I've subscribed to this service for a little over a year, and forgot about it until I got a few emails. I never knew until recently how to search or respond to profiles, since, as others have pointed out, the interface isn't that intuitive.

In some ways, I think that's not to bad a thing. I think good UI's found on online personal sites like match.com, nerve.com (which uses the same backend system, Spring Street Personals, I think it's called, as many others like Salon.com, SFGate.com, theonine.com, bust.com), make shopping too easy (which I think is a larger problem of online dating as whole). So actually there's a sense of greater value in the profiles that you do read about.

Pros:

--I like the kinds of categories you have and that you use your own words to describe what you're looking for, or what's important to you. I think Match.com's check boxes and lists are inane, and that those in Salon.com/Nerve.com ("Celebrity I resemble the most") are so hip and edgy they can too easily detract from being earnest.

--I like how "Dawne" tries to inspire a higher standard of civility in the space ("At the minimum, reply with a 'No thank you,'"), altho' this hasn't been my experience consistently.

--I've never been able to view another male's posting, which is actually kind of good. One isn't able to write a profile informed by the 'competition.'

--If you make a change to your profile, it's done realtime.

--B/c it appeals to people with advanced degrees and high falutin' educations, it's easy to be bookish and highbrow, which might be the most comfortable way in which its typical member likes to interact.

Cons:

--It's pricey (v. other reviews).

--Not easy to use, but see above note about 'shopping.'

--The idea of being Ivy League only is a little ridiculous to me- I'm frankly a little embarassed to tell my friends I'm using such an elitist service (but that's its niche)

--Seems not to have many participants.

In summary:

I think it has its niche- it's elitist in educational level; this lends itself to a kind of elitist air which might make for initial communication that's more civil. I liked the way I was able to make use of it to describe myself, unlike Match.

Ultimately, I think how good an online dating service is depends on how comfortable you are with the way you're able to describe yourself- and for this, in my opinion, TRS does a really good job. It also depends on the selection of people you can meet, and ultimately, how successful you are in finding what you're looking for. That's a little more difficult to pin on the service. What are people really looking for online? Why would they try to find it in an Ivy League only site?