So, you've been accepted to the Disney College Program, now what? Well, for me, the next step was to find roommates for the program! To be honest, this was kind of a tricky and stressful situation, so I want to let you guys know about my experience, and share some tips with you on how to pick roommates for your program.
First off, join the Facebook group for your program. Sure, there are some posts on there that you really won't care about, but there are other really helpful posts that can answer some tricky questions. Additionally, as acceptances start rolling in, people create groups for each arrival date. Join this group too. I know it sounds like a lot, but you'll be thanking me later.
You have to understand, that while yes, there are thousands of students accepted into this program every semester, the number of potential roommates one can have is actually quite limited. First, you must live with the same gender. This means girls live with other girls and guys live with other guys. Then, you are further split by your age. People under 21 must live in wellness, which means that there is no alcohol allowed in the apartment. People over the age of 21 have the option to live in wellness or nonwellness, but it seems as if most people go the nonwellness route once they are of legal drinking age. Finally, you are split by your arrival and departure dates. You must check in and check out on the same day as your roommates. This is to make it easier for Disney to completely fill apartments for each program. Remember, when you check out, the next semester's participants will be checking in shortly after! So, while it may seem like there are tons of options for roommates, you have to remember that you need these three things in common in order for Disney to approve the match. For example, I looked for girls who were living in wellness and checking in on January 13 for Spring Advantage.
The next thing I recommend is to make a roommate survey. Usually people start filling them out as the acceptances begin coming in, so just copy someone's and change their answers to yours. BE HONEST! You will be living with these people for many months; don't just say something you think potential roommates will want to hear. If you are honest with yourself, you will most likely have better luck finding roommates who have similar tastes, interests, and habits.
So, after you've determined your criteria and filled out your roommate survey, the waiting game begins. People will start to look at your survey and see if you have things in common. Remember to also look at other people's surveys, you might find them before they find you! I remember being really stressed during the roommate search process, because it seemed like so many people had already found roommates. Just remember to be yourself, stay calm, and the right roommates will eventually come along!
I've listed some quick tips for the roommate search:
- Join the Facebook groups
- Create a roommate survey
- Browse other people's roommate surveys
- Decide which complex you are most interested in
- Determine the amount of people you are looking to live with
- Talk to everyone who seems interested; don't judge a book by its cover
- Make sure that the things that are most important to you line up with the other person's personality/characteristics/beliefs. For example, it was really important for me to have social roommates who would respect the rules we set place in the apartment!
- STAY CALM! Don't panic because it seems like everyone already has a roommate
- Don't just message people and say "want to be roommates?" Can you imagine someone coming up to you on the street and doing this? You would be extremely creeped out. Take the time to get to know someone, ask questions about them and their life, and then, if you feel it's right, ask them to live with you
- BE YOURSELF! I promise, you will eventually find people who like you for you, and who want to live with you. Remember, this is Disney. You will be meeting all kinds of different people from many different backgrounds; embrace it!
After doing all of this, I finally found roommates! The whole process probably took me about 2 weeks. I ended up finding 7 awesome girls (8 of us total) and we are hoping to live in a 4 bedroom apartment in Chatham Square.
Good luck with your personal roommate search! I know it can be stressful at times, but just remember that you will be spending the most magical time of your life with these people, so take the time to make sure they are people you see yourself spending these moments with.
If you have any questions, please let me know!
Best of luck out there, and as always, keep on dreaming!!
