Residence Halls

TIPS FOR SELECTING A ROOMMATE

When you live on campus at Oregon State, you're surrounded by fellow Beavs who will support you, befriend you and inspire you. Some of the most important people alongside you on the journey? Your roommates. Here are some tips to help you understand and navigate the roommate selection process.

1. Set up your roommate profile

For new students applying for housing in the spring for fall term move-in, Oregon State uses an online roommate matching system called My College Roomie. Filling out the online questionnaire in My College Roomie allows you to find potential roommates in the system if you want to choose your own roommate, and will help our staff match you if you do not choose your own roommate.

• Know that once you accept a friend request from someone they will be able to see your profile information, including gender identity.
• Please review our Application Date timeline to find out when roommate matching is available for you. Roommate matching is available during different time periods for new students than for current Oregon State students.
• For incoming fall 2021 first-year students, roommate matching is from May 5, 2021 to June 1, 2021.

2. Search for a roommate

Once you've filled in the My College Roomie online questionnare, you can search for potential roommates. You can connect with students the system identifies as a potential match, or search on your own. 

• Make sure potential roommates are eligible for the same communities you are; for example, pre-Business students may only match with other pre-Business students.
• If you already have a potential roommate in mind, you can search for specific students that you know have applied for housing.

If you have any questions as you go through this process, please contact us.

3. Push yourself outside your comfort zone.

We understand the process of looking for a roommate can be challenging, and even a little uncomfortable. We encourage you to embrace this process for all that it represents about your transition to life in college.

• Don’t just accept the first roommate request you receive; actively engage in conversations with multiple roommates to see who will be the best fit for you.
• Once you have found a roommate, let others you have been talking with know you have found someone else.
• Consider living with someone you don't already know. While you do have the option of matching with a friend from home, be aware that becoming roommates sometimes creates conflict within friendships. We encourage you to try building a relationship with someone new.

4. Be patient with the process.

The roommate matching process remains open for several weeks, and every day more new Beavs complete their online questionnaire and join the pool of potential roommates. If you don't find a good fit the first time you search, check back in a week and search again. Take your time to find someone who is a good match for you.

5. Talk to potential roommates about where you want to live.

If you want to be in Cauthorn Hall, and your potential roommate wants to be in Sackett Hall, that will eventually be a problem. Also, talk through the Living Learning Communities and Special Interest Communities you are interested in with potential roommates. Make sure you are interested in the same communities.

• Be aware that while we do our best to assign students to the halls and room types they are most interested in, we are not able to honor every request.

6. Confirm your roommate.

You've found the perfect match. Great! You need to confirm your roommate or roommates in My College Roomie to ensure you are connected in the assignment process. Roommate matches must be mutual -- meaning both parties have confirmed the match in My College Roomie -- in order to be valid.

• You can see all requests you have sent or received and the status of that match on the roommate search page.
• Review our important application dates timeline and make sure you confirm a roommate by the deadline. If you do not confirm a roommate in My College Roomie, our staff will assign you a roommate.