ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – For many incoming college students, the transition to university life can be overwhelming. From navigating a new campus to finding friends and roommates, the process often feels daunting.
Recognizing this challenge, four University of Michigan juniors created an innovative solution: MeetYourClass, an app designed to help students connect with one another before they even arrive on campus.
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This specialized platform is aimed at assisting fellow college-goers in connecting with potential friends, roommates, study partners, and beyond, even prior to starting their campus journey.
Since its launch, MeetYourClass has rapidly gained popularity across academic institutions throughout the country, boasting a user base of over 360,000 individuals that spans across 900 schools according to a report from MLive.
MeetYourClass: The genesis of an idea.
The brainchild of Blake Mischley, Kaleb Schmottlach, Jon Millar, and Jonah Liss, MeetYourClass was launched in September 2022. These students, all in their early twenties, aimed to create a platform that would make it easier for college students to form connections based on shared interests and needs.
Mischley, a computer science major from Grand Rapids, explains that the goal of MeetYourClass is not to compete with giants like Facebook or Instagram but to complement these platforms. He said, “When we started this, one of our main theses was, students don’t want to download another crappy social media. We’re never going to compete with Mark Zuckerberg. But where we can compete is building an informational hub where students can find each other, find resources easily.”
Building a community before stepping on campus.
The essence of MeetYourClass lies in its ability to foster a sense of community among students, particularly those who are moving to a new city, state, or even country for their education. By allowing users to create detailed profiles – including photos, majors, hometowns and interests – the app helps students find friends, roommates, and study buddies with similar interests.
Mischley highlights the importance of this community-building aspect, especially for Generation Z and Generation Alpha, who prioritize relationships and experiences.
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“They want to go into college with that peace of mind that they at least have some form of community or group before they get there,” he noted.
How MeetYourClass works.
Upon creating a profile, students can post it to a university-specific feed on the MeetYourClass website. This allows classmates to discover and message each other based on shared interests and needs. The app also features a global feed where students can view posts from other schools.
MeetYourClass distinguishes itself from other platforms with its full-text search capability. Users can search for specific criteria – such as a roommate who plays hockey and is from Lansing – making it easier to find exactly who they’re looking for without endless scrolling. This functionality sets MeetYourClass apart from traditional social media and even dating apps like Tinder.
Integrating with social media.
Understanding that students often use social media as search engines, the MeetYourClass team has integrated their platform with Instagram and Facebook. They manage over 300 school-specific social media communities where students can post their profiles and connect with peers. This strategy ensures that even students who do not use the app directly are still engaged through their preferred social media platforms.
“Our bread and butter is reaching students where they are,” Mischley explained to MLive. “If a student is not on our platform, they’re never going to delete Instagram. So whether or not they’re on our platform, we’re usually still able to engage with them in some way.”
From a beverage venture to a networking platform.
The concept of MeetYourClass originated from an entirely different business venture. While developing a caffeinated beverage during their freshman year, Mischley and Liss sought ways to market their product to students. They soon realized the value in creating a centralized platform for student engagement, which led them to pivot from the beverage business to focusing on MeetYourClass.
Rapid growth and future plans.
In its first year, MeetYourClass attracted over 170,000 users and has since more than doubled its user base. The founders have secured $120,000 from TechStars Detroit, a venture capital accelerator program, and an additional $42,000 from various competitions. The team has also expanded, adding five full-time employees dedicated to development, design, and community management.
Partnering with universities.
MeetYourClass is also looking to partner with universities to enhance their outreach and support student engagement. By collaborating with admissions departments, the app aims to become a valuable tool for universities facing declining enrollment and other challenges.
As MeetYourClass looks ahead, its founders remain committed to empowering students, one connection at a time.
