As an International Student, How Can I Find a Roommate in the U.S? -

Roommates can truly make or break your college experience. Choosing the best fit will create a healthy and enjoyable living environment. Even if you don’t plan to be home as often in college, it’s still nice to live with someone you like. Below, we have detailed 5 tips for international students to help you find great roommate(s) that suit your living situation. It’s one thing to find a roommate—it’s another to create a safe and comfortable space for everyone to come home to!

Tip 1: Start Early: Consider Your Options and Needs

In the initial stages of finding a roommate, begin with deciding your housing arrangements for the school year. Are you living on campus? Does your school allow you to live off-campus? The way you go about finding a roommate varies based on the logistics of your housing. For more information on how to live off-campus, view our blog post here.

Once you have confirmed your housing arrangements, consider what you need from a potential roommate. This may include expectations around cleanliness, availability, boundaries, time spent at home, decorating the space, splitting costs of shared items, and the level of friendliness you want to share. One of the biggest things to think about is whether you are looking for your roommate as well as a best friend, or more so an acquaintance. It’s important to look for a roommate compatible with your personal habits and lifestyle.

Tip 2: Check Your School’s Residential Life or Housing Office

When living on campus, first-year students may not get to choose their roommate(s). Many universities send housing questionnaires to match students based on their answers. Although a random roommate may not seem ideal, many students end up doing this and it is always an option—in many cases, first-year random roommates stay friends for all of college.

If you are not a first-year student or if your school allows, you may be able to request who you want to live with. Check your school’s residential life or housing website for more information.

Tip 3: Utilize School Platforms and Facebook Groups

For off-campus living, one of the more recognized places to find a roommate in college is your university’s affiliated or unaffiliated Facebook group(s). For many schools, you can find groups specifically for students to approach other students to live with. To find your college’s Facebook groups, search up the school’s name and keywords such as “roommates,” “housing,” or “off-campus” if that applies to you.

Some universities also have their own platform or website for students to find roommates. For most cases, you will need to supply your school email to access these platforms or groups. Check your school’s website for more resources specific to your college.

Tip 4: Other Alternatives

If you’re not keen on living with someone from your school, want to look for other options, or would like to meet a roommate more organically, there are many other alternatives! These include apps or websites specific to your city or state such as Roomi, Roomster, Craigslist, Reddit, RoomieMatch, Circle of Roomies, RoomEasy, SpareRoom, and many more. You can also look for a roommate in social (or virtual) gatherings such as prospective/transfer student events or any other meetups from your school.

Tip 5: Things to Keep in Mind

Choose a roommate who has similar living habits as you. Before moving in together, discuss what you expect out of each other out of respect.
Stay alert during your roommate search—especially when looking on platforms outside of ones recommended or affiliated with your school; be cautious of scams or unsafe situations you may be putting yourself in.
Roommate compatibility may not be parallel to friendship compatibility. When living with someone, you may be more prone to tensions unavoidable when sharing space, time, etc. Sometimes, friendships will be better off if you don’t live together.
Your school’s website has the most specific resources and information for your housing situation. For more information on how your school can help you with on-campus and off-campus housing, visit their website.

Other Helpful Resources

Here at ISO, we hope you find the perfect match for a roommate! Once you have found a roommate and settled into a network of friends at college, be sure to utilize our referral program! ISO members save money by enrolling with ISO. You can help your friends save too! Give them the gift of health (insurance), and you get wealth ($10) in return. After all, health is wealth!