Everyone remembers the summer before freshman year when you opened up the letter with your future roommate’s information (unless you were one of the lucky few to get a single) and prayed you would get along with this stranger.

Unfortunately, you didn't. He/she was the roommate from hell, who brought friends over 24/7, stood up at odd hours of the night, and rarely showered.

Fortunately, those days are behind us, thanks to new roommate matching systems that more and more colleges are starting to use.

Say goodbye to that useless 20-question survey that attempts to define you by your sleeping habits, cleanliness, musical taste and general personality (whether you're outgoing, quiet, popular or all of the above). Search engines, such as Georgetown’s CHARMS (Campus Housing Roommate Matching System), go further than that. With CHARMS, students can create personal online profiles where anyone can judge you accordingly (just like Facebook!). Unlike Facebook, users answer the typical 20 living-preference questions, which then narrow down the selection pool. Plus, you can communicate with potential roomies and see for yourself whether or not they’re “cool” enough for you.

In other words, the online roommate selection process allows you to find the exact replica of yourself, a person who talks, acts, dresses and pretty much does everything else the same as you.

Sounds like high school all over again.

Let’s just hope these young, naïve college-bound kids will learn to branch out, try new things, experiment—and pick someone different.

For those prospective college students who are paranoid about living with a complete stranger (I know I was), here's a list of some of the schools that allow you to choose your own roommate(s) via web:

• Emory University
• Georgetown University
• Northwestern University
• Rutgers University
• Texas A&M University
• Tulane University
• University of Georgia
• University of Southern California
• University of Utah
• University of Washington
• Western Washington University