ROOMMATE MATCHING FOR HOUSING SELECTION AND THE IMPACT ON FIRST-YEAR STUDENT SUCCESS

Abstract

The college roommate experience can be one of the most important aspects of a students' undergraduate experience. As colleges and universities across the country have seen a steady increase in enrollment over the past three decades, so has the demand for living on-campus. In recent years, concerns have arisen as to the benefit and value of these experiences especially considering the significant costs of higher education. As such, it becomes increasingly necessary for institutions of higher education to ensure that the on-campus living experience is positive and beneficial. One aspect of this experience is a student's relationship with his or her roommate. In the past, roommate selection was a largely random process controlled by the institution's office of housing. In recent years, new processes have been created that place more of the control in the hands of the student. The purpose of the present dissertation is to investigate one of these roommate matching programs, the RoomSync Roommate Matching Program.