Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 21:35     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
Anonymous wrote:NP - just throwing in here that from the perspective of 17/18 year olds starting college this is a big deal. We may not like it but this is the way roommates are found at many schools now and girls, especially, tend to get very invested, especially when they don't know many other students. My DD is at a big state school (not ours) and spent many weeks finding a roommate on Instagram and by the time they started school -- eight months later -- after they'd planned their room decor, etc., they had truly become friends. It's not really for us, as middle aged parents, to judge this dynamic or how they feel about their new friendships. Anyway - of course your DD should go to the right school for her and treat her (former) chosen roommate with kindness and grace, and it will be fine, but let's be respectful of the reality of how this all works today too.


Well said. My kid would be sad but recover!

I think random can be so much better though!
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 21:28     Subject: Re:What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
Anonymous wrote:DS told potential roommates in his post that he was on waitlists. He paired with two other guys that were also on waitlists. DS did get off but realized he actually preferred the school he’d already committed to instead so turned the spot down.


Not a bad idea to match with others holding out hope for waitlists so at least the expectations among roommates are similar and there may be more understanding if one backs out.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 18:43     Subject: Re:What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
DS told potential roommates in his post that he was on waitlists. He paired with two other guys that were also on waitlists. DS did get off but realized he actually preferred the school he’d already committed to instead so turned the spot down.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 18:30     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
What do roommates have to do with it? Just go random.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 18:28     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
NP - just throwing in here that from the perspective of 17/18 year olds starting college this is a big deal. We may not like it but this is the way roommates are found at many schools now and girls, especially, tend to get very invested, especially when they don't know many other students. My DD is at a big state school (not ours) and spent many weeks finding a roommate on Instagram and by the time they started school -- eight months later -- after they'd planned their room decor, etc., they had truly become friends. It's not really for us, as middle aged parents, to judge this dynamic or how they feel about their new friendships. Anyway - of course your DD should go to the right school for her and treat her (former) chosen roommate with kindness and grace, and it will be fine, but let's be respectful of the reality of how this all works today too.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 16:01     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is it heartbreaking ?
After they put in their rooming requests , how do you deal with it ?

How do you break the news ?
Especially if they are already calling each other besties already


This is the strangest concern ever.






It's kind of odd to post about it but I get the concern. My daughter spent a significant amount of effort finding a roommate from Instagram (a process which frankly sucked) and would be super bummed if this person matriculated. She's really happy with the girl she ended up connecting with--they've from across the country and really seem to compliment each other.


oops. matriculated "elsewhere"


and just to add, it's complement--like you complete me. At least that's how I remember it
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 15:37     Subject: Re:What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
they are already calling each other besties


Well, this relationship was going to go down in flames. Just a matter of time.
Not a reasonable approach.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 15:34     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
I have loved so much of the W&M onboarding process, but they've moved to a "idk find a roommate on Instagram?" model and it has added so much stress to my kid's summer. After years of me talking about how "personal" W&M is, this feels like a giant step backward, and I hope they go back to an "assigned roommates based on surveys" model for the future.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 15:30     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
Anonymous wrote:Am SO GLAD that my DC's university does not allow students to self-select roommates in advance. I think that system adds a whole layer of unnecessary stress, right when students should take a minute to relax.

I wonder if that data would support non-random roommate selections leading to better overall first year experiences . . . . My hypothesis would be no. But I have no data


Yes, of course..I think almost all of us would agree. Making the kids select their own roommates stinks. I have twins--one is attending a school that randomly assigns everyone, one had the option to choose and most kids do and it added a bunch of stress to an already stressful end of senior year.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 15:15     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
Yesterday got off waitlist for Northwestern. DS figuring it out with roommate.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 14:57     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
This is a reasonable concern but agree that everyone will quickly move on.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 14:48     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
Am SO GLAD that my DC's university does not allow students to self-select roommates in advance. I think that system adds a whole layer of unnecessary stress, right when students should take a minute to relax.

I wonder if that data would support non-random roommate selections leading to better overall first year experiences . . . . My hypothesis would be no. But I have no data
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 14:41     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is it heartbreaking ?
After they put in their rooming requests , how do you deal with it ?

How do you break the news ?
Especially if they are already calling each other besties already


This is the strangest concern ever.






It's kind of odd to post about it but I get the concern. My daughter spent a significant amount of effort finding a roommate from Instagram (a process which frankly sucked) and would be super bummed if this person matriculated. She's really happy with the girl she ended up connecting with--they've from across the country and really seem to compliment each other.


oops. matriculated "elsewhere"
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 14:40     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is it heartbreaking ?
After they put in their rooming requests , how do you deal with it ?

How do you break the news ?
Especially if they are already calling each other besties already


This is the strangest concern ever.






It's kind of odd to post about it but I get the concern. My daughter spent a significant amount of effort finding a roommate from Instagram (a process which frankly sucked) and would be super bummed if this person matriculated. She's really happy with the girl she ended up connecting with--they've from across the country and really seem to compliment each other.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2025 14:36     Subject: What is the latest your child got off the waitlist ? How did you deal with their current roommatr
Anonymous wrote:Is it heartbreaking ?
After they put in their rooming requests , how do you deal with it ?

How do you break the news ?
Especially if they are already calling each other besties already


This is the strangest concern ever.