Each year, there are few days that bring such contrasting emotions to the world. February 14 brings an array of such emotions — whether they be positive, negative or a mix of both. Simply put: you either love it or you hate it.
It’s 2021. With the unique challenges that 2020 brought, the world itself has had to adapt in a variety of new ways, including changes to the dating scene. One of these revolutionary websites is a name you might have heard of: UW, meet Datamatch.
Datamatch is a free, online matchmaking service designated for college students across the nation. The company was originally thought up in 1994 by a few Harvard students, and their dream became a reality a few years later.
Today, Datamatch has expanded its boundaries to 30 schools across the nation, including top names like Yale, Princeton and Columbia University.
After registering through Datamatch’s website, users are given the opportunity to fill out a humorous survey created by real students from their university. These are customized each year, so there won’t be two of the same questions! To provide even further incentive, Datamatch will be randomly selecting a handful of users who fill out the survey to receive a $25 Ian’s Pizza gift card! The questions will definitely give you a good laugh!
On Valentine’s Day, you’ll receive ten other users that Datamatch’s algorithm has matched you with. Paired with someone that looks interesting? Hit the “Match” button, and see if you found your true love. Mutual ‘matches’ will be sent a notification, creating a potential for a new connection.
Taken? Datamatch also has options for making new friendships as well, so anyone can get in on the opportunity!
Introduced to UW-Madison in 2018, Datamatch has been connecting both undergraduate and graduate students for a little over three years.
Last year, over 4,200 students signed up for the program from UW alone, adding to the 40,000 total users nationwide. Sophomore Sydni Gburek has been using Datamatch since her freshman year.
“The questions make the entire experience,” she commented. “They are so original and relatable, especially for this semester!” Datamatch has introduced a few new features to this year’s experience, including the opportunity for users to choose personalized pronouns and gender identity. The in-depth options for creating the perfect profile are endless.
Additionally, a new feature called “Crush Roulette” allows users to submit a pair of people that they think should be matched — either themselves, friends or random people. The selected pair will then be given a higher chance of matching when results are released on Valentine’s Day.
The search for love has dramatically increased in difficulty with the recent shift to online environments. Yet, Datamatch is flourishing. Their overall mission circulates around the idea of bringing people together with a little amusement, even in the uncertain times that we now find ourselves in.
Be sure to head to www.datamatch.me to see if you could find your true love — or just win a gift card to Ian’s Pizza. It’s up for you to decide.
