- The Inner Circle is a selective dating app with 1.3 million users across the world, but they only approve about half the number of people who apply.
- There's one particular thing that will mean applicants are immediately rejected: "duck face" mirror selfies.
- According to the app's founder, David Vermeulen, people who take such pictures are not "the perfect fit" for the Inner Circle.
Group shots, half-naked gym mirror torso pictures, and Snapchat filters: there are certain types of photos that dating app users are tired of seeing.
But it turns out there's one style of picture in particular that may not just be putting off potential matches, but actually hindering your chances of getting accepted onto selective apps.
Anyone who posts a "duck face" mirror selfie will not be allowed to join elite dating app The Inner Circle, the company's co-founder David Vermeulen told INSIDER.
The app has 1.3 million users in 41 cities across 25 countries around the world, but there are currently 1.2 million people on the waiting list. What's more, there are 3,000 to 4,000 more people applying to become a member every day.
About half the people who apply are approved immediately, but people with "duck face" mirror selfies will be rejected.
"When somebody registers for The Inner Circle we look at whether they have a good picture," Vermeulen says. "Are you the only person in it? Is it a selfie with 'duck face' in the mirror? We still have those unfortunately… that’s not the perfect fit."
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The selection process is not only down to photos, though — the team of seven dedicated screeners (aided by an initial algorithm) also look at age, profession, and education.
The average Inner Circle user is 31, but most are between the ages of 25 and 45. Celebrities or models, however, may get approved even if they're in their early 20s. The app has had applications from "Game of Thrones" cast members and famous DJs — "We triple-check those people," Vermeulen says.
Although being selective is controversial, Vermeulen says the screening is "necessary" in order to "connect like-minded people" and create "balance."
And balance is interpreted in various ways — in Amsterdam when the app first launched, for example, The Inner Circle found it was being dominated by people working for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as colleagues recommended it to each other.
"It was like KLMdating.com," Vermeulen laughs. "I'm not approving everyone from KLM any more because you don't want it to be only that. You want to have more balance."
Despite the fact that Vermeulen says the Inner Circle is about connecting like-minded people, he also says they want it to be a diverse platform: "We don't want just City workers, we want people in the creative industries too, people working in sports and entertainment."
The app may have a reputation of being "elite," but that doesn't necessarily mean you won't be accepted if you're a student or working in a lower-paid job — you just need to show that you're serious about dating and put effort into your profile.
It's probably best to leave the "duck face" mirror selfie out, though.
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