Zhipper - College Marketplace 1.0

College life often presents numerous logistical challenges, particularly for international students navigating apartment hunting, roommate selection, and furniture arrangements. The process of selling belongings when graduating or relocating can introduce additional complications, frequently relying on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, which can sometimes host fraudulent accounts, or WhatsApp groups that are prone to spam and irrelevant messages.

Introducing Zhipper, a specialized college marketplace designed to facilitate secure and reliable buying and selling among students. The platform connects users with verified peers from their own institution, aiming to create a safer and more trustworthy environment for transactions.

How does Zhipper differentiate itself from conventional marketplace applications? The platform mandates user verification through school email addresses, ensuring all participants are legitimate members of the respective academic community.

Students moving to new cities for internships can leverage Zhipper to connect with fellow students from different schools and explore subleasing opportunities. Additionally, the platform supports discreet transactions—such as confidentially selling baked goods—through anonymous listing options.

For those tired of spam-filled WhatsApp groups, Zhipper offers integrated in-app messaging that streamlines communication. The application also features adaptable functionalities, including dynamic scaling, text-to-speech for listing information, speech-to-text for form completion, and haptic feedback to confirm user actions.

Currently, Zhipper supports users from the following institutions:

• University of Texas at Austin
• Texas A&M University, College Station
• University of Texas at Dallas
• North Carolina State University
• University of Southern California
• Boston University
• Arizona State University
• New York University
• Purdue University
• Northeastern University