Date Drop returns following cease and desist

After a viral debut last fall quarter, Date Drop has returned to campus for the winter.

Date Drop, which sends weekly matches to students who participate, was created by Henry Weng ’25 M.S. ’26 and Madhav Prakash ’27, along with Lucas Gravina ’28 and Morgan Rangel ’28. Since its launch, the platform has reached more than 3,400 users, representing roughly 70% of Stanford’s single undergraduates, according to Weng.

“And people come back too — 58% of users come back four weeks later,” Weng wrote in an email to The Daily. “We tend to see the most activity at the start of each quarter when excitement is high, with some drop-off during midterms and finals.”

Although there is no data yet for winter quarter, Weng emphasized that Date Drop continues to serve a meaningful role on campus.

“I think what Date Drop reveals is that people genuinely want connection — they’re just looking for the right context to pursue it.” he wrote. “Dating is inherently vulnerable — the hope is that the structure of Date Drop, where you have a specific reason to reach out to a specific person, helps make that first step easier.”

In November, the matchmaking platform Marriage Pact sent a cease-and-desist letter to Date Drop, alleging that Date Drop copied parts of its questionnaire and website. In light of ongoing legal action, Date Drop has made product updates and continues operation. 

Some students, however, feel that the platform’s novelty has worn off.

Theodore Kratter ’29 said he participated in Date Drop every week last quarter but stopped this winter.

“I’d get this huge rush of dopamine every Tuesday night,” Kratter said. “It felt like this awesome drug [Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU)] gave out for free. I lowkey hope Marriage Pact goes through with their cease and desist letter so I’ll be forced to go cold-turkey.”

He added that over time, the experience began to feel “forced and unnatural,” comparing it to dating apps. 

“The first few weeks were great since everyone wanted to try it out, but now the only people to be matched with are the weirdos still doing it on Week 11,” he said.

Jeanine Longboy ’28 said she tried Date Drop once in fall quarter but decided not to continue.

“I’m more of the type of person to find connections through spontaneity,” Longboy said. “No one I know uses Date Drop anymore.”

She added that the difficulty she faced finding her match on social media and the uncertainty she felt about profile information discouraged her from pursuing the connection further.

Despite mixed student sentiment, online engagement suggests continued interest. On Fizz, multiple posts asking whether Date Drop would return received hundreds of upvotes, including “Why no Date Drop today?” and “So is Date Drop coming back?”

On Jan. 9, Date Drop sent an email to users confirming that the platform would continue this quarter. They also advertised several updates to its service including an AI “matchmaker,” the ability to add close friends and the option to upload profile photos.

“Rumors of our demise are… greatly exaggerated,” the email read. “We’re back, and here to stay.”

The number of students who will opt in when the next round of matches drop Tuesday, Jan. 13 is still unknown. 

Many students said they do not plan to opt in again. Some cited how easy it is to meet people on campus, while others said Date Drop’s preface of being “compatible” with your match can make reaching out every week feel pressured. 

Others described the platform more positively, especially freshman students who viewed it as a nostalgic element of their first quarter.

Abbey Kim ’29 said that although she did not end up dating her Date Drop matches, she found the experience enjoyable.

“It was such a fun way to meet new people and spend one-on-one time getting to know them,” she said. “Sometimes, I would get someone I already knew, and it was a nice excuse to get together.”

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