A college student named Liam McGregor has developed a new insurance policy tool called the Marriage Pact to help young adults feel more confident about the future of their love life. The tool was created in 2017 at Stanford University and allows students to have a spousal “backup plan” if they haven’t found the one by a certain age. The idea is to match individuals with an optimal marriage backup plan partner based on core values and compatibility factors, rather than superficial criteria like appearance or height. The algorithm used in the Marriage Pact is designed using decades of relationship science research to ensure long-term compatibility.
The Marriage Pact questionnaire consists of 50 questions that focus on topics such as communication styles, conflict resolution, smoking and drug habits, and other core values. Students can only be matched with others from the same school, and the questions are tailored to each specific college campus. The algorithm works by evaluating how individuals respond to these questions and then attempts to match them with their optimal backup plan partner. The tool has been successful in creating real-life relationships, with about 30% of matches meeting up in person and one in nine of those couples dating for a year or longer, ultimately leading to marriage in some cases.
Since its inception in 2017, the Marriage Pact has expanded to 88 college campuses across the country and has nearly 500,000 participants. The tool has received significant interest from students, with over 1,000 Stanford University students signing up on the first day alone. McGregor was surprised by the overwhelming response to the survey and noted that it became a popular topic of conversation among students. The Marriage Pact has proven to be successful in creating meaningful connections, with many couples getting married after being matched through the tool.
One example of a successful match made through the Marriage Pact is Max Walker and Melia Summers, who joined the tool as New York University students in 2020. Despite initially being at different campuses, they eventually met in person and went on a date nearly a year after being matched. Walker and Summers will be getting married in June 2024 after having a match rate of 99.65%. McGregor, the creator of the Marriage Pact, has noted that the tool’s success in matching compatible partners is a testament to the effectiveness of the algorithm in choosing the best matches out of thousands of potential candidates.
The Marriage Pact has been embraced by students at various colleges, with the U.S. Department of Education identifying 14 schools where students are more likely to make a pact by the end of their senior year. The interest in the tool continues to grow, with more schools joining the Marriage Pact each year. McGregor has seen firsthand the positive impact that the Marriage Pact has had on relationships, with many successful matches leading to long-term commitments and marriages. The tool aims to provide young adults with a sense of security and confidence in their future love life, even if they haven’t found their life partner yet.
