Stanford is one of a handful of schools nationwide that does not tell incoming freshmen who their roommates will be until the first day of New Student Orientation (NSO). It is a source of pride for the University, which hopes withholding the information will be conducive to a better dorm atmosphere.

Until recently, this secret of dorm life brought freshmen to campus without knowing a soul. There were no familiar faces, and students had no way to know if anyone else in the dorm was bringing a PlayStation.

When the Facebook revolution took the nation’s colleges and universities by storm in 2004, it eliminated this aspect of mystery. Now, incoming freshmen form friendships and make plans with their new classmates months before they even arrive on campus. The social networking site has become the de facto homepage of countless college students, and Stanford’s Class of 2011 has put Facebook to use by excitedly planning for the upcoming year before it begins today.

Prachi Priyam ‘11 created the “Stanford 2011” Facebook group the very night she was accepted under Stanford’s Single-Choice Early Action program last December. Now, as NSO has officially begun, the group boasts more than 1,400 members — about 80 percent of the freshman class. In February, Priyam used Facebook to meet up with other Bay Area admits on campus and has since used the site to learn about both future classmates and life at Stanford.

“[The group] has been a great resource about SPOT trips, advisors and when we should have certain mailings, amongst other things,” she said.

Priyam is not alone in her reliance on Facebook as a source of information before school starts.

“[I] joined the group at probably 5:10 p.m. on Dec. 15,” said Stephanie Werner ‘11. “In other words, immediately.”

Through Facebook, Werner and other Chicago area admits have organized get-to-know-you dinners and other social events, and they are even gearing up for a game of Capture the Flag during NSO.

“For us, it’s a vehicle to get questions answered, share similar interests and concerns and build up communal excitement,” she said.

While freshmen may get to know their peers before school starts, staff in all-freshmen dorms will not accept Facebook friend requests from incoming students until after NSO. Residential Education (ResEd) requires that staff members have minimal interaction with freshmen before they arrive on campus, said Eric Boromisa ‘09, a Head Peer Academic Coordinator (HPAC) in Branner.

“It’s really important that [the freshmen] don’t come in with any preconceived notions,” said Fagan Harris ‘09, a Branner Residential Assistant (RA). “We want them to come in on equal footing and discover it all and enjoy that excitement of opening day together.”

Despite ResEd’s efforts, dorm Facebook groups are buzzing with students’ speculation about dormcest, co-ed showers and poker games.

Sam Alimi ‘11 used Facebook to organize a beach trip to Santa Cruz earlier this month.

“Basically, I wanted people to have an opportunity to meet other kids before school started,” he said. “[That way], we can go to Stanford already knowing some people, making the first couple weeks a lot less daunting.”

Nevertheless, Branner RA Arpeet Shah ‘09 pointed out that Facebook can only do so much before school begins.

“You don’t actually know each of these people,” he said, referring to the hundreds of Facebook friends that many freshmen already have.

Although she is active on Facebook, Georgia Andrews ‘11 admitted that making lasting friends might come down to meeting people the old-fashioned way, despite the changes wrought by Facebook.

“I’m coming with a box of Russell Stover chocolates,” she posted on the wall of the “Rinconada ‘07-’08” Facebook group. “I’m supposed to use them to make friends.”