At The Pool is a new website designed to help connect like-minded people based on pools they enter groups of people with similar interests.

The program matches you with other users based on four criteria: location, history, interest and intent.

At The Pool describes itself as the host of a party and connects people based on information users enter online.

The site works best at places that already have a community, making universities the best place to try the Pool.

Last week, At The Pool was launched to the UVM community. Because of its size and diversity, UVM is a target school for At The Pool expansion.

A beta test was initiated at the University of Connecticut last spring, and 1,500 students promptly joined.

Tom Benneche, who helps with marketing efforts for the site, described UVM as the perfect place to launch a forward-thinking site.

One UVM student, however, does not feel she needs a website to make meaningful contact.

You meet people who are interested in the same things as you, first-year Shannon Esrich said. For example, if youre into working out, youll meet people at the gym. You dont need a computer.

First-year Connor Johnson thinks the site could be a positive thing.

Sometimes you dont go to things because you dont have people to go with. [With At The Pool] you dont have to worry about that, Johnson said.

While there is always a risk to entering a Web-based relationship, the outcome may be surprising to some.

Obviously not everyone you are matched with will become your next best friend, but from my personal experience in using the site, the connections can certainly last, Benneche said.

At The Pool users are also encouraged to post the results of their meetups online, on the site blog.

The blog is a way for At The Pool developers to measure rates of success, as well as for potential users to get a better understanding of the program.

For more information, visit atthepool.com.