University Housing has launched the DAWG House, an online roommate search program for use by incoming first-year students. The DAWG House was created in 2004 in response to a request from UGA’s Student Government Association to allow new students more participation in the roommate selection process.
The program was created after an extensive search on roommate matching programs for college students found that no system of roommate matching previously used had generated any better results than random matching. A study of more than 700 UGA students found that those who had more control over the process indicated that they were more satisfied with the roommate relationship. Using this information, the DAWG House was piloted with students enrolled in the 2004 Freshman College Summer Experience program where it was favorably received.
Now available to incoming first-year students after they register, new students are able to visit the DAWG House Web site, create a personal profile by answering 16 questions, list personal information about themselves they want others to know, and then begin the roommate search for those persons whose profiles most closely match their own.
More then 600 newly-accepted UGA students created profiles and searched for roommates in the first two weeks of the program was available.