Swarthmore’s resident matchmaker has once again taken campus by storm. After revitalizing Screw Your Roommate in the fall, Corinne Lafont ’26 has taken up a new project: Date Drop.
Just three days after Valentine’s Day, the entire campus received an email with an eye-catching subject line: “ARE U SINGLE? READY TO MINGLE?” In Lafont’s signature email style (multicolored and emoji-laden), she advertised Swarthmore’s newest way to date. Students just had to fill out a questionnaire and wait. Then, the site’s algorithm would match them with a compatible student, with a new name dropping every Thursday at 6 p.m.
Lafont first discovered the site from a Wall Street Journal article her mom sent her, which featured Stanford graduate student Henry Weng and his new matchmaking algorithm. Soon after, Lafont submitted a form to Date Drop, applying to bring it to Swarthmore.
Lafont explained that she wanted to use the site to emphasize forming new campus connections: “I 100% support Screw and Marriage Pact, but those only happen a few times a year. If you don’t really party, then it can be difficult to meet people. I know it’s funny to say that, considering how small Swat is, but sometimes we think it’s smaller than it actually is. Many Swatties are a bit shy when it comes to dating, so I figured Date Drop could connect us. It’s super low stakes.”
Swatties flocked to the site. By the time the first round of matches was announced, over 330 students had signed up — around 20% of the student body.
Once Tim Nagornyi ’29 got his match, he reached out to set up a date. Like Lafont, he views the site as a new way to connect with students: “I’m more so treating it as an opportunity just to meet someone I wouldn’t have otherwise, because I think it’s good to branch out.”
Nagornyi had participated in other Swat dating traditions in the past, like Marriage Pact, but preferred Date Drop. “[With Marriage Pact,] I just got my match and then didn’t do anything. I think [Date Drop] is more fun.”
Audrey Litman ’26 joined the site for a different reason: “Online dating is generally horrible. I’m tired of Hinge.” Like Nagornyi, Litman preferred Date Drop to other traditions. “It’s better than Screw … Marriage Pact feels more for like shits and giggles, I guess. Not that I think I’m gonna get married from Date Drop, but, you know.”
Even Lafont herself participated, stating, “Life is short. Why would I miss out on an opportunity to meet someone new?”
When users sign up for the site, they fill out an extensive questionnaire and receive a “quasi-Myers Briggs” relationship style based on their interests and values. Participants are asked to rate statements ranging from “I’d be OK with my partner being messy” to “I currently own or want to own a gun.”
Lafont explained to The Phoenix some of the key features of the app, clarifying its “crush” and “cupid” functions. “If you have a crush, you can send them an anonymous email to get on Date Drop. If your crush [also submits your name], then you will be automatically matched. Otherwise, nobody knows, so shoot your shot. … Your friends can set you up with the cupid function, and there’s a leaderboard for that, too.”
Students can still sign up for Date Drop, and Lafont encourages them to do so. “Try it! If you hate it, that’s fine. Plus, you can always delete it. For dating-site skeptics, I have one question: if you meet someone you connect with, does it really matter how you met?”
Lafont has advice for students hesitant to join as well: “Honestly, it’s scary to put yourself out there. It’s scary to date. But if there’s no risk, there’s no reward. Date Drop can be a super small step to gaining confidence in general. Maybe going on your date will push you to approach that special someone in real life.”
Lafont remained elusive when asked if Date Drop would be her final matchmaking endeavor on campus. Will the senior take one final stab at Swarthmore’s dating scene before she graduates this May?
