charmed59 is offline charmed59 Post #1  June 10,2010, 7:51pm
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In our profiles under settings it asks for height, education, and income. Then it asks "how important is your match's to you?" Now, my height is 5'4", I'm assuming they aren't only looking for matches for me that are 5'4". What is eHarmony's assumed ranges on these? Under education does it assume I need the same degree as myself or higher, or just the same degree? And what range is it looking for in income?
 
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Mr79percent is offline Mr79percent Post #2  June 10,2010, 8:33pm
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charmed59 wrote :
In our profiles under settings it asks for height, education, and income. Then it asks "how important is your match's to you?" Now, my height is 5'4", I'm assuming they aren't only looking for matches for me that are 5'4". What is eHarmony's assumed ranges on these? Under education does it assume I need the same degree as myself or higher, or just the same degree? And what range is it looking for in income?
Good question. On both education and income, I put my settings pretty lenient. I have an BS in engineering, but I left the field to do something I enjoy more. It also means I don't make as much. And this is why eHarmony doesn't work for me. If I put my education level truthfully, I keep getting matched with professional women who make 3 or 4x as much as I do. The minute I explain what I do for a living..they close or poof. It's happened about 7 to 8 times already. I've stopped trying to communicate with any woman like that now. If I "lower" my education level, I keep getting matched up with biker chick types. Women that I have nothing in common with. I always figured "teacher" would be a good match for me--educated like I am but don't have an intimidating income. But my success with teachers is probably worse than with CEO types if that was even possible. I've pretty much thrown in the towel at this time.

It seems when I go "lenient" on income, it matches with women who make more who have "lenient" on their income level. In reality, I'm lenient if a woman makes less, and the women probably has "lenient" because she doesn't mind a man who makes more.

Same deal on education level...lenient I get matched with Masters, and PhDs. That's "leniency" in the wrong direction I was pursuing.
 
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chemgal is offline chemgal Post #3  June 10,2010, 9:42pm
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Height: The system assumes women want a man who's taller than them. I don't think it uses an actual range.

Education: The system assumes you want equal (or higher?) level of education.

Income: The system assumes you want equal or higher income.

I have all three set to fairly low importance. It would narrow my options ridiculously to demand equal or higher education; all I care about there is a love of learning and a decent level of literacy. I have a similar policy on income. I want steadily employed and capable of supporting himself. Financially responsible as I'm not looking to inherit a pile of debt if things work out. Enjoys his work would be nice. Those are all completely possible with an income lower than mine.

On the height front, I have yet to be matched with a man shorter than me - likely because I'm pretty short to start with - or, if I have, he's closed me before I've noticed. And that's with the slider way down. I suspect the height filter's really designed for taller woman (as well as shorter men looking for short women).
 
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Coca-Cola is offline Coca-Cola Post #4  June 11,2010, 2:41am
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Okay please note that every answer you receive here is hearsay and anecdotal observation, because the site never really documents how this stuff works. This doesn't stop me from speculating, though.

1.) Education -- has always been included among the 29 Dimensions. Their 29 dimensions formula is essentially "Similarity Great, Opposites Attack". The importance level would therefore be answering the question, "How important to you is having similar education level?"

Anecdote: When PhDs call in to complain being matched to GED dropouts, this importance setting fixes it.

2.) Income -- In the past, the site strongly denies that they match on income, yet they've always asked their members' income and this importance level. Now, their help system says nothing. On one hand, maybe it's only for advertising demographics. On the other hand, perhaps the Similarity Shtick applies: "How important to you is having similar income levels?"

Anecdote: When lawyers call in to complain being matched to waitresses, this importance setting fixes it.

3.) Height -- Sometime several years ago, Warren told the press that "Women Receive Taller Men". Sometime later, the site strongly denies that they match on height. Now, their help system says nothing. On one hand, maybe it's back to what Warren said: "How important is it to you that the guy is taller than the girl?" (Thus tall guys cannot restrict to get only tall girls.) On the second hand, perhaps the same Similarity Shtick applies: "How important to you is having similar heights?" On the third hand, height is on the Nice To Have tab, so the lever may not be attached to anything.

Anecdote: A 6-foot woman who set her importance very high STILL receives men 8 inches shorter.

Anecdote: Watch 6'6"-tall Chris Thompson's "video essay" of eHarmony on Youtube, posted yesterday.

I hope this helps.
 
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dmi is online now dmi Post #5  June 11,2010, 6:13am
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I have it set as:
Education: 3
Income: 2
Height: 1

Result is that I seem to get the whole range of people on all fronts. I've been matched with women ranging from like 4'8" to over 6'. I get matched with everything from women working in a beauty salon to doctors and lawyers. I can't remember getting matched with any high school dropouts, but I have been match with people who have doctorates.

I'd be willing to bet that it will give you a diverse set of matches unless you set it to 7. They definitely do that with distance. When I had that set to 5, I would get matches that were over a 2hr drive away when I had set it for 30 miles. Even set at 7, I get a few outside of the radius, but, generally only by a few miles.

I wonder why they don't have seperate selections for what you're looking for in all these categories. They do it for age, why not the others? While I don't particularly like the idea of someone using the income setting to do some gold digging, at least I'm reasonably confident that we'll be a decent personality match.
 
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