My experience with Datamatch this past Valentine’s Day...

As Valentine’s Day went and gone, so did the annual Datamatch, which is an online database that matches you to ten compatible matches. It’s very similar to MarriagePact, in which a survey is taken, and you’re matched with the person who would “complete” you best. Datamatch differs in a couple of important ways:  

  1. The survey is much shorter and the questions much more unserious.
  2. You get ten matches rather than just one.
  3. You can choose to get “friendship” matches rather than “love” matches.

I’ve done both Datamatch and MarriagePact this academic year (as well as the year before) and I’ve concluded that Datamatch is very much underrated. Let me break down my analysis of the database:

Pros:

  • You have ten different matches, so that’s ten different chances to match with someone who you might like.
  • You get to add a picture to your profile, including a bio and some prompts (which is lowkey giving Hinge).
  • You can choose to match with people close to your age.
  • You can choose to not match with people in SEAS (or other schools).
  • Before the survey deadline, you can say what dates you’re available to meet and whether you would like to meet in person or on Zoom.

Cons:

  • I’ve been matched with multiple people I know in real life.
    • Now whether this is a pro or con is up to you, but I know for myself it’s a bit awkward and something I would choose to avoid.
  • The questions provided don’t really seem to be able to match you based on compatibility and seem more random.
  • Some matches gave me no way to contact them. (Except for through the Datamatch website.)

Last year in February 2024 I got matched with two people I knew, and I decided to avoid them for the rest of the semester. The rest of the matches included some mutuals of friends and some complete strangers. Overall, an entertaining lineup, but not what I was looking for.

So, to say I was hopeful this year for something better is… somewhat accurate. I again was matched with a friend, but this time I was able to laugh with them about it. Most of my other matches did not have pictures or were complete strangers. So, again, this year was not a particular success.

Now, why would I be advocating for Datamatch when I haven’t had the most successful experiences? Well mostly because I believe in its potential. I think if more people had signed up, the matches could’ve been better, and I might have found love this time around. Yes, a little bit optimistic and naive, but don’t they say ignorance is bliss?

Now is me hyping up Datamatch a little hypocritical, considering I’ve never matched with anyone yet? Maybe. But I have reasons to be encouraging Datamatch, as stated above. I believe it is considerably better than MarriagePact as well, yet MarriagePact is considerably more popular for some reason. (So, I’m spotlighting Datamatch.) I’m writing this article to hype up the underdog of the dating survey world: Datamatch.

Image via Bwarchives