Five surefire tips for improving your online dating profile

Christian Rudder, the co-founder of OKCupid, visited campus in February to discuss the intersection of big data and online dating. In light of the success of the event, news@Northeastern spoke with professor Patricia Couple, who shared five great ways for you to refine your online dating profile. “With many popular apps and sites available,” she said, “these tips will surely improve the number of matches and the quality of dates you have to choose from.”

1. Don’t overshare: Don’t feel the need to tell your prospective dates irrelevant information, like the fact that you already have a significant other or that you plan on living in your parents’ basement until you’re 40.

2. Don’t lie…too much: It’s tempting to embellish your profile, artificially enhancing the quality of your job or physical attributes. So by all means, make it sound like you’re a bit more important and attractive than you actually are, but keep it believable.

3. Include a lot of photos: Your potential dates should see you as you really are. Those 10 versions of the same double chin or duck face selfie? Definitely include.

4. Avoid clichés: Make sure to spice up your profile with the copious use of unique phrases, including but not limited to the fact that you “enjoy spending time with family,” “love trying new restaurants,” and are “open to adventures.” These will surely help you stand out from the crowd.

5. Do your homework: Successfully landed a first date? Great! Your next step should be tracking down every social media profile your new crush has ever created, going back to his or her MySpace photos from sixth grade. You want to know as much as you can about your date, right?.

This article is part of Northeastern’s 2016 April Fools’ Day coverage.