“Did you miss us?”  

The title of an email appears on both my friend’s and my screens as we open a message from Bates Marriage Pact announcing that they’ve returned with another survey to help us find our match. 

Created in 2017 by Stanford students Liam McGregor and Kelly Peng, Marriage Pact uses survey questions asking about dating preferences, including humor type, drug use, alcohol use, and political party. From here, their algorithm analyzes answers and places participants with their match, providing their match’s name by email. 

This survey pairs students with fellow participants who could become their future safety spouse, just in case true love doesn’t show up on time. Marriage Pact, first hitting the scene at Bates in March 2025, saw a 72% participation rate in its first year, according to the Bates Marriage Pact’s Instagram. 

Back for another round, The Student sat down with Sivani Arvapalli ‘26, this year’s student coordinator running the program on campus. Arvapalli was recruited into the position through a Bates friend and then put into contact with the coordinator, sharing that her extra time compelled her to manage it. “I’m a senior, and I have time on my hands right now, I was like, why not?” she said. “I think it’s a fun thing.”

So, are the student coordinators able to see our answers?  Are they secretly playing matchmaker? 

Short answer: no. Student coordinators are responsible for promoting the survey and facilitating the on-campus process, not viewing responses or making matches. Matches are generated through an algorithm created by the program’s founders. 

Daniel Basker, an intern that works for Marriage Pact Inc., shared with Arvapalli that some matches are made by similarity of participants and some are an “opposites attract” match. 

The cheeky questions meant to reveal turn-ons and deal breakers were created by the founders, with student coordinators helping select which ones would be cut. The questions cover different issues, ranging from religion to drinking habits, including ranking on a scale from 1-7 how participants compare academically to other Batesies. 

In an era where meet-cutes are vanishing and dating apps rule the scene, Marriage Pact swaps fate for data. Whether it’s finding a new Commons crush or creating the next alumni love story, Marriage Pact is there to make it happen. The survey, which opened on Jan. 26, will accept responses until Feb. 2.