The most important decision a senior makes after deciding which college to attend is choosing who to live with for the next four years. 

Navigating the search process can be a challenging and uncertain time. Nora Hellerman, a student residential assistant at the University of Florida, explained the significance of choosing the right person.

“Choosing a roommate is a daunting task,” Hellerman said. “Living with another person can be challenging and awkward, so picking the person you live with is an important decision.”

Fortunately, several services offered through university residential living departments and mobile apps are available to students overwhelmed with the roommate-finding process.

Some students search for roommates by using apps. Many colleges and universities even partner with social networking sites to help connect their applicants to a larger network of incoming students. 

Apps like RoomieMatch and Diggz can help students match with potential roommates. After taking a short quiz and registering at their college, students can meet other people with similar interests going to their college. 

One app, ZeeMee, is used by over 200 colleges and universities to help students get matched with potential roommates. Apps like this include personality tests and questionnaires to help students seeking a roommate with similar goals, hobbies and dispositions find one another.

Student Caffe, a blog resource for prospective college students, advises that when completing college rooming questionnaires in their search, students should be truthful about themselves.

“It is important to be honest as it will only benefit you,” Student Caffe’s website says. “You wouldn’t want to be paired with someone who said that they were a night owl on their questionnaire, but in reality, turns all the lights on at 5:00 a.m. each morning. These lifestyle choices affect your happiness with your living situation.”

Universities also offer match services through their residential living departments. Students complete questionnaires, upload pictures and write descriptions of their ideal living situations. Directors of those programs give compatibility scores to students and share their contact information among the students who seem to be a good match. 

College counselors also exist to help future college students. Katelyn McAdam, a student counselor for CollegeRaptor, says that social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are other sources for a search. She also recommends attending admitted student events, scholarship programs and college fairs to connect in person. 

Several university residential resources, mobile apps, and student events are available to help make the roommate search a more smooth experience.