Misguided parental advice on how to fill out a survey can also contribute to mismatches. Santa Clara's Franke recalls a particularly protracted battle over tidiness. The housing office consulted the original questionnaire and realized that a sloppy student had checked ''neat and clean'' for his room preference. When questioned about that, he confessed that his parents had suggested the idea. What he hadn't learned at home, they felt, he would absorb if placed with a tidy roommate.
Freshmen expecting to find a best friend for life in a new roommate are likely to be disappointed.
But some pairings work out. Angie Sanfilippo and Amy Locatelli, recent graduates of Santa Clara, were freshman roommates and remain best friends. World Report Inc. All rights reserved. Read our information page .