University Housing and Dining Services will soon implement a new program for matching roommates.

Housing administrator Lindsay Partlow said the matching process starts when the student is admitted to the university.

Once students are admitted to the university, they have access to the MyEIU portal and must pay a $50 application fee for housing.

A person’s age, year in school, bedtime habits, study habits and whether or not a person smokes are the major factors in how roommates are matched typically, Partlow said.

Starting in March, applicants will be able to find their roommates in a new way through the housing office.

Jeremy Alexander, coordinator of residential communications, said the office will contract a new program called RoomSync.

He said the decision was prompted by the experience of other schools implementing similar proceses.

Portlow said the new program will allow students to search for a roommate before the school year starts.

“Starting in the fall, students will be able to go onto the application and put in their habits and preferences for what they may be looking for in a roommate,” Portlow said.

Portlow said the program will give recommendations for matches based on compatibility.

“It is kind of like online dating, but for roommates,” Portlow said.

Lindsey Hunter, a housing representative, said making sure both people have made the request on their actual room and board contract is extremely important.

Room and board contracts are due at the beginning of March, when the matching begins, and students are notified in May of their roommate and room assignments.

Portlow said the original roommate setup process is vague and the new application should make it more fun for students.

In addition to who students will be living with, they also figure out where they will be living.

Hunter said the new program will be a good thing, but wants students to not rely solely on the site.

Krysten Wharton can be reached at 581-2812 or ktwharton@eiu.edu.