Students like the double-blind approach of the site—identities are only revealed if both people indicate they have a “crush” on the other person. “I’m definitely not the most shy guy, but I need some help making that initial leap and asking someone out,” says Mr. Weinstein. And he’s not alone.

“My experience has been that people just aren’t that forward,” says Jennifer Werbitsky, 18, a sophomore at Cornell. GoodCrush allays those age-old fears about rejection. Matthew Straus, 20, a junior at Duke, says he’s heard the name of the site used as a verb on campus. “My guy friends say maybe I’ll ‘GoodCrush’ her before I try and get with her or ask her out.’

But what are the drawbacks of cultivating a risk-free dating culture, where college students can get email verification that it’s safe to ask the other person out? Won’t their parents and grandparents accuse them of being a bunch of chickens?