How do colleges pair roommates?

Student Lounge College Life
21

<p>I go to quite a small college (around 1000 students) and those in charge of residential life really put a lot of thought into pairing students. If you go to a small college, there's a much better chance of administrators carefully considering the best matches for roommates. My college seemed to not only pair roommates carefully, but put thought into the entire sections of dorms and placement of certain students with common interests, opinions or work habits.</p>

<p>However, if you go to a large university, and perhaps especially a public one, there will probably be considerably less time and concern given over specific placements and pairings among roommates. That's one of the advantages of going to a small college-- you don't easily get lost among a sea of other students, and the administration generally knows who you are and will care how you feel.</p>

22

<p>I also go to a small college. (300 students total)
and there is a known fact that they lost all of the roommate serveys. instead of saying that they lost them, the knew what we looked like and paired us up by looks. </p>

<p>no, im not joking. We all wondered why we were all confusing eachother for roommates, but soon we tracked down the girl who paired us and figured it out. </p>

<p>so yeah, roommate matching is random. I got stuck with the 16 year old. Its been an experance. One i really want to be over.</p>