What do Northwestern students on Date Drop have in common? Most of them are night owls, most would want to talk to a partner often, and not many think having no social media is a green flag.
We looked at anonymized, aggregated answers from Northwestern 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 university. Here are some things they told us.
Night owls outnumber morning people
58% leaned toward being night owls, compared with 26% who leaned toward being morning people. The remaining 16% picked the middle. A late coffee or an evening walk by the lake will probably go over better than an 8 a.m. plan.
Most would want to talk often
60% leaned toward wanting constant communication with a partner, while 17% leaned toward needing space. That’s about a relationship, not a first date, but it’s worth knowing that a quick text after you meet probably won’t come across as too much.
Skipping social media isn’t a green flag
We asked whether having no social media is a green flag. Only 26% leaned toward agreeing, while 40% leaned toward disagreeing and 34% picked the middle. So if you post, you don’t need to hide it.
82% think adults should be sillier
82% leaned toward agreeing that adults should be more silly, and 64% leaned toward describing their humor as sarcastic. The people here seem to like a joke, even if not everyone tells the same kind.
Kind and intelligent lead the list
We asked people to choose the traits their friends would use to describe them. 57% chose kind, and 52% chose intelligent. Ambitious came next at 48%, followed by adventurous at 40% and creative at 35%.
How they think friends would describe them
Most are looking for something long-term
63% 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 34% want something short-term but are open to more. That’s what people say they’re looking for, not a prediction about what any particular match will become.
Plans are welcome, but leave some room
62% leaned toward embracing spontaneity, compared with 24% who leaned toward planning things out. And 46% leaned toward preferring weird or unconventional first dates, while 26% leaned toward classic ones. Pick a place to meet, but don’t be surprised if the night goes somewhere else.
These answers won’t tell you everything about a person. But they can give you a few things to ask about when you meet: when they do their best thinking, how often they like to text, and what made them laugh this week.
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 Northwestern Date Drop members who completed a questionnaire and shared their dating preferences, including people who joined in earlier semesters, 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 Northwestern students.