Smoker/Non-Smoker: You will be asked whether you are a smoker and whether you would be willing to live with a smoker. Be warned that applicants may fib on this question if they are filling it out with a parent peering over one shoulder. Answer your questionnaire as honestly as possible out of courtesy for your prospective roommate.
Bookworm or Party Animal? Some students do the bulk of their schoolwork in their dorm room and are early to bed, early to rise, and in need of peace and quiet. Others burn the midnight oil, catch up with friends, jam out on their guitars, or talk endlessly on the phone. Most of us fall somewhere in between, and being the strange creatures that we are, our behavior can even vary on a day-to-day basis. But if getting a full night of sleep is usually a priority, you will have a chance to express it to the residential life staff.
Other habit considerations include frequency of guests, musical preference, and other general interests. These small details may not seem like a big deal, but they can help to narrow down your prospective matches.
Freshmen may also be able to choose between different residence halls. Often a medium or large-sized campus will have special dorm complexes for sports, arts, honors students, single sex, foreign exchange students, students who wish to live in substance-free housing, and students with disabilities. Each of these areas may have activities or facilities that are specifically geared toward its residents and their interests as well as any special rules that may apply. While an honors dorm might have a computer lab, it also might have quiet time in effect 24 hours a day.
You may also have the choice of different styles of dorm rooms or apartments. As you gain seniority in the following years, more options open up, such as fraternity or sorority houses, co-ed living situations, on-campus apartments, or single-room situations. Your choice of residence halls will also help with roommate selection: if you have each requested the same living environment, you're off to a good start.
Now that you know what to expect as far as housing preferences go, be prepared to complete and return your paperwork as soon as possible. A quick response often means you have a better chance of getting what you asked for, as long as your deposit has been paid. It's important to note that housing is usually assigned on a first come/first served basis, a process that in some schools leaves tardy housing applicants to fend for themselves.
Although each school likely has their own specific matching process, the variables you have chosen are the main consideration. It is in the school's best interest for your roommate relationship to be a successful one.
It is possible that you already know and wish to live with someone who will also be an incoming freshman at the same school in the fall. If this is the case, the room request will not likely be processed until both applicants have submitted all materials and their deposits. Keep in mind that while rooming with someone you already know may be a safe, comforting option, you may be depriving yourself of the exciting opportunity to get to know and learn to live with a complete stranger.
By the end of the summer, you will receive detailed information about your fall assignment-your campus address and phone number and the name of your roommate, usually accompanied by a phone number or other contact information. At this point you may choose to get in touch with him or her to introduce yourself and get an idea of what to expect, as well as discuss practical issues, such as who's buying what or whether or not you're going to go all out and get a mini-fridge.
Try not to anticipate the level of harmony you will achieve with your roommate. Even if you don't hit if off magnificently, don't fret: the ideal roommate is often one with whom you do not spend every waking moment. Remember that it's hard to adjust to living with anyone, so cut your roommate some slack. The point of being paired with a roommate freshman year is not to terrorize, but to encourage socialization. With this in mind, try to consider this first match as an adventure.
