As seniors start to hear back from more colleges and begin to enroll, the question of how to find a suitable roommate has become an increasing concern for some. The Pharcyde spoke to several members of the Class of 2022 who have found or are searching for a roommate to gain a greater understanding of the process and all its moving parts.

In recent years, the development of technology has made it easier for high school students who have committed to a college to interact with one another. For instance, prospective students and those looking for roommates, have begun to flock
to ZeeMee, which describes itself as “the easiest way to connect and make friends at your school.” In addition to offering school-specific chats for all, once admitted, students can join smaller chat rooms specifically designed for those looking for a roommate before they step onto campus. The app currently has 1 million users.

Some seniors, such as Grady Wolf, who will be attending the University of Chicago in the fall, plan to use platforms like ZeeMee to search for a roommate.

“Since I was just recently accepted under the Early Decision II program, I haven’t begun to search for a roommate yet. However, I’m planning on starting soon so that I have a definite housing arrangement and
roommate come summer. ZeeMee is one of the apps I recently started using just to chat with other admitted students, and I’d like to use it to find a roommate for next year,” said a hopeful Wolf.

Although ZeeMee is one option for students to use when searching for a roommate, senior Robyn Duncombe, who next fall will be attending the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY, found hers through
Instagram.

“A lot of colleges have ‘Class of 2026’ pages so you can connect with [other admitted students] and get to know them before choosing a roommate, but I will say getting to know someone over text can be awkward,” Duncombe told The Pharcyde. “I be-
gan looking for a roommate around November because that was when I knew I was going to the University of Kentucky. I wouldn’t change the way I went about it. I love my roommate, we have a lot in common, and I know we’re going to have lots of fun,” she added.

However, while some seniors are actively looking for a roommate (or planning what they will do with their newly-found roomie), others are pursuing a different strategy: waiting for official University action.

One such student is senior Casey Crawford, who will be going to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. “Sometime this summer, Wake Forest will send a survey to all students about the things they’re interested in and what their habits are to match them with a compatible roommate. I’m just hoping for the best with the whole process,” Crawford noted.

Regardless of their methods, Benjamin seniors, such as Lauren Straub, who will be going to the University of Alabama, looked for specific attributes in their roommates in order to find the best match.

“When I was considering roommates I wanted girls who were similar to me and wanted to rush, go to sporting events, wanted to live in the same dorm, and would be people I would get along with and be able to talk to and who would be a real friend,” stated Straub.

However, Straub noted that she was worried that she wouldn’t find roommates who would share the same interests as her, and they would therefore not get along well once they moved in. Regardless, Straub is glad she found the roommates she did and
is “very excited to live with them!”