<p>this was posted on the Tulane forum but moved here for more opinions</p>
<p>it seems to me that unless you have known someone for quite some time (example-friend from home) that the pot luck roommate has just as much chance of success as seeking someone out during a one or two day get together at the college campus or some other function hosted by the school to get potential students together.
Furthermore, i think that students who pot luck roommates are more likely to accept their roommate. There really are no preconceived expectations about the roommate. A student will be happy to land a semi-normal individual who is respectful and reasonable. Getting along well enough to actually become friends would be a bonus.
Sometimes when arranging a roommate prior to school starting, the expectations can be elevated to another level and one or both of the students may have regrets about the process they chose to get a roommate.</p>