Students surf for dorm roommates

Web site takes anxiety out of college housing search

WebRoomz takes the college roommate matching process to the Internet.

(CNN) -- For a college student, the mystery of who will be a dorm roommate can add a lot of extra anxiety to the prospect of starting school. So, a Georgia university is among the first in the United States to provide a roommate match-matching service in which students handpick their dorm mates and rooms online.

Using a software program called WebRoomz, Kennesaw State University students fill out detailed personal profiles, answering questions about their hobbies, whether they drink or smoke, and personality traits. The computer then generates a list of those who are most compatible.

That's how sophomore Robin Crawford met two of her roommates, and says the process took some of the scary moments out of the roommate question.

"I think having the details helps me out a little bit," she said. "There's still a little apprehension but having the details and having chatted with them on the phone makes me feel a little bit better."

KSU junior Tyler Fishback took a different tack. She knew in advance who she wanted to room with, she just needed to secure the right room. WebRoomz handles that for the school, too.

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"I just put our names in (the system) and didn't have to worry about the administration mixing it up," Fishback said.

For KSU students, this new technology means being in control. For the university, it means filling 1,058 beds without shuffling a single piece of paper.

"There's a lot of staff time that's devoted to matching roommates," KSU Student Life Center Director Kathy Alday said. "Changing rooms around for people and processing that information. Having WebRoomz allows that to be done by them."

WebRoomz, which is also used by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, also handles the financial aspects of dorm life, with the students paying by credit card when they apply. The site then provides online account balances and payments from students or parents for the school.

WebRoomz

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