This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mila Wagner-Sanchez, a freshman at Stanford Univeristy, who uses Date Drop, a new dating app created by Henry Weng, a Stanford senior. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I’m a 19-year-old freshman at Stanford University. I wasn’t sure what to expect on campus — whether people would be actively dating or not. I have friends on both sides of the spectrum; some are more focused on school and friendships, and some are in relationships.
But I initially found Date Drop through my friends.
It was one of those week one things — everyone was getting to know each other, and we all decided it could be fun if we signed up together.
Date Drop has interesting dating app features
I’ve never been on a dating app like Hinge or Tinder, but I was surprised by the complexity of the questions that Date Drop asked. The questions on Date Drop were like: “What do you do for fun,” “What are you doing academically,” “Do you have any age, height, or ethnicity preferences,” and so on.
It also asked whether you preferred long-term or short-term relationships, and how many kids you wanted. It was very comprehensive. There was even an open-ended question asking me to describe my perfect date.
Anyone on campus can sign up — from freshmen to seniors to grad students. We have another similar platform on campus called Marriage Pact that matches once a year, but Date Drop matches weekly.
Also, if you want to get to know someone, you can enter their info, or if you want to try to match two people, you can influence the algorithm. For example, you can play matchmaker and enter the info for two people across the hall from each other that you want matched. It never tells you who has put you into Date Drop; it’ll say that someone has “shipped” you with someone else.
I got matched twice
The first time, I was matched with a friend of mine, which was fun. We treated it as a friend date and went out to get coffee at a coffee shop that was giving out free drinks to Date Drop dates.
I was matched a second time, but that person didn’t reach out, so it went nowhere.
After that, I had other stuff going on, like midterms that I needed to focus on, and Date Drop had kind of lost its novelty. Most of my friends had a similar experience.
I’d be open to doing it again
Stanford is smaller, so I think it’s easier to get to know people than it is at a state school. There’s more of a community, and the chances of you knowing a friend who knows your Date Drop or a friend of a friend are high. A lot of people have similar interests, which makes it easier to strike up a conversation than it might be at a bigger school.
Our generation has grown up on online platforms and sees them as a way to connect with others. It’s definitely a culture shift. I also think it’s not bad to try something new. You never know what’s going to happen, and I think a lot of us go into it with that mentality.
While I didn’t find a match, I’d be open to doing it again in the future. I do know a couple of Date Drop couples. I’d do it again if it were something my sophomore year dorm wanted to do together, as a way to get out there and meet people.
