Are you looking for an exclusive dating experience? Look no further than Raya, the most exclusive dating app launched in 2015. Raya is designed for individuals like you who value an elite dating environment and may face challenges with other popular dating apps due to your popularity, success, or status

It has gained a lot of attention because of a large amount of celebrities being on it and it has a reputation as being the “celebrity dating app,” but most of Raya’s users are professionals living in big cities around the world including LA, NYC, London and Paris.

The Raya app says that they want to have a “diverse and dynamic” group and make their selections with this in mind. They also mention that they are against “consistent displays of excessive shows of wealth.”

It’s seems that being at the top of your game regardless of what that game is, is what they are looking for since they mention that “being an expert in something” is a positive. They also mention sharing “a common bond with the Raya community” is important.

It’s also very important to note that to get on Raya you have to have an IG account and a pretty good one. This means that you need to give your photos a double check or if you do not have a lot of content you need to work on that and bring it up to speed. It does really help to have strong following but it’s not essential.

I know tons of great prominent people who are “still waiting” and also know lots of other people that have simpler lives and styles who got on very fast. It’s a very unpredictable system. The only guarantee seems to be for A-list celebrities who make it on immediately.

You can basically think of Raya as a new night club that only connected, beautiful or famous people can get into.

Raya has an acceptance rate which is extremely low compared to other paid membership clubs and sites. They have over 900,000 people on their waiting list, this amount is growing daily.

Most people will not get accepted but do not worry if you don’t get on, even celebrities and models have not been accepted (such as Demi Lovato ). When it comes to online dating it’s best to have the biggest pool to choose from and often “VIP” clubs and groups are full of people who are tight on time, consider themselves to be above the normal person and will not give you the attention you deserve.

Right now Raya has a 4.2 rating on the Apple Store and this is from 7.7k users. Hinge currenly has a 4.5, Bumble has a 4.2, Tinder a 3.9 and OKC a 4.3.

The Application Process

The Raya application process boils down to two things: your Instagram account and having referrals from existing members.

If you don’t have an Instagram account or aren’t recognized in the media, chances are you will not get accepted (at this moment), even with recommendations from various members.

However, you can still get on Raya without a referral through an invite from their team granting you access to create your Raya account. This will be  quite a difficult process if your instagram isn’t extremely popular or if you are not a public person. 

You can be accepted in as little as a few days and as long as a few months, and even a few years! Raya’s acceptance process works differently compared to most dating apps.

Raya will keep you pending indefinitely without sending a rejection email, adding to the mystique and allure of the app.

The exclusivity and length of Raya’s waiting list contribute to its reputation and appeal.

Our Experience with Raya 

At Elite Dating Managers we have a lot of experience with Raya as we have dating consulting services and often recommend this app to users who we believe will get accepted, haven’t had success with other common apps, that live in big cities and that have high standards.

Raya, has undergone significant changes since it started. In the past, it was free and easily accessible, but now Raya costs $9.99 as a monthly subscription. 

Raya proves it worth as a platform beyond traditional dating apps, providing a distinct and captivating experience exclusively for people with within this tight-knit community of beautiful and successful members.

We have found Raya to be successful for people who are looking for a very particular type of person such as men looking for models and women looking for successful men and have a hard time finding this type elsewhere. 

What we have noticed is:

• Acceptance usually comes in one week to a couple of months
• We have had a lot more men get accepted compared to women 
• Fame isn’t necessary
• An instagram page with sharp photos and a lot of followers is the best thing you can do to get on
• You can contact them about being on the waiting list, having referrals and it can move you up or get you automatically accepted.

Using the app

Using Raya is similar to using other apps where you write a bio, upload photos and a song in this case, and connect to other members who like you back.

They have social mode, but let’s keep it real 99% of people use this app for dating and hookups.

Connections will disappear in 10 days, which I think is a really good amount of time unlike other apps who disappear in 24 or 48 hours which is too short.

Instead of profile pictures, it makes people create a little photo slider with a selected background song. This allows you to see various photos and hear somebody’s taste in music.

A lot of the photo sliders you will see on Raya include photos that are professionally taken photos and bikini shots.

Location

You can also enable your location on Raya which I think is a feature all dating apps should have the option of doing. In big cities like London and New York, it’s much more convenient to meet with somebody who lives close by than somebody who is on the other side of town.

Privacy

Raya is serious about privacy. You’re also not allowed to screenshot, and you’ll be given a numbered and filed warning if you do.

Also Raya is very clear about their guidelines and they can always kick you off, so most members are well behaved in terms of following their rules so they won’t be kicked off.

Notable members have included

Famous members have included: Ben Affleck, Channing Tatum, Joe Jonas, Demi Lovato, Nicole Byer, Keke Palmer, Sharon Stone, Moby, Lily Allen, Paul Bissonnette, Cara Delevingne, Matthew Perry, Raven-Symoné, Jack Whitehall, Niall Horan, Emily Atack, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Brittany Furlan, Tommy Lee, Whitney Cummings, Lil Dicky, Melissa Villaseñor, Nikki Glaser, Bob Saget Chelsea Handler, Drew Barrymore, and John Mayer. 

So is it worth the hype?

We don’t think so. Two members of our staff are on it and many of our clients. They have never crossed a celebrity profile (come on let’s admit the true appeal is a shot of going out with a celebrity). They also haven’t raved about how dates were much better coming from Raya.

We had more negative feedback than positive, saying that most people were really into themselves and took very little time to learn about their dates. 

So Raya is basically like a restaurant or club that you can’t get into, once you get in you realizes it’s pretty much like every other trendy place in town.

Raya Dating Alternatives

There are tons of great apps that have a selective crowd and cater to a more educated and professional crowd. If you are on the eternal Raya waiting list then these are some great alternatives to the Raya app. It’s also important to remember that people have terrible dates on Raya also.

Online success comes down to prequalifying, investing time and luck. We usually recommend a phone call before the date to make use you feel the chemistry, if you don’t on the call there is no point of meeting in person.

Some great alternatives are EliteSingles, The League, Bumble, A Small World and Hinge.

A Small World

So technically A Small World is not a dating site but it a great way to connect with other distinguished people in your city or when traveling. They are much more of a social group than a dating site because they have a lot of great event invitations all over the world such as ski trips, wine tastings and cocktail parties in trendy, hard to get into places.

They do have a membership fee for $105 but most people we know who have used the site say it’s well worth the fee.

This is a great way to connect to people that live in metropolitan cities. When you are a member you receive all of the invitations across cities and are also able to reach out to and connect with people according to location.

The League

 “Are your standards too high? Keep them that way.”

The League is amid at connecting people who are successful and educated. It asks you for your LinkedIn profile and try to connect you with people who are on the same professional level as you. It’s a great site for successful people.

Elite Singles

Elite Singles is for well, people who consider themselves to be elite or who are looking for somebody who is elite. This is a good site if you live in a big city like NYC or London. We have found that it’s a very small pool of choices in other cities. You can even break it down by profession if, for example, you only want to date people like yourself who work in finance. 

Bumble

Bumble is great for younger people, under 35, who want to have women have more power in this process. Often younger women get tons or matches and messages and this makes online dating a bit overwhelming. Bumble makes things simpler and easier for women to find what they want. Women are required to message first with Bumble. It also takes the pressure off of men who are tired to sending messages without getting any replies. Matches also expire so you don’t have a huge list of people who never messaged you which is nice.

If you have any questions about your dating experience and want to know how Elite Dating Managers can help you save time and see better results please feel free to contact us for more information or for an online consultation.