Maybe I’m a little too into the idea of a “meet cute” and also lightly traumatized from observing my friends swipe through seemingly all of our high school class from my small hometown, but I’ve never really felt compelled to join any dating apps. However, when my best friend sent me a referral link to The League, I was intrigued.
The League markets itself as a dating app “designed for the overambitious.” The League is different from other dating apps in its selectivity of its users – you must be referred to join and your profile has to be approved by their team before you can use the app. So, I decided to utilize my lack of dating app experience and join The League for a week to give you my unbiased review.
Profile Set-Up
The League’s profile set-up starts off pretty basic, requiring a couple of pictures and a short biography, but then the app requires you to connect your LinkedIn and Facebook to your profile. Once submitted, your profile is put on a waiting list for approval, so The League can verify your education and work experience to attach to your profile, and then release your approved profile to their app.
The App Interface
The League’s home screen features approximately five “prospects” of the day, which are updated every day at 5pm, and the option to purchase “game changers” that help you increase your traction, such as more daily prospects and profile boosts.
One tab over is the messaging section, where you can view and message your current matches, expired matches, friends, events, and groups. The League sets a time limit on messaging matches, 14 days to be exact, before the match becomes expired. You can add your friends that are also on The League, join interest groups to meet more people, and attend and host events within the app. The League also pairs you with a concierge who messages you tips and tricks on how to best use the app’s features.
The League also has a “League Live” tab that operates on Sunday and Wednesday at 9pm, allowing users to go on 3-minute video dates, but not without first “getting in line” to join the guest list.
My Experience and Thoughts
Having set my location as the major city near my hometown, which is known for its tech companies and startups, most of the people I matched with were young professionals in those fields. I had a few nice conversations, but they were nothing exceptionally interesting, despite The League’s boastful description of their users as full of “passion and drive,”
While I understand that part of The League’s mission is to foster a community of high-achieving individuals, being encouraged to judge someone based on their education and work experience felt pretty pretentious to me. Just because a person went to a prestigious school or holds a high-paying job doesn’t make them better than everyone else, and “liking” them because of those qualities made me feel like I was just playing into this superiority complex. It also felt hard to get with The League’s quality over quantity approach of providing three to five matches per a day, with that as the app’s only unique value.
I can see The League as a refreshing option to professionals who are looking for someone to match their level and don’t want to sort through the limitless options on other dating apps, but I personally would be wary of the superiority mindset the app subconsciously promotes.