If you apply for student housing and agree to share a room with a stranger, you have no right to expect similarity of anything beyond physical gender. The older student has the same rights as the younger one. Yes, this situation was more complicated, but by making age the issue, you promote age discrimination.

Considering the ways roommates can be badly matched--religious practices, social and sexual activity levels, drug use, housekeeping, noise tolerance, etc.--age is one of the lesser worries.

Dorm life comes with problems. The dorms at one of our local universities are legendary for their party atmosphere, like you can get high just from breathing the air in the halls.

I went back to grad school at 66 and rented a 2BR apt. I told my program director I wished for someone to split the rent, and she put me in touch with a 23yo female in the same program. Both of us were quiet, studious, and introverted, and we got along great.