For up-and-coming college students, the age of meeting your roommate on move-in day is over. What was once a random surprise is now comparable to online dating.
Teens want people who share their values, interests, and habits; they want people they can rely on. To get there, they’re willing to go through a process that mirrors the world of online dating: profiles, surface-level conversations, and first meetings.
Senior Rayleigh Heims began her search with a cousin.
“I found my roommates by talking to my cousin from a different school,” said Heims, who plans to attend Kirkwood Community College in the fall.
As they chatted, they realized they shared the same interests and goals for college, so they teamed up and ended up finding two more roommates they already knew. A group chat formed, and the excitement grew.
“We all get along really well and are basically the same person—copy and paste,” Heims said.
However, she admits the process was not as easy as it sounds.
“I was a little stressed at first because I didn’t know anyone going to (Kirkwood),” she said. “I just had to talk to more people and branch out a bit more out of my comfort zone.”
Some people rely on more modern tools, such as Molly Waterhouse, who found her roommates through an app.
“Kirkwood has an app that you go through, called Roomsync, and it’s pretty much Tinder for roommates,” she said. “You literally swipe left or right if you like or don’t like someone.”
Waterhouse has already met her roommate, and they are planning to hang out soon. For her, tools like Snapchat make the process more personal.
“I feel like I can get to know people better by seeing their reactions,” she said. “It forces you to actually have a conversation rather than hiding behind texting and being dry.”
Her approach mirrors the pre-date conversations many couples go through—testing compatibility through quick updates of daily life.
While some find promising connections, others struggle with the early-stage awkwardness.
Similar to countless other seniors, Rachel Anderson, who plans to attend the University of Iowa, is growing frustrated by her lack of luck.
“It’s annoying trying to text everybody,” she said. “I’ve texted like twelve people, and they all have been really dry.”
She compares it to “talking stages” nowadays, where people text, hang out, and get to know each other to see if they want to date. “It’s almost like I’m being ghosted,” Anderson said.
Izzy Demmer also took to Instagram, posting on the University of Iowa Class of 2030 page and DMing people with similar interests.
“Right now, I have one potential prospect, and I think it is going well,” she said.
Though she finds the process “painful” at times, she believes the effort will pay off.
“In the end, the result will be better because you find someone like you,” she said. “And by the time school starts, you already have a friend!”
