> On the other hand, Bradford views any elitism inherent in the app as a selling point,<ref name="mhaber"/> preferring to term it "curated"<ref name="mmanzhos"/> and viewing it as a way for career-focused individuals to find potential matches.<ref name="mgraham"/> It has been referred to as "the [[Ivy League]] of dating apps"<ref name="abcnews"/> and "Tinder for elites".<ref name="mkosoff"/>

Allegations of racism were due to the requirement for the user to declare their ethnicity,<ref name="complex">{{cite web |url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2015/01/the-league-dating-app-racist |title=New elite dating app is racist |date=January 27, 2015 |accessdate=August 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://evidence-based.review/amanda-bradford-the-league-app-6251776075.html |title=Amanda Bradford and "The league app" ripoff |accessdate=August 16, 2017}}</ref> and the ability to filter non-white users.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gawker.com/dating-app-ceo-im-not-an-elitist-just-an-asshole-1737896774 |title=Dating app CEO: I'm not an elitist, just an asshole |date=October 21, 2015 |accessdate=August 16, 2017}}</ref> However, Bradford said people wanted to know about a person's race, and the "ethnicity data" is meant to help the site be more inclusive by being "diverse".<ref name="complex"/>

===Waiting list===
The app claims to have long waiting lists for each city, which is why Bradford stresses "patience over a quick fix"<ref name="dmn">{{cite web |url=https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-dallas-morning-news/20170717/282364039727773 |title=Will you make the League's cut |date=July 17, 2017 |accessdate=August 16, 2017}}</ref> and users may have to wait for months before being accepted, assuming they will ever be accepted.<ref name="thesun" /> However, any user can pay a non-refundable $180 fee to bypass the line right away.<ref name="dmn" />


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 08:08, 16 August 2017

The League
Developer(s)Amanda Bradford (Founder & CEO)
Initial releaseJanuary 17, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-01-17)
Operating systemiOS, Android, Web
Websitewww.theleague.com

The League is a social and dating mobile application launched in 2015 and available in several cities in the United States on iOS and Android. It is a members-only swiping app aimed at professionals, with acceptance and matches based on LinkedIn and Facebook profiles.

History

The League App, Inc. was founded in 2014 by Amanda Bradford, who also serves as its CEO.[1][2] A graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Bradford had previously worked at Salesforce, Google, and Sequoia Capital.[2] She conceived this an exclusive dating app after growing frustrated with her own online dating experience.[3] Bradford has stated that The League's market lies between traditional, marriage-focused dating apps like eHarmony and simple location-aware apps like Tinder.[4] A primary focus of The League app is helping women find partners who are compatible with their professional goals.[5]

After raising a pre-seed round of funding, the app launched in private beta mode in San Francisco in November 2014.[6] The League officially launched in San Francisco as an iOS app in January 2015,[4][7] after closing a $2.1 million round of seed funding from Silicon Valley venture capitalists[2][7] including IDG Ventures, Structure.vc and Sherpa Ventures.[8] According to the company, within a few months there were approximately 100,000 people on the waitlist.[7] The app launched in New York City in April 2015,[3][7] Los Angeles in April 2016,[9][10] Boston and Chicago in October 2016,[5][11] and Washington, DC, in November 2016.[12][13] The app has announced plans to expand into 10 international cities in 2017, starting with London.[14] The app launched on Android in January 2017.[15][16]

Operation

Features

Users connect their LinkedIn and Facebook profiles and then select their preferences for matches, with criteria including gender, age, height, distance, education, religion and ethnicity.[11][17] They can chat with matches, and add photos and information about themselves. Matches have expiration dates, so that if a match doesn't respond within three weeks, it disappears. Each user is assigned a representative who can answer app-related questions. As with Tinder, users swipe right to indicate interest in a potential match, or swipe left to pass.[17] But unlike dating apps like Tinder that prioritize ease of use and abundance of choice with random matches, The League shows users only five potential matches per day.[2] The same mechanism had already been adopted by another dating app, Coffee Meets Bagel. In April 2016, the app released a second, event-focused version, with members now able to organize events and create groups.[9]

In June 2016, the app added a feature for women interested in freezing their eggs.[18][19] The feature connects women who want to discuss fertility.[18] In July 2016 The League hosted its first in-person educational mixer on the subject, with a panel of fertility experts discussing options with attendees.[20]

Selection process

The League aims to create a community of ambitious, successful, well-educated professionals.[2] Each member receives one ticket to bring in a friend, allowing that friend to bypass the application process. Without a ticket, a potential user can sign up for the waiting list. The League scans an applicant's Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to analyze alma maters, degrees, professions, industries, social influence, neighborhood and age. Diversity of applicants is also considered.[2][4][5] Users who exhibit poor behavior, such as standing up others on dates or sending inappropriate messages or photos, can be kicked off the platform.[11]

As of August 2016, the median age of the users was 28. They are 95% straight, and 99% have a college degree.[21] As of 2017, The League was accepting approximately 10-20% of users who sign up.[15] In May 2016, the app began allowing people older than 40 to sign up.[1]

The League offers a paid membership that grants access to additional features, including profile customization and feedback from The League, additional daily matches, and invitations to live events.[3][5][22] In March 2017, The League added read receipts as a feature for paid members, so users can know when a message has been read.[22]

Controversies

Charges of elitism and racism

The League's exclusivity has been controversial,[3] with its application process leading Bloomberg Businessweek to criticize the concept as elitist.[23] Besides, Bradford said the app was designed to appeal to people who value "ambition and intelligence above everything else", which is why, in its homepage, the website asks "So you want to date someone who shares your education level and ambition?"[24] On the other hand, Bradford views any elitism inherent in the app as a selling point,[2] preferring to term it "curated"[5] and viewing it as a way for career-focused individuals to find potential matches.[11] It has been referred to as "the Ivy League of dating apps"[3] and "Tinder for elites".[17]

Allegations of racism were due to the requirement for the user to declare their ethnicity,[25][26] and the ability to filter non-white users.[27] However, Bradford said people wanted to know about a person's race, and the "ethnicity data" is meant to help the site be more inclusive by being "diverse".[25]

Waiting list

The app claims to have long waiting lists for each city, which is why Bradford stresses "patience over a quick fix"[28] and users may have to wait for months before being accepted, assuming they will ever be accepted.[24] However, any user can pay a non-refundable $180 fee to bypass the line right away.[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Georgia Wells, "Dating Apps Court Older, Wealthier Users," Wall Street Journal, October 12, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Matt Haber, "The League, a Dating App for Would-Be Power Couples," New York Times, January 23, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Controversial New Dating App Is for Singles with High Standards," ABC News, March 10, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Georgia Wells, "'The League' Dating App's Velvet Rope – and How to Get Past It," Wall Street Journal, February 18, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e Mariya Manzhos, "To use The League, a new dating app, you'll need an invitation," Boston Globe, October 17, 2016.
  6. ^ Ellen Huet, "Are You 'Kind Of A Big Deal?' Dating App For Elites Will Protect Your 'Personal Brand'," Forbes, September 15, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d Alyson Shontell, "Highly selective dating app The League launches in New York, and only 2,500 people are allowed to use it," Business Insider, May 7, 2015.
  8. ^ Jonathan Shieber, "Investors Join Dating App The League With $2.1 Million Seed Round," TechCrunch, January 22, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Anthony Ha, "The League launches a rebuilt, event-centric dating app," TechCrunch, April 28, 2016.
  10. ^ Ashley Tibbits, "This Controversial, SF-Based Dating App Is Now Drafting In LA," Racked.com, May 4, 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d Meg Graham, "The League brings invite-only dating app to Chicago," Chicago Tribune, October 26, 2016.
  12. ^ Lisa Bonos, "Would a Clinton voter date a Trump supporter? Actually, the outlook is good." Washington Post, November 21, 2016.
  13. ^ Rachel Kurzius, "Exclusive Dating App 'The League' Has Thousands On A D.C. Waitlist," DCist.com, December 27, 2016.
  14. ^ Rachel Thompson, "For Those Seeking Drive, Not Double D's," Mashable, March 27, 2017.
  15. ^ a b Anthony Ha, "The League brings its picky dating app to Android," TechCrunch, January 26, 2017.
  16. ^ Mariella Moon, "Exclusive dating app 'The League' is now on Google Play," Engadget, January 25, 2017.
  17. ^ a b c Maya Kosoff, "We got inside the 'Tinder for elites' – here's what it's like to use," Business Insider, September 15, 2015.
  18. ^ a b Erica Fink, Anastasia Anashkina and Maya Dangerfield, "Why this dating app founder is freezing her eggs," CNN, June 21, 2016.
  19. ^ "Should I Freeze My Eggs?" The Doctors, April 16, 2016.
  20. ^ "The League Hosted An 'Egg Mixer' To Teach Women About Egg Freezing & Fertility," Global Dating Insights, July 25, 2016.
  21. ^ Katie Sola, "Dating App Data Reveals What Successful Men And Women Really Want," Forbes, August 24, 2016.
  22. ^ a b Anthony Ha, "The League adds read receipts, so paid members can confirm when someone is really ghosting them," TechCrunch, March 17, 2017.
  23. ^ Natalie Kitroeff, "This Stanford MBA Thinks Elitists Need Their Own Tinder," Bloomberg Businessweek, September 8, 2014.
  24. ^ a b "'Tinder for the Elite' app called The League launches in London – but are you pretty or rich enough for it?". The Sun. April 26, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  25. ^ a b "New elite dating app is racist". January 27, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  26. ^ "Amanda Bradford and "The league app" ripoff". Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  27. ^ "Dating app CEO: I'm not an elitist, just an asshole". October 21, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  28. ^ a b "Will you make the League's cut". July 17, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.

External links

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