Schools still picking freshmen's roommates

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AMHERST, Mass., Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Officials at schools, including Amherst College in Massachusetts, say they are resistant to allowing freshmen to choose their own roommates.

Amherst officials said they use questionnaires to choose dormitory roommates for incoming freshmen as part of an effort to encourage new students to step outside their comfort zones and to get to know people from different backgrounds, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday.

Tufts University, Harvard College and Smith College also assign roommates to first-year students. Michael McCorvey, director of residence life at Babson College, said roommate requests are allowed by the school, but students rarely take the option.

"We like to think students recognize that there is a value in getting to know somebody else," McCorvey said.