Seniors finding roommates

TITLE

As the 2023-2024 school draws to a close, Hopkins seniors are focusing on their next four years. Now that they have selected what college they will attend, they can dive into the more nitty-gritty aspects. Out of the many details to consider, one of their concerns is finding a roommate for their college dormitory. A roommate is more than just someone who sleeps across the room from you. They are someone who will see you laugh, cry, get your first D, and be there when you are sick. Because of this, the roommate selection process is a key component of the college experience. Each school has its own method to match its students, but there is significant overlap. 

According to Hopkins seniors’ responses, the most popular method of finding a roommate is through social media. Andrew Zheng ’24, who will be attending the University of Pennsylvania, explained that “there are Instagram pages for the class of 2028 and people post bios there with pictures of themselves. You wait for people to reach out or you reach out and just start talking.” Zheng then said how he “chose [his roommate] based off vibes. I was talking with a bunch of people, but we just called and decided to be roommates.” Jeremy Mao ’24, who is committed to Purdue University, said that he went “onto the 2028 meet pages and found a bio that was interesting and DMed them on Instagram.” Jonathan Brooks ’24, who will be attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, echoed Mao’s statement, saying, “I’m following people and reaching out” by posting on the 2028 Instagram. Emma Yan ’24, who is enrolled at the University of Southern California, said that she is “looking through and trying to find girls with similar interests and that I think we would get along.” Once she identifies someone, Yan explains how she “DMs them and then eventually you have to pop the question.” 

Another online roommate finder is the app ZeeMee. Samuel Levchenko ’24, who will be attending Colgate University, said his school “sent out Zeemee and  you can use it to connect to people.” As of 2021, the app has partnered with over 165 colleges and universities and is used by over one million students throughout the United States.

The more traditional way to find a roommate is through a survey sent out by the school. Beyla Ridky ’24, who has committed to Smith College, said “the housing form asks a bunch of questions about how tidy you are, if you plan to have other people over in your room, etc., and then they match you.” Swarna Navaratnam-Tomayko ’24, who will attend Yale University this fall, said “You have to fill out a survey and [the school] will match you.”  These forms aim to group together students who will mesh well together, while also providing the randomness to allow for new friendships to form. Many schools offer this method in addition to the online forums so that students can choose the selection process that suits them best.

Some seniors happen to connect with a future classmate in other ways. Ridky said, “I met someone at an admitted students day and we totally clicked. Turns out she has similar living habits.” Levchenko said, “I have a friend of a friend that I know so I was able to reach out to him and get a roommate that way.” 

Regardless of how one chooses their roommate, all of Hopkins’ seniors have one thing in common: starting a new phase of their lives. Selecting a roommate who will hopefully be a positive part of that life is a daunting process, but there are numerous ways to do it.