What do Dartmouth students on Date Drop have in common? Most of them would pick an unusual first date over a classic one, like to go with the flow, and describe their humor as sarcastic.
We looked at anonymized, aggregated answers from Dartmouth students who completed a Date Drop questionnaire and shared their dating preferences. No names, contact details, or individual answers are included. This is a snapshot of our community, not a survey of the whole college. Here are some things they told us.
An unusual first date wins by more than two to one
56% leaned toward preferring weird or unconventional first dates, while 21% leaned toward classic ones. That doesn’t tell us which activity anyone wants, but there’s a good chance your match would be up for something other than coffee or dinner.
Adventurous is near the top of the list
We asked people to choose the traits their friends would use to describe them. 60% chose kind, the most-selected trait. Adventurous came second at 47%, ahead of intelligent at 44% and ambitious at 41%.
How they think friends would describe them
Two-thirds like going with the flow
66% leaned toward embracing spontaneity, compared with 19% who leaned toward planning things out. A loose plan with room for a detour will probably suit most people here.
72% describe their humor as sarcastic
72% leaned toward describing their humor as sarcastic, and 85% leaned toward agreeing that adults should be more silly. Jokes are probably welcome, though it helps to make sure your match can tell when you’re kidding.
Most want to meet and find something long-term
76% leaned toward agreeing that they’re committed to meeting up with their match. And 65% said they were looking for a life partner or a long-term relationship, including people who want something long-term but are open to short-term. Another 32% want something short-term but are open to more.
That’s what people say they want, rather than a prediction about how any particular match will go.
These answers won’t tell you everything about a person. But they can give you a few things to ask about when you meet: the strangest thing they’d be up for doing on a date, what makes them laugh, and whether they like to plan ahead.
What is Date Drop?
Date Drop helps college students meet people for dates and friendship, without swiping. You answer a matching questionnaire, then choose each week whether you’d like a match. We use your values and preferences to look for someone you might connect with.
Get matchedAbout the numbers: This snapshot uses current saved answers as of October 15, 2026. Percentages describe verified Dartmouth Date Drop members who completed a questionnaire and shared their dating preferences, including people who joined in earlier terms, and are based on everyone who answered each question. For seven-point scales, “leaned toward” groups the three answers on that side of the midpoint. The traits question asked how friends would describe them. Answers are self-reported, and this group does not represent all Dartmouth students.